A warm neighbourly welcome in the heart of Covent Garden.
After turning up an hour late having traipsed around Soho, insisting on having a lunch booking to anyone that would listen (tip, do not get them confused with the original Soho sites nearby), I wasn’t expecting, nor did I deserve, the warm welcome that greeted me.
Like your bestie having a glass of your favourite wine ready for you after the longest working week, Balan’s is a warm embrace in the heart of tourist land.
Not that it isn’t right for tourists, it is. It’s the kind of place you can stop for a cuppa and a cake, a glass of wine after work, a business lunch, pre-theatre pitstop or a lengthy dinner with cocktails.
It’s buzzy café atmosphere and friendly staff ensure you leave happy and relaxed whatever it was you came in for.
As it was I was in the mood for a great glass of red (we recommend the Shiraz) and a hearty lunch.
Although, as breakfast is served from 8am and can be ordered all day, we were tempted by the sound of The High Society Eggs Benedict (poached eggs, lobster, avocado, bacon, English muffin, hollandaise). However, as we’d just got back from a trip to Seville, the Crab Croquettes caught our eye. Served with brown crab aioli, they were as gooey and delicious as any we’d found in Spain.
The menu is divided up into small and large plates for you to mix and match as you choose. We opted for a hearty black garlic roasted chicken which would give most people’s Sunday Roast a good run for their money. A side of chili and ginger kale was the perfect anti-oxidant boasting side.
Totally stuffed, we skipped pudding this time but after eyeing up the cocktail list we know where we’ll be coming back for a Slap n’ Tickle (Lemongrass infused Broker’s gin, elderflower, lemon) when the mood takes us.
