Whoa! Â I was absolutely blown away. Â Went with my lovely boyfriend who took me here for my birthday. Â Our server was Raymon (sp?) and he was great! Â We had the charcuterie plate which was AWESOME!, the steak, scallops, and I had the apple fritter dessert which was extra AWESOME. Â Would love to come back but maybe when I strike the lottery..
Review Source:In all fairness, we came here after having an amazing experience at the Aviary, but I can't complain about the drinks at the Balsan. They were delicious. It was everything else that was just so so-so. The food is way overpriced and average tasting at best. How do you screw up a chocolate dessert? They did it! Twice! And the lighting reminds you of being at a diner -- turn it down, guys!
What's most distressing is that this is the Waldorf-Astoria! I expect better from WA. But I guess they're content to cash in on their name -- that won't last long. There are too many great restaurants in Chicago to suffer through bad food at high prices.
Ever since the Waldorf took over, the service has been noticeably worse. Balsan used to have impeccable service. This time, we waited at our table for 15 minutes before anyone even acknowledged our existence. Then, I had to ask the waiter for assistance. Drinks came out with entrees, rather than when we ordered them. Food still good. Probably the last time I will visit Balsan - and I used to go for brunch frequently.
Review Source:came here with my husband and another couple, and we were very underwhelmed. Â Â First of all, it took our waiter 10 minutes to acknowledge our presence. Â Then, we ordered a bottle of wine and it took him 20 minutes to come back and tell us that wine was gone. Â Then the sommelier came over and VERY condescendingly "recommended" another bottle that was "appropriate for our age and price range". Â We are in our early 30's, here, people. Â And the first bottle we ordered was $50. Â Get off your high, obnoxious horse. Â
We got the charcuterie plate to start, and this was the highlight of the night. Â Delicious, tender meats and beautiful, fragrant cheese with honey, figs, etc. Â So good. Â Our dinners were delicious--I had the salmon, which was delicious, although small and plated somewhat spartanly. Â Dessert (Paris Brest) was good, but I thought the rave reviews I've heard were a bit overstated. Â
Our waiter continued to ignore us for the entire night. Â Overall impression: great food for a high price, terrible, snooty service. Â Not going back.
I'm not going to repeat what many of the 1 and 2 star reviews say - I'm in total agreement. What I'm going to say is don't come here if you're a vegetarian. Don't. Even. Try.
I always wanted to try Balsan, and when the Groupon came out, I thought it was as good of a reason as any. My husband is a vegetarian that eats fish, and I briefly scanned the menu and saw salmon and scallops. I thought it would be a safe bet. We made reservations for a Thursday and were upfront about the Groupon. We were seated in a restaurant that was about 25% full. We were given the most impressive wine list I've seen in my life, and within 2 minutes - really - she says "what do you want to drink." I haven't even made it through half of the "A's, and the restaurant is empty. And it's Thursday. Can you give me a sec?
When we reviewed the menu we saw both fish choices came with meat broth, foie gras or bacon. What? We asked if we could have the scallops without any meat - just whatever the chef could do. Just the same thing on the menu, sans meat. Fifteen minutes later our server came back to say Chef couldn't do that, and could my husband take the salmon? Um, what other choice was there? Did he want to save the scallops for the non-Groupon customers? Hey, the entire joint was filled with us. You'd be empty otherwise.
This does get a 2 star review because the wine list is fantastic and the steak was amazing. They do their meats well. However, the salmon was dry, boring - can't you at least saute it in some butter for flavor? Does it really need to be rendered in bacon grease? Desserts were ok - not really for me. The kicker was when the bill finally came.
Since our meal was already rounding on 2.5 hours (the wait was absurd at times, especially since we were always rushed to make a decision on our end), I asked for the check. Immediately the server said "let me see your groupon." Oh, ok. Let me get it out of my purse, launch the groupon app, find the groupon itself. Instead of saying "you get that ready, and I'll be right back," she waited there and literally rolled her eyes three times at me.
It was between this place and the Gage for brunch when I got married. I'm so glad I chose the Gage instead.
Balsan has since liberated their two-course, set-priced brunch deal, but sometimes I wake up and still get a hankering of their pre-brunch platter with various slatherings. Resistance proves futile for late morning promises of mini baked goods, cheeses, meat and bread. I dream of pairing them with a hazelnut-lemoncurd-butter-raspberry spread combo.
Their brunch menu is limited but a well representation of fanciful fare: salmon, steak 'n eggs, poached prawns, pork belly, and wild mushroom frittatas. The place still has a scent of raw bar lingering about-- not sure if that's a good or bad thing.
