My parents live in W8 and we're all huge fish & chips fans. The way London (esp. KHS) changes, it's hard to retain a fave F&C place (with closures & such). So when we visited in 2024, the parental units said "We found our fave F&C place, Balans." So me & the boy went one night for dinner. About have full and we were seated right away & a server was with us in a few minutes, his name was David. Wow, what a fantastic person! He was charming, around when needed and I feel I cannot say enough good things about him. Onto the meal, I had the F&C (ofc) and the boy had the roast chicken. The PU's were not wrong, literally the best F&C I have had in a very long time! The alcohol prices were better than the local pubs & the ambiance here is out of this world, just beautiful! Do yourself a favor & eat here. read more

Food was GAS. They gave us fat portions, pancakes had like 5 pieces. Eggs in hell were so good, one of the best i've had. Eggs Benedict was so good, the poached eggs were literally perfectly cooked. The service was great, they were so nice and accommodating and funny. I love the style of the restaurant too. So worth it. read more

Balans Soho Society - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

Landed after a 10-hour flight, half alive, fully starving. One thing on my mind. Fish and chips. A pint. Bit of fresh London air. Balans gave me the lot and then some. The cod? Massive. Battered like it owed someone money. Crisp on the outside, flaky in the middle, seasoned right. Chips were chunky, like they should be, not those little frozen fries that taste like sadness. Mushy peas weren't shy either. Tartar sauce had enough punch to remind you you're in Britain, not on a cruise ship. My bruv was with me, the one who's always got it all figured out. While I was neck-deep in cod and joy, he's sat there with a pot of tea and a steak omelette like some kind of Soho aristocrat. Didn't say a word, just nodded at the first bite. Man knows what he's doing. Service was sharp. Our waitress had that no-nonsense, bit-of-a-tease energy. Proper London. Never hovered, didn't push us out, and no fuss about the tip. Let us eat, drink, breathe, and get our bearings. We sat outside, under the red umbrella. Sun peeking through the trees. Locals walking their dogs, tourists trying to look like they belong. Great crowd. Better view. Felt like I was back, in all the best ways. read more

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Update to previous review. I went back a few days later as I wanted to try a few more dishes and see what it's like on a Friday night. My experience only got better as the food was as I had remembered, simply great. This time around I added a cocktail, but not from the menu. I wanted a Paloma to compliment my food choice. The bar tender didn't miss a beat and said sure. Then I watched as she looked up the recipe on her phone. A paloma is a grapefruit and tequila drink. I knew they would have the booze, but what about the main fruit? They didn't have the traditional, but did have an adequate replacement in a grapefruit soda. I know now what you would think, but it worked quite nicely and was a great refreshing change to the expectation. Thus they earned the elusive 5th star. The people are great on the High street location. Can't wait to get back over and try more dishes. read more

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High society Benedict with 1/2 lobster tail was delicious good and fast service! Would definitely come back. read more

Balans Soho Society - High society Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

The staff here is great, very attentive and service focused. The food is quite good and you can even get a REAL English breakfast with black pudding and all. Between meal times, you can truly have the place to yourself. But once everyone is out to eat... it gets packed. The location is great and the food is great and the staff is great. So now and then you may see a familiar name from the area or two in there, it draws some well known people. Some of the tables are comfortable and good places to get some work done but it's probably easier to do that in those periods when it's not too busy! read more

Oh my gosh, came here to catch up with a friend and it was so much fun! The waiter was hilarious and super attentive. I asked him for his recommendation of a side dish and I am so glad I did- I'm still dreaming about those corn ribs. We came here in the evening after work and to me it looked quite magical with the decor, the lights and the tree in the middle of the eating area. read more

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This was amazing!! We were looking for a restaurant with great food, but also children friendly. And this restaurant truly exceeded our expectations. My husband's curry was amazing, the meatballs were delicious, and so were the fish and chips. The chef was very accommodating to create something easy for our youngest child who is a picky eater. They had great drinks (Espresso Martini was outstanding and the beer my husband ordered) which were awesome after a long day of walking! The atmosphere was warm and welcome- but best of all was our server, David!! He was the nicest server we've ever experienced! So kind to our rambunctious children. Couldn't recommend this place more if you're looking for excellent food, fun drinks, great atmosphere, and amazing service! read more

Made reservations for Balans and was recommended by Joe Locke so I really wanted to check it out. Cute restaurant with a tree in the back that is inside. Kitchen and restroom are located downstairs. They have a bar as well. I ordered the pancakes and the traditional breakfast. Pancakes were amazing and great portion as well. Dishes came out fast. The traditional breakfast had eggs, tomato, toast, American bacon, very filling and cooked well! read more

