Reader Reviews - Bellanger
"If I’ve nabbed a table outside Bellanger, I’m hoping you’ll be late. I’m early. Of course I’m early. If the sun is still shining after six, there’s absolutely no hope of getting an outside table at Bellanger.
Bellanger has had several makeovers in recent years – a reshuffle, a pandemic, a lick of red paint. There’s one part that – quite rightly – hasn’t changed at all. The huddle of bistro tables outside, next to the huge open windows. There is no better spot in summer to sit and lose an evening. I’ll coo over the cute dog snoring in the shade, I’ll read a few pages of my book and linger over my chilled rosé. Put simply: I’ll fight you for a table.
On a sunny day, Angel can make you feel like you’re on holiday even though you only finished work half an hour ago. Sitting on a little straw chair, its pattern imprinting on the back of my legs, makes me want to stay out too late clinking glasses. I always feel like I’m moments away from booking a holiday to the south of France. Such is the power of a neat, white tablecloth and a gentle breeze.
So, please, if you’re meeting me at Bellanger for a drink and I message you to say that I’ve got a table outside, do the right thing: dawdle a little. Just for another 20 minutes so I can finish my chapter."
SIAN MEADES-WILLIAMS