This used to be one of our favorite places to stop in for a latte and dessert and after this morning's brunch it will be the last. Despite an iced latte being $8 each, the atmosphere was a treat and it was worth it to enjoy a nice environment. However, when I sat down for brunch today the carpet beneath me was filthy, the couch hadn't been wiped down, the nice silver pots of sugar they used to have have been replaced by cheap metal crap.
The small things in life really perk up your day, your surroundings being one of them. I felt dirty sitting there so I moved to the bar. It was better but when I asked for a cafe au lait I got a half cup of coffee and the bartender asked if I wanted cream...I explained a cafe au lait is coffee with steamed milk and seeing that they had one of those fancy $10,000 looking espresso machines this should have been  simple request. I got an attitude while he told me he would remake it. Pretty much the same thing came back and I wasn't willing to fight over it. To top this off though I got charged $7 for this "cafe au lait" and it was labeled french press...when I inquired and said I did not get a french press which generally is about 3 cups of coffee, his reply was "it is all the same". Hmm, nice. Well then your 18% automatic gratuity is the same as the 30% I usually leave at NoMi. The coffee was a cup I'd quickly like to forget, the "madelines, scones, salumi, etc" was a presentable spread with one of everything and nothing was outstanding. The yogurt and granola parfait was decent if you want to have 5 cavities and you normally like consuming 2 cups of jelly in one sitting.
We typically go to NoMi for breakfast every weekend and I would rather spend $70 there than $35 on myself here and feel ripped off and dirty. I wish this property had stayed with the Elysian, although the servers are all the same, it was better then.
I really hate giving out 1 star reviews, but in this case, it's totally warranted. I really try to be a positive person, so I'm going to start out with a few good things about our visit to Balsan. .
*The decor is beautiful. Very classy and chic.
*Our server, Kelly did a wonderful job and did her best to make our dinner enjoyable, but that's about the only good things I can say about Balsan.
Let's start from the beginning. As usual, my family plans got all screwed up for Thanksgiving so my Wife booked a reservation for a four course, Thanksgiving dinner at Balsan.
The oddities started from the moment we were seated. As I was looking at the choices for the four course meal, something odd occurred to me. There were only three courses listed. It turns out the hostess gave us the Children's menu. At first I thought the hostess was trying to compliment me for my good looks and boyish charm. Â I thought wrong. She gave the Kids menu to the couple that sat next to us. They were in their 80's. Kelly noticed the mistake right away and gave us the correct menu's. The second course consisted of two fish items. Since I don't eat Fish, she was nice enough to have the Chef make a Pasta for me which was a nice touch.
Let me preface everything else by saying the only reason I wanted to dine at Balsan was the Ham. I don't eat it very often, but it's one of my favorite foods. From the time I walked into Balsan, I was dreaming of hot, juicy, delicious slices of Ham. But it looks like I'm going to have to wait for Xmas to get this treat.
First course: The Waldorf Salad was tasty. It consisted of a small portion of nuts, raisins and fruit. Not half bad.
Second course: The pasta. A decent pasta, but for some reason they added Broccoli and mushrooms. Kind of odd since I asked for plain pasta.
Third Course: The first two courses were a bit slow, but it was nothing to be alarmed about, but it took close to 40 minutes for our entree to arrive and this is when I began to think something went wrong. When our entrees finally arrived, I fixed my eyes on my Wife's Turkey entree. It was a beautifully presented dish of large, Turkey slices. OK. Mission accomplished. My Wife will be happy with that. I then turned my eyes to my entree plate and told the Gentleman who delivered it, there's a mistake. I ordered the Ham? He looked down at me with a snooty look on his face and stated, Â "This is Ham. Oops! Sorry Sir.
Let me describe what was on my plate. It was stuffing with maybe an ounce of Ham that was chunked to the size of Tic Tac's. The plate was covered by a bland gravy. The plate was so soaked with Gravy, I couldn't tell the difference between the Ham and the stuffing. My Wife, being the smart one made a startling observation. The Kitchen screwed up the Ham!! I really hope she was right and the Chef didn't plan to dish an entree in this manner. Sadly, for the first time in my four decades on this Earth, I left uneaten Ham on my plate. Or in this case, a Ham like substance. I can't tell you how disappointed I was by this entree. Balsan managed to destroy something I love.
Here's the unfortunate bottom line on Balsan: If you're going to set up a pre-fixed, Holiday menu and charge your customers what amounts to a Car Payment, you have to do better than this. You seemed understaffed and over-whelmed. Maybe they were training people or didn't expect to be as busy as they were. Either way, you would be better off to stay closed on Holiday's and give your employees a day with their families. From observing the diners around us, I wasn't the only one who was let down by their experience. My Wife and I don't ask for much. We're not what you would consider rich, so if I'm shelling out a lot of money for a meal, I at least expect the entree to be eatable. Like the old adage goes, you live, you learn. And I learned that I won't be going back to Balsan anytime soon.
