Food

Balans Soho

High jinks in low places from the break of day to bedtime

London, UK

4.3

3,535 reviews

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Neighbourhood

London

About Balans Soho

Balans Soho Society in London, a staple of the Soho dining scene, stands as an iconic spot particularly cherished by the gay community. Known for its enduring presence and characteristic vibe, Balans offers an experience that goes beyond just dining. The restaurant, located at 60 Old Compton St, operates from 10 am to 5 am from Monday to Saturday, and until 12.30 am on Sundays, making it a prime destination for both early birds and night owls. While its food has received mixed reviews, with some patrons finding it less than extraordinary, the overall atmosphere of Balans compensates for any culinary shortcomings. It's a place where the ambiance and the experience of being in the heart of gay Soho matter as much, if not more, than the dishes served. Balans has undergone a revamp, refining both its interior and menu while preserving its historical essence. The new layout features a long bar, semi-height booths for people-watching, and conventional seating. The menu strikes a balance between intriguing and comfort food, offering items like torched Baron Bigod with Korean spiced honey and truffle chicken tacos. For the cocktail enthusiasts, the Porn Star Martini, a Balans speciality, is a must-try.

Vibes

Breakfast British Cocktails Dinner Lunch

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Address

Balans Soho No.60, Old Compton Street, London, UK

Phone

+44 20 7439 2183

Opening hours

Closed now

Opens Wednesday at 10:00

Monday: 10:00–23:00 Tuesday: 10:00–23:00 Wednesday: 10:00–05:00 Thursday: 10:00–05:00 Friday: 10:00–06:00 Saturday: 10:00–06:00 Sunday: 10:00–01:00

Location

Balans Soho No.60, Old Compton Street, London, UK

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Location

Balans Soho

Balans Soho No.60, Old Compton Street, London, UK

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WhereIs.Gay rating

4.3

3,535 reviews

Overall rating across WhereIs.Gay and Google Maps.

Rating by source

WhereIs.Gay
4.2
Google Maps
4.3

WhereIs.Gay reviews

Submitted by WhereIs.Gay visitors and approved by our team.

pedro.nido

8 May 2017

This place is part of the Soho establishment! Not sure how long it has been there but ever since I moved to London almost 15 years ago. Cute waiters, quality food and if you get a window seat the TOP place in Soho to walk the boys walk buy. Burger and linguine are both amazing. Cocktails also ace! And get dessert too. They are huge so beware. Overall rating 4.5Food 5.0Service 5.0Value 3.0Atmosphere 5.0

WhereIs.Gay review

ryabar

24 Jul 2015

You cannot go wrong here. The food is outstanding and its open until very late so if you want a post night out fry up this is much classier than a kebab! Always busy and tends to be visited by LGBT crowd but its not exclusively gay but being in soho thats the crowd it pulls in. Great food, service and cocktails every time Overall rating 4.8Food 5.0Service 5.0Value 4.0Atmosphere 5.0

WhereIs.Gay review

Featured Google Maps reviews

Selected by Google Maps. Read more reviews on Google Maps.

Lisa Johnson

4 months ago

Had the best time at Balans Soho Society - Soho for their bottomless pancakes brunch! The fried chicken pancakes with the Korean spicy honey were absolutely delicious, easily a 10/10. The flavours were perfect, crispy, sweet, spicy… However we were there for a 7:30 booking and the last plate of pancakes lacked luster and they had thrown presentation out the window. A special shoutout to Zaher, our server, who was super attentive and honestly amazing from start to finish. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a fun brunch or breakfast for dinner spot.

Review from Google Maps

Ian Doyle

a week ago

Six out of five. Nicole and her brilliant colleagues really looked after their weary customers today in 30° heat. Super food, super drinks, even better staff and atmosphere. Long time but infrequent recurring customer over many years. This is an essential Soho spot right in the heart of the action.

Review from Google Maps

daladorous

4 months ago

Went for pancake day as it's the only way I could finally try their famous pancakes in the evening and it was a great deal - bottomless for £15 and only pay +£2 extra for toppings each refill - otherwise sauces were free for refills! We had the most attentive and lovely waiter, Zaher, who despite it being extremely busy evening, took great care of us and ensured we got our orders in and made great recommendations! Thanks to him we had a smooth evening with 3 rounds of pancakes each! Can recommend~

Review from Google Maps

Jo Patterson

9 months ago

Located on Kensington high street, this bar/cafe looks appealing. Menu was interesting. Chicken quesdilla was tasty but it was hard to find the chicken - mainly bean - which was fine, but not not really chicken. Service was weird, really weird. There seemed to be a manager who was micro managing the staff who were mainly female. It was uncomfortable. Lots of odd whispering. At some points they were very attentive, other points they disappeared. My mocktail came in a bottle! It tasted ok, but £6! I must have looked confused and they said they'd give it to me for free. They didn't. Experience made me uncomfortable.

Review from Google Maps

Jay Paculan

7 months ago

Relaxed decorum for a nice bottle of wine and food. I usually come for the steak and eggs which never fails to hit. Service is great, staff are attentive at all times. Low music in the background adds to the atmosphere. Recommend 👍

Review from Google Maps