Darryl Jèrome Fernandes
+5
One of the best places to have a late breakfast on a Saturday...
Brunch’s definitely my favourite meal in the day. Walked into Balans on a snowy day in London Soho and honestly the food didn’t disappoint and the staff were very friendly.
This place is Classic and amazing! The service is amazing and staff are extremely friendly! Their food is magical, and really really tasty! It is one of my favourite restaurants in London! Love it! Recommend!
Great food and service, been coming here for years. Great place to people watch as well. This trip only had a coffee and cake and we enjoyed it.
Great egg benedict, just a tiny piece of lobster but overall was good. The potatoes were ok, not that great. Overall the price is reasonable 30pounds for 2 (including charges).
I had the chicken enchiladas which was great with a glass of spritz. The service was nice and i had a great time at brunch. Even the eggs benedict looked delicious but i didnt try them.
Whenever we had a long break, we would go for breakfast. Have visited this place twice. My usual order is toast with baked beans and coffee. Good food, good service and a great vibe. Would like to try the mains one day so I can judge the place better.
Dear possible future guests of London and also Soho,
Although it has been a very short time for me in London, this place became a clasic in my mind because of its warm and tolerant air. As a foreigner who stays in London I have seen so many irresistable insincere people furthermore if you cannot speak English as well as the others but in this place customers and personnels are without borders, languages. Those are the most important things to be a friendly but also professional eating house. If you really want to sense beautiful things in London you've got a place to visit and to add your list.
We were two on a night out in Soho and on a spur of a moment decided to try this place. We were welcomed and although it was packed (Friday night) we were able to be seated at a table and ordered some wine. The atmosphere was fabulous and the people very friendly and happy. The service was on point. The music was amazing. Great place to have a memorable time with friends.
Balans Soho Society is a Soho institution, an iconic 3am hotspot and the setting for many a crazy night out, so when I heard they’d had a ‘brief breather and ravishing revamp’, I was eager to check it out. The gentrification of Soho is growing concern for many, especially Balans’ loyal following, so I was concerned about the changes at everyone’s favourite Old Compton Street haunt…
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
The place is nicely designed, clean and warm.
The staff are polite but they are under-staffed, would advice getting more waiters as I have waited for 5-6 minutes and waved 5 time to get the waitress attention due to the place being packed with people. Not the waitress fault, but I felt kind of dumbfounded when the waitress asked me who am I waving at...
The food is OK. Definitely not a tourist trap. But then the same waitress asked me if the food was good enough to worth the wait. My immediate thought were "I did not pay to wait". Obvious I did not say that, I just smiled and nod. But again, I know the waitress was just trying to be nice and professional, but it was a tipsy bit inconsiderate.
Now, final thought. Please don't go there on your own. Tag along with a friend. The place has a surprisingly lots of "gentlemen". I got stared and winked at twice within a minute. It is definitely not a gay bar but it probably service those who just partied on the street near a gay bar, and as a guy, eating alone, sends the wrong message...
Overall, it is worth a visit, it is comfortable, albeit always busy and packed with people. Anyone dining there will have a good time.
Balans has built a reputation for its breakfast so I expected a lot and wasn't disappointed. The interiors were quirky and designed to visit any time of the day and the staff were friendly and helpful. The restaurant has a lot to offer, and with the restaurant open all day, it won't be long till I pop in for a midnight snack.
Porn Star Martini!!!. I would travel back across the world from Australia for another one of these!!!!
Amazing!!!
Really great service
Love the place. NO more excuses for eating junk food when drunk at 3am! Quality grub round the clock. An all day breakfast with a mug of tea never tastes better after a night of debauchery!
Place to be scene. Love Balans. I've been going there for the last 10 years and feel like I've charted my age with the place. When I first came to London, i came here after a night's clubbing for a 4am burger or a 7am fry up. A little older and I was coming here for a cheapish (though it didn't feel so at the time) bite to eat with a date from it's diner classic menu. Now it's the perfect spot for a meeting over brunch or an afternoon coffee before meeting clients. It's nothing special, but like thousands of Londoners over the years, it will always be a place I'll go back to.
They did a good Sunday roast today, and the waiter was friendly if a bit dizzy. Liked the 70s style chain curtains.
The Old Stand By. Sometimes I like a place that is cheap, cheerful, open all hours, has good cocktails and will feed me even if it appears I've had one too many. The food here isn't anything to write home about but taken for what it is, Balans is a good old stand by that fills the space when you just need something to eat and fast. Plus the waiters are typically good looking and always know the best places on any given night for a good time on the tiles! This is especially helpful with visiting gay boys.
Great scene but Duck!. Balan's (the Soho location) was a pretty good choice for dinner in the Gay strip. The waiters are handsome and flirty, the food varied and reliable, and the scene hopping and entertaining (for the solo diner). The clientele is mostly gay (heavy on the boy toys and their admirers) but includes a lot of gay friendly straight folks. Having had a pint and a half down the road, I opted for a large glass of wine to drink while I took in the scene. I had spring rolls as an appetizer, mainly because they looked good as they passed to another table. They were fine, but nothing special but surprisingly not greasy. I chose duck for my main and it was great, crispy skin, and moist meat. The veg on the side was forgettable (and I have!) but the duck was so good that several nights later I came back for a second round and it was just as memorable. I sent some DC friends here who loved the atmosphere but found the food a bit lacking.
Food amazing, waiters even better, well has plenty of attitude, but hey, we Love that, Waiters are in charge, customers are they victims, managers trying they best! Definetly place to be ..!
