My spouse and I dined at the Balcony on Broad at the Philadelphia Doubletree for breakfast on a Monday morning in early January 2018 (New Year’s Day, to be exact). The restaurant is open daily from 6:00 am until 10:00 am (extended until 11:00 am on weekends). The hotel generously extended breakfast time for an additional hour on the holiday.
Previously called
the Academy Café, the Balcony opened in the summer of 2011. The restaurant is
located on the second-floor mezzanine of the hotel, and many tables offer great
views of the Avenue of the Arts and Academy of Music through the adjacent four-story
glass atrium of the hotel. Seating is staggered on slightly different levels
and in specially designed “nooks” in order to allow maximum views. As we entered
the restaurant, a gentleman manning the drink service bar took our names and
maintained a list until a table became available. At this service bar, samples
of a mimosa and a bloody mary were visible, and the bloodies garnished with
lemon, lime, and celery were tempting enough for us to order. (Initially, we
tried to order two drinks as we waited for our table, but we were rebuffed and
told that we had to be seated first.) Disappointingly, when the drinks arrived
at our table, they contained absolutely no garnish! Talk about false
advertising! My spouse thought that the drinks were included as part of the
buffet, although I did not and expected to pay extra for the drinks. (I was
right, and they were priced at about $12.00 each.)
Balcony serves both a breakfast buffet and an a la carte menu. A
continental breakfast runs $12.95, or you can include hot options as well for $17.95.
Note that the cost of a plated/delivered entrée costs nearly as much as the
buffet. Various stations offered cold options like juices, yogurt, cereal,
fruit, and pastries, as well as hot selections like scrambled eggs, breakfast
meats, and oatmeal. A made-to-order omelet station is also available. We did
not notice any pancakes, waffles, French toast, or other hot carb options on the
buffet.
We enjoyed our
breakfast on the Balcony.
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