The staircase that leads up to Balcony Bistro is rickety and narrow and you can’t help but be a smidgen let down when a can-can girl holding a swinging saloon door doesn’t greet you. But what you get instead is a restaurant with personality, a staff that doesn’t take itself seriously, but a menu that does. “There’s tablecloths on the tables, but we aren’t snotty. We like to have fun,” says owner Rhonda Lynam. There is dinner and dancing on Fridays, a lounge act on Saturday and artwork from local galleries. Chef and owner Gerard Robert uses his training in French cuisine to create dishes such as the duck confit with peppercorn sauce or the rack of lamb. For lunch, enjoy cannelloni crepes stuffed with ground veal and topped with alfredo and marinara sauce. On the weekends, a bountiful brunch offers chocolate chip pancakes,stuffed French toast and a California omelette that can be served out on the balcony that gives a birds-eye view of Folsom’s Historic District. Cindy Arora

Insider tip: Locals from Granite Bay, Rocklin and El Dorado Hills make their way here on weekends for the dinner and dancing.

Recommended dishes: Rack of lamb $28

Reservations: Recommended

Payment methods: Amex, cash, mastercard, visa

Alcohol: Wine and beer

Corkage fee: $12

Hours: Tuesday–Saturday: 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Tuesday–Saturday: 5 p.m.–10 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.¬–3 p.m.
Sunday: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.