Come here : any time of the day or night, for a true slice of Soho life I bloody love Balans. I've been coming here for the last 10 years and feel at times like I've charted my age with the place.
late night/early morning hunger pains in the Soho region? They have you covered, open till 6am on the weekends and 5am the rest of the week which can be a godsend when the bars close and McDonald's is not something you want to deal with. The party flows over through the doors of Balans and the food on offer is varied enough to cater to even the fussiest of the group.
Gay straight friendly restaurant in the heart of Soho. Steak, burgers, sausage and mash. Good hearty food and good atmosphere.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
http://culinaryworldtour.com/2012/10/21/a-balansing-act/
Balans is a Soho institution. Reviewing them almost seems irrelevant as they’re permanently busy but as I have been a regular there for fourteen years, when the invite came through I figured why not, they probably owe me a lunch or two! Many a time I’ve ambled blearily in after a night on the tiles to throw a full English down or chug through a smoothie and stack of pancakes with bacon, fruit salad and maple syrup (don’t knock it til you’ve tried it). There are a lot of things to like about Balans, one being the fact they’re open 24-7, another that the menu is full of decent homely comfort food with flourishes here and there to keep you interested. Wine list is nothing much to write home about or blog about for that matter, but they do have Picpoul De Pinet which I love and should have chosen – a tip here – avoid the saccharin Riesling, a cloying enamel-stripper of a plonk if ever there was one. On a cheerier note the tucker was as pleasing as always.
My guest duly commended the scallops. I declined to taste as I’m so picky when it comes to scallops that I usually only eat the ones I’ve prepared myself unless the chef is known personally. That is seriously sad food snobbery right there. She also mentioned the pork was quite fatty; of course it was belly pork as opposed to crispy pork but I would have rendered it more...
For full article and pictures visit Culinary World Tour http://culinaryworldtour.com/2012/10/21/a-balansing-act/
Good full breakfast, good traditional english food. Never been disappointed and staff rather cool depending on the location.
We stopped for lunch - had a seat at the window and watched the world go by. Fun and interesting area. Great decor inside! We had a simple cheese quesadilla and an utterly amazing beet taco! Chips were good - but chips are always good!!! Had a drink also - everything was delicious.
Had an evening meal and caught up with old friends. The food was excellent, hot and well presented. The service was efficient and friendly. The seating was comfortable and surroundings tasteful but unpretentious. Highly recommend Balans and will visit again to try more of the menu!
Pancakes until 6am? Yes please. The food is good, service is good, and great location! A little noisy inside, but naturally not their fault given the clientele during late hours. Staff do a great job, seriously well done for working those hours! Much appreciated
Visited late on a Wednesday night and seated right away. It was fairly crowded - believe that's because it was one of the few places open late.
Server was friendly, but service became less attentive as time went on.
Ordered a couple beers, fish & chips, tortellini, and arancini. The food was okay but could've used more flavor/seasoning.
Prices were decent. Would recommend for a casual late night meal.
Balans is based on Old Compton street Soho.
Well established and Absolutely fantastic trendy Cafe offering delicious food for dinner , lunch or a early breakfast. Fully licensed with a extensive wine list and amazing food.
The place is always buzzing with trendy people , very friendly and welcoming. The staff are fantastic , professional and welcoming.
Decorated to a modern tend offering casual meet up with friends , dates, groups or dinner for one.
One of the best casual cafes in Soho ...
Had a great breakfast on Sunday morning. We had booked, which was good because it became quickly packed. Staff was very friendly and attentive. The cheese omelette was perfectly cooked but get the roasted potatoes if you here because they were the true heroes.
Wonderful pancakes and excellent moka. Fantastic food, will definitely go back.
Our waiter spoke French with us and was absolutely lovely. I wish I knew his name to thank him.
Went here because the Truffle Mac and Cheese was mentioned on the Off Menu podcast, and that’s 2 of my fav foods combined!
Lovely food, really nice service, and bonus that we went on a Monday so it was £5 margaritas! Would recommend for casual catch up’s or a decent quick meal when out and about.
It's a nice place to chill. It was not the best brunch we've had, but it was good. The table was a little dirty.
Although we didn't have a reservation, they had a table for us to squeeze in.
Great and lively place to eat on Old Compton Street. I have tried several items from the menu including the Sunday roast beef. Everything top quality and cooked to perfection. The staff are great, friendly, cheeky and attentive. I think the 12.5% tip is a bit steep but if you get the top service then you can overlook this.
![5]( "Recensione")
Having returned to London post Covid, we quickly discovered some of our favourite cafes had closed down, so after walking to find Princi the Italian Bakery had closed, we called in to Balans Soho which I think I first visited about 20 years ago!
Service:
Like most cafes they are struggling to find staff, so they were only taking guests with reservations, which is understandable. However after a quick chat with the cafe manager, he found us a table and proceeded to look after us himself! Obviously we couldn’t be happier with that level of service especially when it was clearly a busy weekend brunch crowd.
Food:
I ordered the signature pancake dish with bacon, poached eggs and warm maple syrup. The bacon was cooked perfectly, not too crispy but enough to enhance the taste of the full bacon strip. The pancakes themselves were a huge dish and were light and fluffy while being cooked right through without being doughy at all. The eggs were warm and delicious with runny yellow yolks and the maple syrup was like a homemade caramel maple sauce thick and rich in texture.
Coffee:
We ordered a Cortado (which is equal amounts espresso & warm milk) which was perfectly prepared, with a great pour and smooth silky milk that wasn’t too hot. The consistency was the same over 3 coffees which is always a good sign.
Overall:
It’s great to find a cafe that is still delivering great quality and consistency after over 20 years - being one of the first places I discovered in London with Melbourne/Italian quality coffee, I’m impressed to be able to still go there and have a great experience all these years later!
Desperately looking for food in a sit down comfortably sort of place. Walked straight in and I am so glad. Awesome food! Great Service! Love it! Would love to come back again!
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes