BALANS

If you happen to be in need of some post-clubbing refreshment but your tastes run a little more sophisticated than the local kebab store, you’ll find a sanctuary in Balans on Soho’s main thoroughfare. The waiters are foreign, charming, and best of all, awake until 6 in the morning. At more respectable hours, serving a varied menu of favourites, from Caesar Salads and burgers to fish cakes and quesadillas, you’re sure to find something to satisfy. The brunch menu is packed with American-style breakfast options including the died-and-gone-to-heaven banana & toffee pancakes, which make the perfect accompaniment to some people watching, Old Compton’s raison d’être any time of the day.