Balans
Miami Beach, FL 33139-2502
Phone: (305) 534-9191
- Price:
- $$
- Hours:
- Sun-Thu 8am-12am, Fri-Sat 8am-1am
Editorial Review for Balans – by Bill Citara
In Short
The wickedly stylish, neo-industrial dining room is where the action is. At peak hours, it's jammed with good-looking young diners. Those more interested in making conversation than being seen grab a table outdoors on the mall. Balans' moderately priced, cafe-style menu trots the culinary globe, from Asia and North Africa to the Mediterranean and the U.S. For something different, there's the lobster club sandwich.
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Insider Tips
The ExtrasThe wine list offers many choices for less than $25, like the tangy, refreshing 2000 Pine Ridge chenin blanc-viognier ($24), which blends the grape's earthy acidity with the luscious tropical fruit of the latter.
Save MoneyMonday through Friday, get $2 off all entrees (from 4pm to 6pm) and all breakfasts (from 8am to 11:30am).
User Reviews for Balans
03/18/2008 Posted by tom123456
Balans manages to put Bland back into the Beach. The ambience is predictable and the restaurant as a whole, certainly offers nothing to set it apart from the dozens of others that ply their trade on South Beach’s Lincoln Road. However, the service was prompt, if a little fussy. My date and I decided on a tapas-style meal and ordered four dishes from the appetizer menu that included the wilted garlic spinach, fried calamari, the Greek plate and mixed vegetables. The wilted garlic spinach arrived first and was the best for the four dishes – It was hot, but the meal went downhill from there. This dish can easily be made in a few minutes, and is delicious when prepared using fresh crushed garlic, a little sea salt and a sprinkling of nutmeg, none of which were apparent in the insipid, watery serving we sampled. Next up were the “mixed” vegetables that consisted of what looked some else’s leftover eggplant with a couple of slices of squash thrown in – it arrived cold. The Greek plate was a complete mistake – three globs of bland mush, served with several strips of supermarket pita bread. Finally, a warmed-over plate of fried calamari crowned an experience that can only be described as disappointing at best. Balans offers diner food to the budget minded, in a confused atmosphere that attempts to be hip, but essentially fails. There are so many other restaurant choices in South Beach, I suggest a trip to Balans should be reserved for when the mother-in-law comes to town – peace-of-mind is only one check away.
06/01/2007 Posted by fayzey
Enough said above.... Pay more and get better, much better... Carry on walking down lincoln and you will find better.
Pros: Location
Cons: Lack of food quality
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