Our desert course wasn't that much better. It was beautifully presented, Red Velvet Cake. But unfortunately, the Cake was hard. I ate about half of it and gave up. I didn't just give up on the desert, I gave up on the meal itself.
For a Waldorf Astoria location, the place was too casual. The server was trying to do what was most convenient for her instead of guests and the vegetarian selection was limited to 1 salad and 1 appetizer or eggplant dip on toast.
Water was slow to arrive, no refills, no return trips by the server to ask if we needed anything else..
I come here for their fois gras and their prosciutto. So. Good. Located in The Elysian, Balsan is pretty sophisticated. You'll feel slightly uncomfortable if you're in a ratty t-shirt during the lunch hour rush.
The waiters are incredibly nice and accommodating. Once I wanted a half cheese half prosciutto plate that was out of season, I was totally prepared to order something else, but the waitress told me that it was ok and that the chef would be more than happy to accomodate me. So when my plate came, I was really ecstatic, especially when I noticed that they actually gave me full servings of each. Needless to say, I left a huge tip.
Also, their baguette is freshly baked and heavenly. Yum.
I went to Balsan on a Friday night, sans reservations. Â The place was dead and the hostess was sort of a jerk asking us if we had them. Â Party of two...we sat at the wide open bar.
I hate when I go to a place, order a flavor vodka, and then get the stupid look from a bartender (sorry, mixologist) saying "we don't serve flavored vodkas" Â in a patronizing way. Â Black cherry effen is a chicago original.
It took 5 minutes to be acknowledged by the bartender, another five to get water, four separate requests for a lemon for the water ( it was embarrassing ), and when we gave him our food order...he had to come back because he forgot it.
I asked what white wine he recommended and he of course said the $22 per glass wine---which is egregious since I can buy a bottle of effen for that price.
The food was ok..the prices for the portions and quality were very poor. Â Everything on the menu was about $3-5 overpriced.
The final kick in the head with the poor service was the fact that we got charged for glasses of wine we never ordered. Â We had to bring it up, he looked puzzled and we only had three cocktails because we wanted to get out and go to RL for better drinks. Â They took it off the check, but then I went to pay and gave the bartender my credit card...he gave the check to my boyfriend and called him mister..my last name when I clearly was paying.
Poor, poor service. Â Never again!
Oh, and the automatic 18% gratuity....that's just a joke. Â They must do it because they know the service is so poor. Â I always tip over 20% on the total check. Â In their case, it probably would have been 15%.
Fantastic French Food! Been here for lunch, dinner and brunch. First time was for New Years Day Brunch and we were hooked! My hubbie dreamed about their egg sandwich. We love brunch and have eaten at the finest places however this place left the diner day dreaming about their food!
Highly recommend the stratta and egg sandwhich. Everything they have on the dinner menu is decadent and delicious.
The dessert....PARIS BREST has won awards as its SOOOOO GOOD!!! Not too decadent just right!
Its located in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (formerly known as the Elysian). Highest recommendations!
We have been here as a couple and with family. Either way you cannot go wrong. This hotel has won many awards and rightfully so. Its just fabulous!
We had lunch with some friends at Balsan this Sunday and it was very nice and very adult. I'd say it was good and I would definitely go back, but it fell just a little short of being great.
It starts off nicely with a terrific assortment of Bloody Mary derivations and champagne cocktails. Â The spicy bloody was particularly yummy (I believe that a Bloody Mary that you don't feel going down is not worth drinking) and the champagne cocktails were all very beautiful, from a presentation perspective. Â Off to a good and very civilized start.
The first "course" arrives and it is a fixed assortment of salumi, scones, bread, cheese, and assorted spreads (both sweet and savory). Â All yummy, especially the house made Nutella. Â While I enjoyed the each piece individually, I felt that the overall course didn't quite hang together. Â The cheese/salumi section was at odds with the sweet/scone section. Â I suppose I could have edited what I was eating and just stuck to sweet or savory, but why? Â They put out the dish so I expect it to be properly composed.
The mains were all good, but somehow I felt not quite what they could have been.  It was a little bit boring.  My salmon platter was excellent, with delicious herbed crème fraiche, well grilled bread, and terrific salmon.  Again, very good, but nothing that blew me away.  Strata benedict got good reviews from my table mates, but nothing over the moon. Â
Service was fine and the room was only ok. Â It was on the third floor of the hotel and felt a little enclosed - the ceiling was felt low, so I didn't love the space. Â
Would I go back, yes. Â Would I probably keep looking for a great brunch place, definitely?
i know this is not typical...but we had a very bad experience. they did their best but it was a very disappointing experience. I do think it was a fluke, but nonetheless...it happened.
1. went for lunch- less than half full at peak lunch hours......
- took over 45 minutes to get our food (sandwich and a salad)
-ordered a pork belly sandwich...was great...came with NOTHING on the side..it was a small sandwiche..and no chips, no fries, nothing....so a 15 dollar sandwich...and no sides...
- i ordered fries..that took another 15-20 minutes...so i had to eat my sandwich because i waited 45 minutes already and was starving..i expected fries to take 5 minutes? I guessed wrong.
- they offerred desert and cofee to make up for it...that was great...I ordered a capucciono....it came with a hair in it....it was like sinking ship
2 hours later...we were out of there..(we were expecting an hour) and our tab was still pretty steep.
i have had breakfast here and its been outstanding..but this was really disappointing.
This place was amazing! Â Like, out-of-this-world amazing! Â Ok, I just had to get that out there. Â Backstory: Â we came here for a friend's birthday brunch. Â Thank goodness they picked Balsan, because I've been really wanting to eat here. Â Chef Danny Grant was named a Food & Wine 2012 Best New Chef, and GQ magazine's Alan Richman chose the paris-brest the best dessert in the country for 2010. Â But what's infinitely more important, Gwyneth Paltrow (aka Pepper Potts) ate here and loved it. Â And we really really like Pepper Potts :)
Now for the review:  the décor is definitely upscale (see photo of awesome light fixture), yet they've managed to retain a feeling of casual dining, which is an excellent mix :)  The staff was very friendly, our waiter (I forgot his name, but he's a really nice guy from Wisconsin) took time to explain the menu and checked on us a lot.  It was a two-course brunch, the first course consisting of salumi, madeleines, cheese, etc.  For the second course my friend suggested the breakfast sandwich which has grilled sourdough, fontina, egg,eggplant, and speck.  Delicious!  The sandwich also came with fancy tater tots (I'm sure they're called something else) which were also great! Â
Special note: Â be sure and order the famous paris-brest, you won't be disappointed :)
What a great brunch place! Â
My friend and I decided branch out and try Balsan for brunch (even though we're still loyal to Mercat!!) after our regular monthly massages.
The cheese, salumi and dessert tray that came first made me think "That's it, this place is getting 3 stars at most just for the lack of cheese." Â And even though they only did serve 1 rather small slice of cheese per guest, by the end of our brunch I was completely full.
The Stratta Benedict was absolutely delicious! Â And even though we were full, there's always room for desert! Â The Paris Brest gets a seal of approval from me!
I can't believe I forgot to review this place.
"Were you able to make a reservation with us for this evening?" in the most condescending way. Â Are you serious? Â Automatic guard goes up. Â This lackluster and uppity service continued throughout the night. Â This is maybe because they automatically clip you 18% for gratuity.
My burger was horrible. Â Way too much bleu cheese. Â Beef kinda fell apart in my mouth. Â Meh.
Nice facility. Â Upper mid lux. Â Nicely decorated, not a lot of tables, an intimate feel for a good dinner with a good friend or a date. Â Blah overall.
I'd try it again because it was new when I was there, and maybe a bit later they've worked out the kinks/given the hostesses and servers a little etiquette lesson.
Fabulous. One word. We, my husband and fellow workers from Tannins, and I were originally at the current W.A hotel for a Muga tasting with winemaker/owner Juan Muga.... now that was nice! But what was just as great was the dinner we had after the fact, at Balsan.
Monday nights at Balsan is an upcoming feature affair called Monday Night Comida, also being called industry night, $29 per person (not including the beverages). Tonight was "opening night", lucky us!
With several friends, new and old, we dined upon many courses served family style. Proclaimed by the GM of Balsan, the menu is going to be designed by one of the several sous chefs month by month... The sous chef for this months dinner is Puerto Rican in heritage so the theme for tonight's dinner was therefore.... Puerto Rican! Fantastic! I have not ever had Puerto Rican food before so this was a real treat for me!
Our friends and ourselves dined upon the following..... (course after course was better than the one before)
First Course dishes:
Ensalada de Carrucho Y Gambas: mixed green salad, garlic, conch, prawns
Crab Salmorejo: Cilantro, peppers, sweet onions
Second course dishes:
Piononos: Picadillo & sweet plantains
Sorullos Dulces: Cornmeal fritters, ricotta, mint
Sea Bass Escabeche: Bay leaves, onions, olives
Arroz Con Longanzia: Yellow rice, sausage, herbs
Dessert:
Cafe Con Leche: Donut, mocha (think of luscious donut holes.... they disappeared fast!)
You cannot beat the cost for the service, the food, and the atmosphere!