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We ordered french toast, steak and eggs, avocado toast, and cup of cappuccino (great tasting!)... conveniently located in Kensington's shopping district. Service was superb! we did 'take-away' (aka take-out) but you can tell that the ambiance is there for dine in too.. Check this place out. read more

We were seated immediately upon arrival. The waitresses were very friendly however, I didn't receive a reordered alcoholic beverage when asked. The food was good but, needed a bit more flavor (had to add salt). Other than that, it was a good meal and the one drink I had was delicious (the Do Ya Love Me?). read more

Balans Soho Society - Top left (Thai Red Curry), top right (Calamari), bottom (Prawn Linguine). - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

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Great service, delicious brunch offerings and great location. Staff were very welcoming, attentive and patient. My vegan pancakes were delicious. Highly recommend stopping here. read more

Balans Soho Society - Vegan pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

The service and ambiance was really lovely! However, I do believe that some of the food could have had a bit more flavour for the price we paid. The fried chicken small plate was delicious! read more

Balans Soho Society - Mac n cheese, fish croquette with tasty greens, and fried chicken with fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

Walked in for a weekday brunch and had a lovely time! Enjoyed a cheese omelette, pancakes, and a full English breakfast! read more

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The menu is consistent and the ambiance is pleasing. How does David do it all?? The entire crew works together to make it a great experience! read more

An amazing experience. the restaurant itself is cozy and has a super great atmosphere. the staff were incredible, super nice and friendly and my water was never empty! to top it all off the food came out quickly and was delicious! will definitely be coming back to try the rest of the menu. read more

Bomb.com breakfast I'm from California. Lived in New York. I know good food. This is it. Cheers. read more

We managed to get in on Sunday morning before the crowds arrived, about 9am. We were greeted immediately and allowed our pick of tables. Our server gave us time to look over the menu and answered questions for us. I ordered an omelette and my husband ordered the French toast. My omelette was the closest I've had in London to a French style omelette (vs an American style). It was delicious! Fluffy and not over-done (although there was some light-brown on the bottom). I only got one bite of my husband's French toast, but what I had was tasty and he ate it as quickly as possible. The staff didn't rush us out, even though they got quite busy while we were sitting there. We both used the restroom before leaving and we both found them clean and stocked. Over all, a very good breakfast! read more

The decor is really nice , the ambiance too but the food is bland, below average . We had burgers yesterday which were really dry and tasteless . The fries came cold and the dessert were too sugary . The place is not cheap considering the quality of the food . read more

Balans Soho Society - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

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The atmosphere here is very nice. The prices are a bit high. We arrived for a late lunch about 16:30. We were told we must order food before 17:30. We were like no problem. Our server Hanan rushed us to order. We ordered quickly. Received our food and we did not see her again at our table. She was too busy closing the place down. Sweeping and wrapping bread. Our food was good. I ordered the burger 3.5/5 and my wife the fish and chips 4.5/5. It would have been nice to have malted vinegar, but we couldn't get Hanan's attention to ask for it. read more

We stopped in for breakfast and food was great. Very friendly staff and nice atmosphere. We were there with small kids and the food options were great and server was great with the kids. Recommend! read more

Balans Soho Society - Eggs Royale - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

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This was so good. The food was so delicious that you don't need salt & pepper. The eggs are cooked to perfection. The restaurant is adorable & the staff is delightful. I love the tree table in the back. We enjoyed the "Full English Breakfast" with coffee. read more

Balans Soho Society - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

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Visited for my first time and will be a frequent visitor in my future travels! Place: Very clean, and very stylish. Options for outside sitting (very limited) as well as many options for seats inside. Service: the servers were very kind, and funny. Unfortunately, I don't think there was enough of them for the Sunday morning brunch crowd. Service was awfully slow and they were running around like crazy. If I wasn't alone, it would have been better since I would have had someone to converse with. Although limited, my interactions with servers were positive and they seemed caring. Menu: menu is fantastic with many great options that had my mouth watering. Wasn't sure which to choose. Based off Yelp recommendations, I chose The High Society Eggs Benedict. Delicious! Went perfect with English Breakfast tea. Credit Card/Contactless is accepted. *HIGHLY RECOMMENDED* read more

Balans Soho Society - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

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The smoothie was delicious. It had a good balance between the strawberries and bananas. Which the portion was more though for the price that was paid. The club sandwich was a lot. My boyfriend ordered it and told the server we were going to share and went ahead and split the platter for us both. So, what you see in the photo is half of the dish. The sandwich was all right. Nothing disappointing or amazing. Just your regular sandwich. read more

Balans Soho Society - Club sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

