Balans No.60

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 ...

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.

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!