I cannot wait to hear what next months menu has to bring. We were very impressed and know that we will be back every month, to try every menu.... On Comida Mondays that is! Everyone should go....
Balsan's upscale brunch is definitely worth the money. It's a far cry from my standard (and beloved) egg-and-potato routine at Toast and Yolk, but sometimes a girl just wants to get her fancy on and act like she's Blair Waldorf, you know? And the best part is, I didn't even break the bank. Or have to wear one of BW's fugly headbands.
For $19, you get a two-course meal comprised of a starter of salumi, cheese, madelines, scones and spreads, followed by a main course. Our server offered to replace the salumi with fruit (kiwi, melon, berries), which was a nice touch. They brought the starter out right away and we got to enjoy it with our drinks while we waited for the main dishes. The spreads were my favorite part. Nutella, orange marmalade, and a berry jam. Needless to say, the madelines and scones were slathered in these delights and then completely devoured in minutes. The cheese and fruit were good, too.
Honestly, the starter would be a perfectly acceptable breakfast for a normal day. But brunch is all about gluttony, so we moved on to the main courses. Both of us got the strada benedict, which sounded amazing. Wild mushrooms, spinach, eggs and Hollandaise. We were not disappointed. The eggs were cooked well (though not perfectly for me, but I like my yolks more runny than most). Could have stood to be a bit more zesty-ness to the sauce...but again, that's a personal preference so no points off for Balsan. I'd try the French toast or breakfast sandwich next time, they both sounded great.
Since I'd hit it hard the previous night, I stuck to tea. Rick went for an Allegash so no comment on the mimosa or Bloody situation except to say they are $10 each and have several varieties. The party at the table next to us got both and they looked yummy. I do love the cute little tea setup they bring over.
I'd do Balsan again with the inlaws or as a girl's brunch type thing. Even though you get a good bang for your buck, it's still a bit spendy for most weekends. Oh, and it's located in the Elysian/Waldorf Astoria, so don't roll in wearing your jammies. Or call me and we'll slum it amidst the fancy folk together.
When in doubt, round up?
Not sure it's accurate, but I'm employing the round up technique simply because I can. While 3 stars may be a bit generous here, 2 is really pulling out the harsh guns, yo. Let's call it 3 by means of ambiance (and the fact that Sam Zell sat next to us throughout dinner; hey, if it's good enough for Sam....) and 2 for food, service and everything else.
Also, in the spirit of full disclosure, this review pertains particularly to Balsan's Sunday Family Style Supper. An opportunity to experience Balsan, several appetizers, specialty entreés and desserts for a paltry $29/person seems like quite the steal at this upscale Elysian - ahem, I mean Waldorf Astoria - eatery. Unfortunately, when you're left hungry after the meal and unenthused by the majority of what was consumed, well, the value starts to seem a bit trifling.
Allow me a moment to break it down by what was served:
starter // eggplant, meyer lemon, yogurt, tarragon // the plated size was borderline insulting, with approximately only 2 tablespoons worth of the eggplant and a small handful of microgreens, this brought a whole new meaning to the term 'tasting portion.'
starter // farm greens, beets, blue cheese, shallot vinaigrette // tasty and perfectly dressed, but again, positively minuscule in size... a small app-sized salad bowl was served for 3 people. This has to be the most inexpensive of all dishes, to amp up on the greens would be the easiest way to help fill us up, yet still keep costs low.
main // beef tenderloin, foie gras, sweet breads, chanterelles // the tastiest of the items, again, small in size... one hunk of beef per person with barely discernible sweetbreads and completely indiscernible foie.
main // swordfish, celery, ginger // pretty much the worst of the worst. Overcooked, dry, bland.
side // bok choy, orange, jus // in staying true to form, this was again brought out in an inappropriately-sized fashion. Two pieces of bok choy for three individuals. Fail.
side // cabbage, sausage, maple syrup // yummy, loved this side, had great smokey flavor and combined with the sweetness of the maple, was truly divine. Do I really need to say it? Portion size was itty bitty.
dessert // mascarpone cheesecake // each person got their own mini cheesecake, it was airy and light, good flavor
dessert // blood orange, coconut sorbet // the cannelle of sorbet was lovely, but reminded me - yet again - that I was still hungry and in dire need of getting to Pinkberry STAT.
Take the above unsated disappointment and combine with service that, while friendly, was positively unpredictable and left us rushing with food at times and deserted with no bill for 30 minutes the next.
My best recommendations can only be the following: if you need to charge more to give more, do it. A good buy isn't a bargain without getting something great.
We couldn't get any appetizers or food in the bar so we had to come up here for dinner but we really enjoyed ourselves. We ended up only ordering some goat cheese and various breads, some soup and of course more cocktails but everything came timely and was great.