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The Kensington branch is, in my view, one of the better outlets of this small, gay-friendly chain of cafe-restaurants. The staff are friendly and efficient, and the menu is quite wide-ranging, although a little light on vegetarian options. Brunch is good, however, and it's one of the few places a gluten-intolerant friend of mine can eat out with confidence. A better bet for lunch than dinner in my opinion. The only downside is that the tables are rather close together - great fun if you like eavesdropping, less good for a private or intimate meal... read more

Balans Soho Society - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

High Society Lobster Benedict (poached eggs, avocado, bacon, English muffin, hollandaise) with Bloody Mary spicy! read more

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Touched down on our 2 week European vacation dropped our bags to the hotel and were starving. Boom! Our first stop in London was at Balans in Kensington. We walked in right as they opened and the staff greeted us in a very courtesy manner. We sat down and ordered some breakfast, asked for mimosas or any alcohol but unfortunately they didn't service alcohol this early (only reason I'm giving it 4 stars.) I ordered the poached eggs with steak and some Home fries. The food was amazing very filling staff was amazing. They have multiple locations of this place so make sure you check it out. I highly recommend it. read more

Balans Soho Society - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

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Well I had a not bad omelette but I have had better. Not very tasty. The very berry smoothie was awesome! The granola was very good but be prepared the Yogurt was a very heavy think Greek style one, so be ready. The big breakfast was good, and very big :) night e ambiance, service was just ok. Not a bad spot but I kept looking.. read more

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Such a delicious spot! Our group of 5 loved our lattes, fresh squeezed orange juices, avocado toast, English Breakfast, pancakes, and all sides. We are in London for only a short time, but certainly plan to go back! read more

Super tasty breakfast with lots of options on the menu. The staff was friendly and helpful. The aesthetic was really nice too, lots of cool odds and ends to look at. I would definitely recommend checking it out for breakfast or brunch. read more

Balans Soho Society - Mocha latte - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

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Best, best, BEST eggs Benedict EVER! Oh and the service is really great as well. Will return on my next trip to London. I wish I would've found this gem earlier in my trip!! read more

Balans Soho Society - Eggs Benedict and French toast to share - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

I absolutely fell in love with this place! It intrigued me when I found it here on yelp and it's conveniently 5 minutes away from where I stay in London. I love that they are all about indulging yourself so I know I can go there and not be judged for indulging myself on everything from their appetizers to their delectable desserts! At first I ordered some Chenin Blanc and their Crisp Polenta. Their menu is divided up well so you can get a little or a lot and they even deliver some late night food too which I plan to check out next time! The polenta was fried in squares and on a bed of kale that was perfectly dressed in a red pepper dressing. While I was reading my book and savoring every last bite, two of my fellow flight attendants walked in and the staff was so nice about us joining tables and made sure we were comfortable and had plenty of space. Since I was staying a bit longer I couldn't resist ordering the Pina Colada cheesecake. It was so smooth and fresh and to make it even better it has coconut sorbet on top, which in my opinion is WAY better than slopping some whipped cream on a dessert and calling it a day. I can't wait to have another layover in London so I can try out their red curry, salmon, and roasted cauliflower. They truly have something for everyone, and plenty of vegetarian options which I greatly appreciate! You should know in advance that they have a rewards card but they'll only give it to one person per table. Even more reason for me to venture out by myself, gotta earn that free cocktail. read more

Balans Soho Society - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

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The Soho english breakfast was super delicious. It consists of a sausage, 2 fried ham slices, 2 eggs, potatoes, a portobello mushroom and fried tomatoes. A great combination - proteins, carbs and salt :) All you need for a good start in the day. Together with a deep flavored but not overwhelming coffee americano, it was a perfect start into a sunny Sunday ! P.s. the self baked bread is amazing read more

Balans Soho Society - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

While visiting London we stayed at the Best Western Kensington. On the morning walk to the tube, this had good reviews and gave us a good breakfast to start off the day. We visited on a Monday morning and honestly the place was pretty empty - only one other table for breakfast. We were greeted nicely right away and given the choice to sit anywhere we would like. The service was polite and attentive whenever we needed something. We both ordered the Soho Full English Breakfast. It came with toast (choice of white, wheat or whole grain), thick good cut bacon, sausage, potatoes, two halves of a tomato that were baked and some Portobello mushrooms that were grilled. Overall it was a good breakfast. They have a nice whole grain mustard on the table that went well with the sausage and a good ketchup (not the standard one) that was good on the potatoes. I missed the traditional beans though that go with a full English. The toast was really good and I ordered the whole grain. Overall it was filling, yummy and served fresh and hot. The only issue would be the eggs as we wanted them over easy and two of the four total served to us didn't run at all - more custardy. Not a bad place to stop in for breakfast before a day of sightseeing if in the Kensington area. read more

