Love Gin, love Soho, love delicious food? Well, I have just the recipe for you and it’s called Balans! Located in the heart of Soho on the bustling Old Compton Street, this institution of a restaurant has been on this same street since 1987 and it’s still as popular as it was in the 80’s. Known for its late-night party scene back then, it’s now also known for its great food and cocktails.
If all that promise of good food and cocktails wasn’t already good enough, then you might like to know they’ve collaborated with one of my favourite gin brands – The King of Soho. I’ve known the brand since its early launch days and so was very pleased to hear they’ve taken up residency behind the bar here at Balans. It’s a fantastic gin that was created by Alex Robson & Howard Raymond and combines citrusy grapefruit with undertones of juniper, to create a balanced and delicious flavour that mixes perfectly into a cocktail.
We started with one of three of the brands current cocktails on the menu and this was my favourite – The Soho Spritz. A generous dash of King of Soho gin, creme de mure, lime, blackberry & Moet Chandon Champagne. Refreshing, zesty and the perfect cocktail to begin the evening.
To kick off our foodie evening, we started with a colourful plate of Isle of Wight tomatoes, yuzu roasted beets, goat’s curd and seeded crackers. The sun was shining outside, the place was filling up and this dish was pure Summer on a plate and tasted even better when washed down with that zesty cocktail. Presentation and portions are generous here, so make sure you come hungry!
We also tucked into a plate of bresaola, ricotta & truffle honey, pickled radish salad & smoked almonds. I really enjoyed this dish, the bresaola was excellent, but oddly I couldn’t detect any flavours of truffle honey or see any smoked almonds. Still, an enjoyable plate of food.
Whilst the bold and colourful design of The King of Soho is a nod to the vibrant past, present and future of Soho, the drink itself was inspired by Howard Raymond’s father, Paul Raymond who was back in the day, the real ‘King of Soho.’ Famous for his risqué shows and dominating the London entertainment scene. One cocktail we had here which for me really captured that with its bold colour and mind-numbing quantities of alcohol – The Corpse Reviver No. Blue. A mix of King of Soho gin, La Fee Absinthe & Blue Curacao. As its name suggests, this really will bring a corpse back from the dead.
For main course, I ordered the plate of pork belly which was again excellent. Perfectly cooked, the meat was juicy and the crackling was crisp and delicious. I also loved the burnt leek, smear of sweetcorn purée, apple sauce and the smoked hock croquette. I highly recommend this dish which is made even better with a side of their crunchy hand-cut chips – if you have room.
Desserts here are absolutely stunning and I’ve no doubt they will catch you by surprise like they did me and the best was this heavenly chocolate creation. Whoever the pastry chef is here is incredibly talented. This dessert titled “Delicacy” was layers of hazelnut biscuit, milk chocolate mousse, caramel and whiskey whipped white chocolate cream. Heaven.
One more cocktail for the road? Oh, go on then. This time, something sweeter and something with a nod to my childhood – Strawberry Refresher. A refreshing, but sweet mix of King of Soho gin, Pama liqueur, apple and strawberry. A lovely way to end our evening and the actual Refresher sweet in the drink to mix was a nice touch.
Decor wise, Balans could probably do with a freshen up right about now, but the atmosphere, food and most definitely the cocktails will have you coming back time and time again. It’s also great value in the area and being open till the early hours of the morning when nothing else is – makes it a rather fun spot. Would we come back to Balans Soho? Yes! Especially if they’re serving up these King of Soho laced cocktails.
