Balls & Company
Approx 12:05pm - 12:45pm
58 Greek St, London W1D 3DYLike balls?
If you're like me, and you've constantly found yourself asking 'why oh why isn't their a meatball dedicated restaurant around this town?', then your prayers may very well be answered. Meet Balls & Company; an intimate and well designed restaurant in the heart of Soho - just a few steps off Soho Square. I took a visit to this jazzy little place yesterday afternoon, and was overall impressed by whole meatball-y, down-to-earth package.
I arrived at approximately 12:05pm, 5 minutes after the restaurant opens, and I had the place to myself for a whole 5 minutes. It remained quiet for the entirety of my visit (which is fine by me).
The venue was very neatly laid out, and strangely geometric for a place which is named 'Balls' (circular, yes?). Geometric shapes on the ceiling, as well as the walls, square tables, in-line table layouts, even a rectangular radiator. But, I digress... it was beautifully presented, modern, clean, and tidy. To add to the atmosphere, they played - what I believe to be - laid-back House music through the speakers, adding to the contemporary vibe.
Having taken my seat near the door, I perused the menus, which included a full menu, specials menu, wine list and cocktails list (See below).
I ordered my food and drinks at approximately 12:10pm, and was kindly recommended 2 different ball types from the main menu by the waiter to accommodate for me being a meat-hating Pescetarian:
- QUINOA beetroot & feta - accompanied by the PESTO basil, lemon, garlic, cashew nuts sauce
- SALMON dill & seeds - accompanied by the BECHAMEL creamy ricotta & parmesan sauce
I also ordered a side of Polenta Chips with Rosemary Salt from the special menu.
The waiter recommended a wine to accompany my meal, of which he chose the MAUI Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.
The feast arrived at approximately 12:27pm (and when I say feat, I mean FEAST! It certainly was a lot for one small person to digest). Time to dig in!
Firstly, the Polenta Chips with Rosemary Salt - absolutely wonderful! Majorly crispy, not too greasy, and nice and salty. They also came with a garlic aioli, which was slightly thinner than any I've had before, and not too heavy on the garlic. I'd definitely recommend trying these!
The SALMON balls were the biggest winner for me. HUGE chunks of salmon in there, and they were cooked to perfection. The balls were nice and dense and held together perfectly. The BECHAMEL sauce was creamy and subtle, with the right balance of citrus flavours in there. The MAUI sure was a good accompaniment to this dish, too.
The QUINOA balls didn't hit the spot as much as the other 2 dishes did, but, they were absolutely stunning to look at! The purple of the Quinoa and the green of the PESTO were so rich and vibrant - it was a shame to even dig into this pretty picture! The flavours were all there; the ball had a very fresh taste, and the taste of the beetroot was very vibrant. The pesto didn't overpower the ball either, and they complimented each other very well. My only gripe here is that I would have liked these balls to be denser; they did fall apart very easily. If they held together a little better I would have been all over them!
So, to conclude, this place is great! Food - top notch. Service - polite and friendly. Venue - modern and clean. I loved it! I would like to come back with meat-eating friends to get their views on some of the other flavours available on the menu. I really should try the cocktail menu as well.
Thanks to everyone at Balls & Company for a wonderful luncheon!
Total cost: 29GBP (32.63GBP with service charge)
ThymeTip: To my meat-eating readers; the waiter recommends the PORK ball, but I have also read good reviews on the WAGYU ball as well. If you try them, please let me know what you think!
Food: 8/10
Drink: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Fun-ness: 7/10
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