I never went to Balzac's when I was a student at Ryerson. It was always busy and packed with students and non-students. I'd rather go to other cafes where I had more space. Recently I caught up with a friend at the cafe who was still a Ryerson student and worked by Yonge and Dundas, making it a convenient meeting place.
I arrived sometime at 2 PM and as expected, it was crowded. I was lucky enough to grab a seat when a table freed up just in time. I decided to try the Parisian Mist because it sounded interesting. I liked the drink because it was sweet on its own if I recalled correctly.
Balzac's is a lovely cafe and each location has its own vintage designed poster (which you can check out here). However, expect the Ryerson location to be constantly busy for most of the time. I don't recommend trying to meet up here during peak hours.