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Okay. Before I commence this review, I have to set the scene, which may give bias to why I'm giving this place a freaking 5-star-er. Firstly. It was my birthday. This is enough to make me give anything 5 stars. Secondly, I had just moved to London, so I was feeling pretty on top of the world (you know, before the whole "why are there SO MANY PEOPLE and WHY ARE THEY ALL NEAR ME" thing set in. Thirdly, I had two glasses of Champagne, making it pretty hard for me not to be exceptionally happy at this stage. I ordered a burger. But this wasn't just any ol' burger. It was THE burger. The Infamous Balans Burger (cue Western music). Swiss cheese. Bacon. (Crispy Bacon!). Tomato. Dill Pickle. Red Onion. Surrounded in the arms of a brioche bun. Cusped by the sweaty palms of triple.cooked.chips. And to top it all off, a big hunky knife stabbed right down the middle. All companied with a quaint wooden box full of homemade looking jars of sauce and stuff. The staff were friendly, efficient and the atmosphere warm and happening. We sat outside beneath the heater (best of both worlds) and were happy. Oh so happy. read more

Balans Soho Society - So sexy. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

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My boyfriend and I came here for brunch and we enjoyed this restaurant very much. My boyfriend got the Traditional English Breakfast but I wanted to try something new and ordered the liver platter. Since I've never had this dish before, I asked a lot of questions to the waitress and she was extremely friendly and helpful and did a great job at explaining what my dish would look like and how it should be cooked and etc. The only problem I had with this restaurant was that it was extremely crowded so we were extremely and uncomfortably close to the 2 guys next to us. If I were to go again, I probably would not go during its peak hours. read more

Balans Soho Society - Yummy Liver! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

If you're ever in London and you do not stop here. Your visit isn't complete. Came here the first day we arrived London and it was so lovely. The staff!!!! Extremely friendly. Please see pictures. Food is delicious and worth every pound! read more

Balans Soho Society - Roasted potatoes with some type of s a food. I don't remember which. I loved it!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - London, XGL

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Being a girl who is a 'Happy Punter' - come what may - I felt that status entitled me to go to a Gay Friendly eatery in Kensington with a Gay & Jolly Journalistic Colleague who swore that if I didn't like the brunch at this rather smart establishment, he would actually pay for it. Known in my Press Office as 'Miserable Mel' (a most delightful fellow whose only character flaw is his 'Scrooge like' attitude to life) the devil in me took up the challenge. Knowing that I could, as a last resort, say I didn't like something. Then again, that really isn't me. Lying through my 'mouth - full of food - teeth,' I try to leave that to some of the Political figures I have cornered in flagrante delicto. Surprise, surprise. Usually I have found that most chains of restaurants vary from area to area. Not here. Not at this branch. The 'Eggs Benedict' which I devoured had the spiritual charm to it that Mrs LeGrand Benedict of Delmonico's Restaurant in the USA no doubt bestowed upon her original creation over 150 years ago. It was scrumptious and hit the spot! Not only that, the staff smiled constantly, never forgot us for a moment, as they often do in chains - all predicated upon if they recruit their people from Spain, Portugal or merely that salubrious seaside location, Clacton-on-Sea. We were served, ate, felt delightfully looked after and refuelled and were out of there in three shakes of a Lamb's Tail - and back in the office before the Editor even knew we were absent. How many Journo's can say that line quickly - three times. Of course I paid. Happily I might add. read more

Joyful and gay friendly environment. The food is average but the staff is really nice and the restaurant is in the heart of the gay street. Just remember to book your table in advance as it is always busy and full on weekends read more

Breccie is the most important meal of the day..I agree ..that is why I chose here. Ducking under the blue velvet curtain, we were immediately seated by a lovely waitress. The decor was fab and quirky. Unusual art lined the walls, a large melted stalactite like candle dominated the counter, and at the far back a large white painted tree. The menu synced with the decor. I.e creative. From kedgeree to fluffy pancakes, salmon and steak. So at 10am a lobster, avocado, salmon and bacon poached eggs was ordered..and a hair of the dog cocktail to wash it down..oh and a flat white. My friend ordered the crispy bacon, poached eggs on sour dough with the pineapple swizzle. Little things like the freshly made condiments served in archaic bottles gave it that extra special touch. When the food arrived , it tasted good as it looked. For £13 mine was worth every penny..the morning after cocktails made with lemon and absinth also hit the mark..and the flat white was perfect. The service was faultless throughout and overall I really enjoyed my experience here. You must come here for breccie!!! read more

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