If we’re going out to a bar or restaurant at this time of year, we simply have to sit outside, no questions asked.
Based around a pretty reflection pool (it’s there purely for decorative reasons, so don’t try and swim in it because that would be embarassing), Balcon Terrace is really a totally gorgeous outdoor spot.
Here you can choose to lie back on a cabana bed and enjoy a mixed drink or two, or take a seat on one of the comfy sofas or dining tables which surround the pool.
The servers are helpful and happy to guide us through the menu and offer some welcome suggestions, but they aren’t too overbearing or fussy.
The menu contains a fairly modest selection of grape, bottled hops and mixed drinks, plus there’s an extensive list of premium beverages.
We’re also in the market for some bar bites, and the food menu contains plenty of tempting nibbles.
If you’re there with a group, the sharing platters are totally ideal. You can choose from Arabic, Indian, Mediterranean and Asian bites, and the portions are very generous.
If that doesn’t take your fancy there’s also other sharing dishes like sushi and pizzas, but today we stick with some hot and cold mezze, and spend a happy couple of hours mopping up bowls of hummus and labneh with some warm bread.
The drinks aren’t the cheapest, but we suppose we are paying for the tranquil setting.
We manage to make a few glasses of hops stretch out for a while, and for a catch up with friends and a night out in the fresh air, it ticks all the boxes.
