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An evening at the Royal Opera House already carries a sense of occasion. Balconies Restaurant extends that feeling to dinner, with formal dining overlooking the glass and ironwork of the Paul Hamlyn Hall and a menu designed around the evening’s performance.
Located on the mezzanine of the hall, the restaurant is reserved for performance ticket holders and serves modern British cooking through a concise set menu. Dinner can unfold before the curtain rises and continue during the interval, allowing the meal to sit comfortably within an evening of ballet or opera.
Dining Above the Paul Hamlyn Hall
The setting gives Balconies much of its character. Paul Hamlyn Hall was completed in 1860 and originally known as the Floral Hall, forming part of Covent Garden’s historic flower market. Its barrelled glass roof and ironwork remain defining features of the space.
Balconies occupies the mezzanine above the hall, providing an elevated view across the activity below. Tables are smartly laid and the surroundings suitably polished, while the growing energy before curtain time gives dinner a natural sense of anticipation. For anyone attending the Royal Ballet or Royal Opera, the location also keeps the entire evening conveniently under one roof.
A Modern British Set Menu
Balconies serves a two- or three-course set menu, accompanied by an artisan bread basket with whipped butter. The cooking leans towards modern British fine dining, with a seasonal menu that changes over time.
Starters range from Jerusalem artichoke velouté with toasted pine nuts, lemon oil and Parmesan tuile to heritage beetroot with blackberries, pickled quince and bitter leaves. There is nori-cured salmon with buttermilk and dashi dressing, chicken and ham terrine with pease pudding and watercress salad, and aged beef tartare with potato rösti, egg yolk and pickled mushrooms.
Main courses continue in a distinctly British direction. West coast fish pie comes with Duchess potatoes and seasonal greens, while roast pollock is paired with cauliflower, pickled raisins, curried fish cream and date purée. Richer options include truffle-stuffed chicken breast with Jerusalem artichoke, kalette and chicken and pancetta sauce, and roast duck breast with parsnip, cavolo nero and morello cherry. Confit celeriac with Marmite, wild mushrooms and parsley provides the vegetarian option.
Sides include Chantenay carrots with cumin, buttered new potatoes, charred tenderstem broccoli with hazelnut romesco and garden leaf salad. The potatoes can also be ordered with truffle and Parmesan.
Desserts are equally considered, with choices such as blackberry and almond tart with blackcurrant curd and crème fraîche, chocolate delice with cinnamon, plums and spiced biscuit, blueberry cheesecake with Speculoos biscuit and blueberry compote, and dark chocolate mousse with praline, Gianduja cream and hazelnut biscuit. A fruit plate and Paxton & Whitfield cheese board offer lighter and savoury alternatives, while coffee and organic tea are served with petits fours.
The selection is varied without becoming overly extensive, which suits a restaurant working to the timings of a live performance.
Champagne at the Centre of the Experience
Champagne feels particularly at home here. Veuve Clicquot is the Royal Ballet and Opera’s official Champagne partner, and Balconies offers a dedicated pairing with its two- and three-course menus.
The pairing begins with Veuve Clicquot Vintage Brut 2015 alongside the starter, followed by La Grande Dame 2018 with the main course and Veuve Clicquot Brut Rosé with dessert. It gives Champagne a considered role throughout the meal rather than reserving it for a pre-performance glass.
The wider Royal Opera House drinks list reaches well beyond the pairing, with Champagne from houses including Ruinart, Dom Pérignon and Krug, alongside an extensive international wine selection. For dinner at Balconies, however, the Veuve Clicquot pairing provides the clearest expression of the restaurant’s celebratory character.
Dinner Designed Around the Performance
The format is one of Balconies’ strongest distinctions. Instead of finishing dinner and making the usual dash across Covent Garden before curtain-up, the meal can be divided around the performance.
Royal Ballet and Opera recommends having the starter and main course beforehand, then returning for dessert and coffee during the interval. When a production has two or more intervals, courses can be served across them. The table effectively becomes a base for the evening, ready for diners to return between acts.
Some planning is therefore required. Balconies is available to performance ticket holders; reservations are required, and meals must be pre-ordered at least 24 hours ahead, with a minimum of two courses per person. Dietary requirements should be provided when ordering, while specific table requests can be made but are not guaranteed. The restaurant has step-free access.
The arrangement suits the venue particularly well. There is little concern about dinner running into curtain time, while returning to a reserved table during the interval is considerably more relaxed than joining the rush at the bars.
An Evening at the Royal Opera House
Balconies works naturally as part of a wider evening at the Royal Opera House. Several other spaces provide options for drinks before the performance or during an interval without requiring guests to leave the building.
The Paul Hamlyn Hall Champagne Bar occupies the lower level beneath the restaurant and serves Champagne, other drinks and small plates around performances. The Dorfman Conservatory offers another setting for Champagne and cocktails, while the Royal Opera House Café provides a more casual option on the ground floor.
Balconies remains the more complete dining experience. Its setting, structured service and connection to performance timings give dinner a clear place within the evening rather than treating it as a separate pre-theatre reservation.
A Memorable Prelude to the Performance
Balconies Restaurant is a compelling choice when dinner deserves as much consideration as the performance ahead. The view over Paul Hamlyn Hall provides an impressive setting, the seasonal menu has enough breadth for a proper dinner, and the Champagne pairing adds an appropriately celebratory touch.
Its greatest strength is how smoothly everything fits together. With courses arranged around the performance and the table waiting again at the interval, Balconies allows dinner to remain part of the evening from arrival to the final curtain.
Location: Royal Opera House, Bow St, London WC2E 9DD