The soup, a butternut squash with chives and pomegranate was one of the best soups I've ever tasted. Our server was accommodating... up to when we asked to split the bill due to some of us ordering way more than others... but we'll overlook that.
After two visits, it's settled. Â Five stars, even better than the four Carol K. gave it in her great review.
Shared plates both times.  First time:  Small plate foie gras torchon, steak tartare, and gnudi.  Then a roasted tarte flambée, with bacon, onions, crème fraîche, Uplands cheese.  With a great viognier wine.  Awesome.  Great flavors, delicious ingredients, well prepared and perfectly served.  Our waiter (Thomas) was outstanding, accommodating our laid back pace.  A wonderful experience.
Second time: Â We discovered their Sunday Secret - Sunday Supper. Â On Sundays they serve a family-style meal. Â $29 each, everyone at the table needs to order it. Â But how can you go wrong with a farm greens salad with apple, pecans, parmesan, and shallot thyme vinaigrette, along with a lobster, creme fraiche, and dill salad. Â Then four plates, refillable if you want. Â On our Sunday it was large scallops on lentils and foie, creamed cardoons with truffle, green beans with bacon and crispy shallots, and braised chicken with a delicious pappardelle pasta. Â Every dish was tasty, interesting, well balanced, just plain old excellent. Â Dessert was a sliced pumpkin cake with marsacarpone creme in between slices, with a small side of apple and dried cherry compote. Â Â Every Sunday's menu is whatever the chef decides to make. Â I'm ready to trust him for whatever he wants to serve. Â
The decor is terrific too - relaxing, comfortable, but still classy. Â Billed as a brasserie, it well fits the brasserie definition. Â But the variety of foods, the small plate alternatives, and the Sunday Supper are a bit out of line for a brasserie. Â Fine with me.
This is probably the best smelling restaurant I've been to in a long time.
The cocktails were amazing: delicious and creative.
The food was pretty good. I split the beet salad, the Scallops and the burger. Dunno why we got the burger... or why it was on the menu at a place like this, but we did, and it was good. The scallops were tasty, and the salad was pretty good.
I wasn't as blown away by presentation/taste etc as I was hoping, but everything was solid. Drinks were definitely the highlight of the experience.
I'll be back
My dinner at Balsan was kind of weird and left me feeling ambivalent. Â You enter through the Elysian Hotel, which is gorgeous. Â Seriously, this is the place to strut around in couture, if you've got it. Â Then, you take the elevator to the dining floor. Â RIA is to the left, so you can sneak a peek before turning right to enter Balsan. Â Both restaurants are very pretty, so my expectations were running high.
But this is where it got weird. Â We had a reservation, and upon checking in with the hostess, we were escorted through a corner of the very Parisian-looking bar/dining area into a separate room. Â This room was cold, sparsely seated, and had all the charm of a hotel conference room. Â It felt like an area that would be appropriate for a medium-to-large private party, but didn't feel at all like the main part of the restaurant. Â
Ok, so I was disappointed, but still hoped for an enjoyable meal. Â Unfortunately, service was only so-so and even though the food was well-prepared, the total experience just never took off. Â
A few pointers: soup and salads were among our favorites; the tarte flambe is huge, definitely good to split between two; also, one order of tea equals an entire pot, so multiple people can share. Â We wished our server had mentioned this when three of us ordered tea after dinner.
I wish I had more positive things to say about Balsan... because I wanted it to be the cap to an amazing week in Chicago.
Had a reservation for Sunday Brunch after a glowing recommendation from a friend. It was a very short walk from our hotel, and in the gorgeous Elysian Hotel.
The food was good. Almost VERY good. But good.
The bakery/spreads and the meat and cheeses were nice.
I had a classic breakfast, and the potatoes were absolutely fantastic, and that is something I don't usually love. The rest was tasty.
The bf had french toast, and he liked it, but felt it was somewhat bland.
The service annoyed me. It was cold and uninterested. Crumbs were spilled when things on the table were moved, leftovers from an earlier table? and coffee spilled all over my saucer/table, without any response. I'm not sure she even noticed until I asked for an extra napkin/saucer. Picky? maybe.. but I'd get more genuine service at Waffle House..
The spicy bloody mary was pretty fantastic. By far the best drink I had in Chicago (not including the beer selection at Publican)
Not somewhere I'd recommend  or return to.
For the price, I'd rather go to a smaller, more personal breakfast spot.
Lucien Lagrange, you are a god among architects. You designed Balsan seemingly just for me. The attention to detail is sublime. The ambiance . . . European. Chic. Elegant. Decadent. Sexy. Slightly louche. Or maybe that's just the potential for louche.
