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[THIS VENUE IS NOW CLOSED. Time Out Editors, 2019]
Back in the day, Balans Soho Society was pretty damn cool. Starting life in 1990 as a 24-hour restaurant and café on Old Compton Street, it was a place best stumbled into after an evening of gay clubbing, for a sexy French brasserie atmos and early morning cocktails.
Twenty-six years on and things have calmed down a tad. The manifesto on their website (yes, they have a manifesto) salutes the ‘rogue, the rascal and the reprobate’, but the vibe at this latest outpost, a Seven Dials Café, is more working lunch than wild wino.
The food, though, still hits the 3am spot, even if this branch actually closes at 11pm. With a menu that features a bit of whatever you fancy (linguine, curry, pulled duck tacos and so on), it’s not game changing – but then, it’s not really trying to be. The highlight was the burger, which came stacked, cheesy and perfectly pink in the middle (creamy bolognaise arancini balls were also pretty ace). My tip? Avoid the chips: they were limp and lukewarm. All in all, Balans may no longer be as achingly hip, but this is still a snug, dependable spot to grab a bite.