All the press I've seen on Balthazar’s February arrival into the UK from New York has been focused on the brasserie that fills a large part of a street off the Covent Garden piazza.  Now, whilst we’re not opposed to savoury food here (I’ll never say no to a cheese scone!), we are, really, all about cake.  Next door to Balthazar’s glamorous looking restaurant is their rather gorgeous bakery. 
 
 
The first window is heaving with croissants, pain aux raisins and pain au chocolats and, behind those, more pretty cakes line the tables and rest on cake stands above.  Loaf cakes, cheesecakes, financiers, Bakewell tart, Kughelhopf, Rhum Baba, Opera…  A wonderful variety, all made in house and (shhh…) sold at 50% off in the last half hour before closing.  On my first walk past I selected three items after a lengthy discussion with the staff and a small taste of the traditional Kughelhopf.  On my way home I happened to pass it again.  I decided to take another picture of the window and spotted the 50% off sign so I entered again, selected two more cakes and an incredible tuna roll and headed home with my feast.
 
The chocolate Kughelhopf was one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve had in some time.  Ultra moist and the perfect balance of sweetness and chocolate with nuts to create even more delicious contrast.  I would have enjoyed the Rocher more if it didn’t have an unexpected layer of lemon mousse inside it.  The financier was very moist but the jam a bit sweet for my tastes.  The Opera and Lemon Drizzle were perfectly fine but I’m no rush to buy them again.  I am, however, very much looking forward to going back to buy the chocolate Kughelhopf again.  At prices ranging from £1 for the little financier to £3.75 for the fancier cakes Balthazar fits in well with other patisserie in the same category in London.  Worth visiting!


Chocolate Pecan brownies at the front, Rum Babas in the middle and Eclairs at the back

What a ceiling!

A close up of Balthazar financiers (the Chocolate Kughelhopf is in the top left)

Here’s a review especially for the Northerners… or those willing to travel North, which is hopefully all of you!

In January I ventured to Yorkshire and further into Northumberland. It was a last minute trip, but I knew I’d be back so it seemed worth going to cover as much ground as possible. I managed to get in touch with the team at Close House who very kindly invited me to sample their afternoon tea. With my lovely chauffeurs for the day we accepted to share one serving between the three of us (with extra cups for our tea!).

The road to Close House, like so many exclusive hotels, winds through the countryside, though it is just a short drive from Newcastle. Close House is attached to a major golf course which Lee Westwood is affiliated and comes to play regularly. That explains the rolling green in every direction. The hotel is a striking mansion amongst this.

It’s hard to believe a little more than 50 years ago this mansion was sold for £19,500. That sale was to Kings College, Newcastle. In 2004 it was sold again to one of the local co-founders of Sage Accounting Software. What else do you buy your wife when you’ve floated a multi-million pound company? It seems only a country house will do. They have spent the last nine years redeveloping the mansion and the golf course into a luxury retreat. The hotel can host great charity events and concerts as well.
In 2012, under their new, but very experienced, hotel manager, Peter Llewellyn, the main restaurant was refurbished and the menu redeveloped. No detail has been left untouched, the dinnerware was designed exclusively for the hotel by Heritage Silverware, as were the silver tea jugs and other silverware, which all bear the Close House Hotel crest.


If the afternoon tea is anything to go by then it would be quite a place to enjoy dinner or lunch. It's an imposing dining room, but one that is still very welcoming, two ladies were enjoying lunch with their babies in prams by the table when we arrived. On the food, one of my lovely companions, who has spent years teaching secondary students how to bake, described the scones as “second to none”. There were no disappointing items within the afternoon tea and the rhubarb custard pannacotta was wonderful, the lemon macaron was one of the best I've tried and the delice was divine.

Throughout the year Close House also offer themed afternoon teas, such as the Chocolate Afternoon Tea during Chocolate Week in October and special menus for Valentine’s and Christmas.  Reason to return again and again!
 
The Traditional Afternoon Tea is priced at £17.50 and the Champagne Afternoon Tea is £24.50.  Great Cake Places were guests of the hotel.