I went here to check out what all the hubbub was about. And have one $18 cocktail 'cos I can't afford more than that. The cheese selection . . . whoa. It smelled  . . . well, I'm going to say sexy.  Delicious. Mmmmmm.
I hope to return here and sample more cocktails, and maybe some oysters, cheese and salami soon.
What a gorgeous, gorgeous restaurant. No, it's not good for groups, it's not good for kids. It's a place where you go to banter with the sexy and elegant and international and YUM! Yeah. Hopefully I'll be back soon for that!
My husband and I had brunch at Balsan in October 2011.
Probably one of the best brunches I've had!
First course: 4 spreads (butter, raspberry jelly, lemon, and hazelnut?) with 4 different pastries (all nice and warm still when brought out). Â The combination of these spreads with these pastries - deliciousness! Â We savored every bit! Â (Thinking of it again as I write this makes my mouth water!)
Second course: cheese and meats. Â Pretty tasty! :)
Main Course:
I had the eggs Benedict. Â Probably, the BEST benedict I've ever had. Â It was so delicious and memorable.
My husband had the steak and veggies. Â Tasty too, but not as tasty as the eggs benedict.
Overall, if time permits, do brunch at Balsan! :)
I've stayed at the Elysian hotel a lot, and Balsan is my go to place. the food is consistently stellar (breakfast and dinner). Go during the week or on a saturday (the menu on sunday is limited and different than weekdays).
some highlights:
-wild stripe bass goujonettes - surprising texture, it's bass battered and lightly fried. excellent tarter sauce
-potato puree with truffle jus side is outstanding
- all the flatbread/pizzas are great (although Balsan stopped serving them recently, maybe seasonal)
highly recommended!
Well, where to start, I don't know. Â But, you local kids, checkout Balsan. Â Solid and consistently good food with season highlights make you even more fun than you would think. Â Nice wine list and nice craft cocktails, as well.
Have been for both lunch and dinner and both were equally as enjoyable. Â Checkout the Summer Suppers- they are a delight and great value for what you're getting. Â For lunch, the club was out of control good. Â I was beyond impressed with the flavors. Â The hazelnut wheel for dessert is not to be missed (I'm forgetting the exact name of it). Â Amazing.
When will all restaurant personnel realize that great service with genuine kindness and balanced attention truly create an exceptional experience for the diner? Â You know, the people who keep the place in business?
Well, not only have the folks at Balsan realized this, they execute on it perfectly.
I went for brunch to kick off my and a friend's birthday week.  The hostess informed us it would just be a few minutes and directed us to the  bar.  The bartender was witty and charming, bantering humorously while preparing drinks at a quick clip.
We were seated in no less than five minutes and our server was a true delight. Â Sweet , funny, knowledgeable (and gorgeous).
The starter of salumi, scones, madeleines, French bread, accompanied by raspberry preserves, lemon curd, fresh butter, and the most deeply decadent hazelnut chocolate sinfulness was so delicious and satisfying that I would have been easily sated with one more Lime and Thyme cocktail. Â But we went on.
I opted for the mushrooms, eggs, and grits and my companion went for the croissant breakfast sandwich with smashed and fried fingerling potatoes (wow!). Â All was just perfect on a beautiful sunny Sunday.
I must go back...
Love love love.
Seafood and I have a deep and loving connection, but due to it being more expensive than other types of protein I don't eat it as often as I'd like. Knowing this about me, my family knows what type of restaurant to bring me to when I'm back in town.
Balsan, along with the great seafood, combined a fun, trendy vibe with the best of both worlds, small shared plates and individual ones. We shared several appretizers (oysters - great, heirloom tomatoes, fries), and I indulged in more seafood for my dinner, while my family members went for other fare. All of us liked our meals.
Balsan has a good sized wine list, beer, and several cocktails - full bar, good selection.
Our service was prompt without being rushed, and our server was warm and engaging without overly interfering with our meal or conversations. The dark tables and lights made me feel like I could both hide and experience a cool atmosphere at the same time. And cool I felt, as I slurped my oysters and sipped my wine.
He had me at "Fabulous shoes."
That's what my waiter said when I slipped on my electric blue suede peeptoe pumps after arriving here in sneakers because I was running around. I loved the number of people around the city who complimented me on my various outfits during my two-week trip home. Chicago, you are beautiful and you know style. ;)
Came here for lunch on my last day in Chicago and I'm glad I saved it for the end. What more could you want than dining in a quiet, elegant hotel with Modest Mouse's "Never Ending Math Equation" playing in the background?
