Balans - Kensington

Balans is a well-known group of restaurants that serves European cuisine and has branches in several parts of London open seven days of the week. It is the kind of place you could drop by at any time to enjoy a snack or a full meal. All outlets offer tasty food and warm, friendly service and the Soho branch seems to be especially popular with the gay community.

The popular breakfast and brunch menus offer a full English breakfast, eggs Benedict, blueberry pancakes and waffles. At lunchtime, the sandwiches and simple pastas are good choices. There are aperitifs, cocktails, wines, prosecco, martinis and strawberry or passion fruit daiquiris to complement the food.

A meal there could start with foie gras and chicken liver parfait, three way fishcakes, tempura calamari and Roquefort and pear salad. The mains offer a wide variety to suit different tastes - from Thai chicken curry, pumpkin ravioli, honey glazed duck breast to swordfish steak. The house specialities of fish pie and steak are always recommended and meals in themselves. Their meats are supplied by Jack O Sheas, who are free range and organic butchers.

Balans has been serving customers for over ten years and the fact that they are still busy is ample proof of the quality of their meals and service.