Balthazar Boulangerie 8 Russell Street (corner of Wellington Street) Covent Garden London WC2B 5HZ [3]
Website
Official website
McNally also owns Pastis, Cafe Luxembourg, Lucky Strike, the Russian-themed bar and restaurant Pravda, Odeon in Tribeca, and Schiller's Liquor Bar on the Lower East Side.[7][9][10] Balthazar Bakery was later opened at 80 Spring Street.[11] McNally opened Balthazar in the theatre district in Covent Garden in London, in February 2013.[12]
The SoHo building that houses Balthazar used to be occupied by a tannery.[16] Balthazar's design was intended to resemble that of a brasserie, with high-backed red leather banquettes, scarred and peeling brass oversize mirrors, high tin ceiling, scuffed tiled floor, faded saffron yellow walls, large windows, and antique lighting.[1][2][15][17][18][20][21][22][8]: 182 The restaurant seats 180 people.[16] Balthazar is also known for celebrity-watching; in 2012, Fodor's ranked it # 1 in New York City in that category.[23][24]
In 2013, Zagat's gave Balthazar a food rating of 24 (out of 30), a decor rating of 24, and ranked it the second best French brasserie restaurant in New York City.[4] That year, the New York Daily News rated its French onion soup the second-best in the city.[13]
Balthazar made headlines in 2022 when comedian and actor James Corden was banned from the restaurant by owner Keith McNally, after reportedly being "abusive" and "extremely nasty" to staff. The ban was later rescinded after Corden apologised to McNally in private and in public, admitting that he had been "ungracious."[25][26]
In popular cultureedit
Balthazar is featured in the 2009 autobiography Under the Table: Saucy Tales from Culinary School, by Katherine Darling (Simon and Schuster),[27] in the 2010 novel The Associate, by John Grisham (Random House),[28] in the 2010 novel Something Borrowed, by Emily Giffin (Macmillan),[29] in the 2010 novel 36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction, by Rebecca Goldstein (Random House),[30] in the 2011 juvenile fiction novel Holiday Spirit, by Zoe Evans (Simon and Schuster),[31] in the 2011 autobiography Innocent Spouse: A Memoir, by Carol Ross Joynt (Random House),[32] and in the 2012 novel The Stolen Chalice, by Kitty Pilgrim (Simon and Schuster).[33] In November 1999, comedian and actor Jerry Seinfeld proposed to Jessica Sklar at Balthazar.[34]
As the ultimate tribute, shortly after opening it was parodied as the blazing hot über-cool “Balzac” in the fifth episode of the first season of Sex and the City, entitled “The Power of Female Sex.”
^ abcEve Zibart (2010). The Unofficial Guide to New York City. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9780470637234. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
^ abGerber, Suzanne; McCartney, Paul (2004). Vegetarian New York City: The Essential Dining, Shopping, and Lodging Guide. Globe Pequot. ISBN 9780762728527. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
^Kerstin Kühn (January 14, 2013). "Former Marco Pierre White head chef Robert Reid appointed executive chef of Balthazar". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
^ abcBalthazar | Manhattan | Restaurant Menus and Reviews. Zagat. Archived from the original on February 26, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
^ abRichard Saul Wurman (2008). Access New York City 13e. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780061350375. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^Gael Greene (May 19, 1997). "A Kiss-Kiss Before Dining". New York Magazine. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
^ abDiGiacomo, Frank (May 19, 1997). "The Observatory: Bistro of Burden". The New York Observer. ISBN 9780061959660. Retrieved February 6, 2013. in The New York Observer (2009). The kingdom of New York : knights, knaves, billionaires, and beauties in the city of big shots. HarperCollins e-books. p. 133. ISBN 9780061959660. OCLC 525290598.
^ abcLande, Nathaniel; Lande, Andrew (2008). The 10 Best of Everything, Second Edition: An Ultimate Guide for Travelers. National Geographic Books. ISBN 9781426202278. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
^Let's Go Inc. (2008). Let's Go New York City; 17th Edition. Macmillan. ISBN 9780312385804. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^Richard David Story (August 2000). "travel eastern standard". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^Jeffrey Steingarten (2008). It Must've Been Something I Ate: The Return of the Man Who Ate Everything. Random House. ISBN 9780307486448. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
^Yumi Matsuo (September 26, 2012). "Why We Can't Wait For Keith McNally's Balthazar To Open In London". Guestofaguest.com. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
^ abOsterhout, Jacob E. (January 13, 2013). "Best of New York: French Onion Soup". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
^Jeryl Brunner (2011). My City, My New York: Famous New Yorkers Share Their Favorite Places. Globe Pequot. p. 61. ISBN 9780762777167. Retrieved February 4, 2013. spring street balthazar.
^ abEd Levine (1997). New York Eats (More): The Food Shopper's Guide To The Freshest Ingredients, The Best Take-Out & Baked Goods, & The Most Unusual Marketplaces In All Of New York. Macmillan. ISBN 9780312156053. Retrieved February 4, 2013.