To properly bid adieu to my beloved hometown, I seriously chowed down. The pineapple sage lemonade was a cool slice of heaven that I sipped with my eyes closed. The prosciutto and salami that came as part of the huge housemade charcuterie board (comes with breads, a tuna spread, pickles, and mustard and it's enough for 2-3 people, but I was beyond hungry) was paper thin and melted in my mouth. The grilled leg of lamb utter perfection nestled in potato puree with peas and carrots. Lastly, I managed, incredibly, to save room for the layers and layers of goodness that comprise the extraordinarily decadent chocolate parfait: pudding, brownie, chocolate-covered rice krispie treats, and mint chip ice cream.
The attentive waitstaff made sure I never wanted for anything.
Worth every single penny. Treat yourself to a gorgeous meal here.
My review is only for the bar - have been there more than 6 times and I really love this place. Â The hotel is amazing and the service is beyond expected - the first time we came we sat in the lounge in between Ria and Balsan after their opening and the servers were beyond amazing (giving us a tour of the private dining area and kitchen).
I did not give it 4-5 stars as I had one very disappointing visit - my coworker and I were having dinner at the bar and had a great time until the bartender decided to tell us that we were being too loud. Â I was very embarrassed since he did not tell us nicely but rather loudly and condescendingly: Â "I am sure that you two really love your jobs but the rest of the bar does not want to listen to your conversation". Â Â Seriously wanted to die and was so mad that he just didn't come over and tell us nicely that we were too loud. Â
Obviously we got our check as we felt bad but I realized that he failed to tell us that gratuity (20%) was included. Â That's when I realized that although we may have been loud and he needed to tell us, he really was rude and condescending and could have told us about the tip included. Â
I have been back one other time and I made sure we all were very quiet and that everyone knew that tip was included :)
Ladies who brunch. This is my go to place for ladies who brunch because the service is wonderful as is the food! The room is self is just lovely and welcoming for fine dining.
For $19 you can enjoy a delicious 2-course brunch. Start with little madelines, cheeses and meats and then choose your entree which can range from the yogurt and granola in a jar to an entire dinner sized meat entree. I was a huge fan of the smoked trout (a beautiful orange salmon like color) and ricotta breakfast dish. Delightful. Add to that any number of mimosa or bloody Mary combinations and you'll leave happy.
3 reasons why I love this place?
First, Balsan is part of the Elysian Hotel---a gorgeous magnificent hotel with impeccable service. This is pure tranquility.
Second, The Bar at Balsan provides a break from shopping (it's located right around the corner from Barney's).
Third, the bar offerings are a needed addition in Chicago. Sure. You can grab a glass of vino at Fred's, but at Balsan's Bar you can order fresh oysters on the half shell, a classic Alsace Tarte Flambee, Charcutrie & cheese, and terrific wines by the glass.
I can't wait to go back.
The word is out. No longer a best kept secret--this beautiful restaurant was packed for lunch today. On yet another mission for oysters, my buddy and I came here for lunch looking for the Kumamotos but alas, they were not on the menu. We asked our server which ones rivaled our faves and were informed the Hama Hamas and Skookums were very similar. They were right!
The asparagus soup, lobster salad and a bottle of Sancerre were the perfect complements to the two dozen oysters we ordered on this gorgeous, spring day. Service was a bit slower than usual but I'm assuming it was because the restaurant was really busy.
Still one of my faves!
Looks like Balsan finally got their service issues worked out, for my dinner here the other night was pretty close to perfect.
My friend had arrived before me so when I walked in- they whisked my coat away and graciously seated me at the cozy table for two in the corner.
We ordered a range of foods-since their food is meant to share- the tuna tartar, a couple of raw oysters, the onion and cheese tart (more like a pizza- huge compared to what we thought it was going to be) and a soft shell crab (delicious!)
As for the "large plates", we had the salmon and the pork. Both quite good.
Again, I say, that Balsan is labeled as the "mid priced" restaurant at the Elysian but know before you go that it's pretty pricey. Dinner for two was $289 (includes automatic 18% tip).
Service was spot on during this visit and nothing was left to chance. She even took our valet ticket and ran it through for us so we were not fumbling for cash out front.
Nice to see that the new restaurant "kinks" have been worked out.
Balsan is the Elysian Hotel's more casual restaurant.
Ostensibly named for Etienne Balsan, Coco Chanel's lover, the restaurant (like the rest of the hotel actually) carries the black to white sleek elements of classic haute couture (at least the not so crazy, more traditional, haute couture).
Service in the restaurant like in the whole Elysian establishment is superb. Â
Unfortunately, I found the menu lacking. Â It's based on the raw sea food bar but beyond that it only had a few pizzas and sandwiches. Â I opted for grilled seared ahi tuna sandwich. Â Unfortunately yet again, while definitely tasty, the sandwich was too small to satisfy my noon hunger but so overly bathed in butter that I consumed my daily caloric intake (and clogged up arteries) anyway.
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