Philadelphia: balcony (December 2017)

Balcony on Broad - Enjoy the Breakfast Buffet or Order a la Carte
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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