The 47 best restaurants in Soho
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Soho is the London neighbourhood with the most game-changing foodie hotspots and some of the best restaurants in London. But keep to the main streets, and you might miss some of the best restaurants in Soho. With plenty of backstreets buzzing with secret supper clubs and the latest dining trend, Soho restaurants provide a seemingly never ending list of choices.
To help hungry Londoners and travellers identify the tables to book while in town, we've put together an edit of our favourite Soho restaurants. These restaurants appear in no particular order and have all been reviewed by editors of Condé Nast Traveller. They span almost every cuisine you could imagine, from Turkish to Taiwanese – including lowkey hangouts such as Bao or Lina Stores and special occasion spots such as Bob Bob Ricard. This article is regularly updated with exciting new openings in the neighbourhood.
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1. Bocconcino
You might know upscale Italian eatery Bocconcino from its original spot in flashy Mayfair, but now there's a new addition on Soho's Great Marlborough Street. Don't expect any added grunge, however – the pared back plaster pink walls and elegant terrazzo floors are back, with copper chandeliers and a snaking marble bar table, flecked with hints of gold that glimmer under the low lights. It's a glamorous affair and, on weekends, the vibe is upbeat. Two resident DJs set up in both the main dining space and the newer downstairs Sotto bar, from where Italian spritzes arrive with a dash of apple and a surprisingly pungent cucumber foam, and rye whiskey Old Fashioneds come infused with wild mushrooms. Back upstairs, it’s cicchetti – Venetian-style tapas – to start, from a menu that includes beef tartare topped with punchy truffle crisps, pillowy burrata drizzled in pesto and comforting wedges of aubergine parmigiana. You can continue in this vein, but sharing plate detractors will be glad to know that most dishes are available in full sizes, too. Besides, there's plenty more to choose from on the extensive menu. We enjoyed perfectly pink tuna, seared and juicy on a bed of stewed veg, pistachio pesto tagliatelle with a trio of melt-in-the-mouth prawns, and a truly indulgent wild boar ragu. And you must try the lemon tart, served with a flourish and topped with an impressively tall wave of fluffy meringue. Dress to impress and invite a crowd – this spot is best enjoyed with some friends and a couple of bottles of the sommelier’s choice. Charley Ward
Address: Bocconcino, 59 Great Marlborough St, London W1F 7JY
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2. Kapara
Tucked away in the genteel James Court off Soho’s Greek Street, the location might be the most subtle thing about Kapara. Even the pink sign on the door, imploring visitors to ‘Push it hard’, suggests a certain level of nudge-wink debauchery at this self-styled ‘Tel Aviv Fantasy’, by the Israeli chef-owner Eran Tibi – who got a start under Yottam Ottolenghi and made his name in London with the slightly more understated and obviously Israeli Bala Baya, in a Southwark railway arch. At Kapara (the Hebrew word for atonement from sin), he has dialled up the party vibes in a large two-floor space, heavy on millennial pink and biophilia, with a semi-open kitchen on the clubbier lower level, and house music suggesting that the point is to stay and dance ’til the 1am close, even on a Monday night.
On our visit, a group of women at the arched bar (very Instagram) are ordering shamelessly maximalist cocktails, like a ‘High 5 Bi*ch’ of spiced rum, oloroso sherry, pineapple, sesame, ginger and more. But there’s a more obviously local flavour to the house-made Naughty Gazoz, a take on the ubiquitous sparkling soda of Israeli street stalls in flavour combos like orange, chilli and coriander – served with gin, vodka, prosecco or arak. Tibi’s halal small plates menu, under headings like ‘All-Day Foreplay’ or ‘Bits on the Side’, errs towards the rich and sweet, including a king prawn baklava that could just about be on the dessert menu, and a satisfyingly wobbly aubergine heart that comes with pine nut jam and clementine marmalade. We could have happily shared a hummus with amba spices, and gone straight to the sharing platters: a 12-hour braised oxtail, served family-style in a Le Creuset pot with similarly unctuous, satisfyingly pearl-like couscous; or a show-stopping whole red snapper with burnt sage, baby plum tomatoes and fennel.
Kapara’s real selling point in a crowded Soho scene, though, is as a place to bed in for the night, as the music builds. Staff wear club-ready black with matching necklaces spelling Kapara in Hebrew, which is mirrored by the neon sign on the way to the loos, with walls adorned with phallic tiles. Tibi has joked in the past that it was harder to come out as Israeli than gay in London. This feels like a sort of embassy to his version of his home country: where it’s always Friday in Tel Aviv, and everyone’s welcome. Toby Skinner
Address: Kapara, James Court, Manette Street, London W1D 4AL
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3. Speedboat Bar
You know that feeling when you find a new hidden gem that you can't wait to tell your friends all about? This is one of those gems. It isn’t just regular Thai food, nor is this just another restaurant to have recently hit the Soho scene. This is Speedboat Bar. Where authenticity punctuates throughout the neon-lit walls – clippings of Thai royals, Singha beer on tap and laminated menus paired with classic street food cutlery capture the true essence of Bangkok’s Chinatown. It’s also easy to see that Speedboat Bar is the eponym for the boats whizzing through the Bangkok canals, especially when portraits of speedboat racers are proudly displayed across the two-floor space.
Chef Luke Farrell, who also heads Plaza Khao Gaeng (another of our favourite new London restaurants), and JKS restaurants, the group behind some of London’s cult favourites (Bao, Berenjak, Gymkhana), serves up a wok-flamed fiery menu of Thai traditionals with a twist. The food here is so serious that they even grow their own Thai herbs in Dorset – think lemongrass, galangal, and fragrant basils. The drunkard’s seafood and beef noodles are on a runny-nose and teary-eyed spice level, while the ash melon and eggplant curry are welcoming to those who can’t take the heat, and the holy basil minced beef topped with crispy fried egg is best paired with good ol’ fluffy white rice. Finish with the pineapple pocket pie and a dollop of taro ice cream. Wash it all down with a whiskey soda or go for a tropical virgin colada with coconut, pineapple and guava. To cap off the night, staff kitted out in football jerseys will encourage you to head upstairs to the buzzing bar for more Singha beer and rounds of pool with Thai pop beats blasting through. Zahra Surya Darma
Address: 30 Rupert St, London W1D 6DL
Book online
Justin De Souza4. Nessa
An enviable location on Brewer Street and a distinctive facade meant Nessa Soho would never be a short-lived addition to the capital’s dining scene. However, the appointment of executive chef Tom Cenci (Loyal Tavern, Duck and Waffle), among other things, ensured a particular crowd fought each other for bookings when it first opened. Sneaky pics are allowed – the playful interiors are all part of the experience – but people are genuinely here to eat well and catch up with old friends. Tongue-in-cheek breakfast favourites include the ‘not avocado on toast’ made with crushed broad beans and a sausage and egg muffin that’s clearly an elevated take on a well-known fast food classic. Such dishes, plus great coffees and smoothies, draw in young professionals for dressed-down midweek meetings, while a similar menu appeals to fashionable brunchers on weekends.
The lunch and dinner menu is relatively concise, which ensures everything is executed to plate-licking perfection. Round up fellow foodies and decorate the table with colourful plates – expect Cornish cod with buttered cabbage, woodfired leeks and caramelised pecans, and gooey, truffle-scented celeriac carbonara. Best of all, Nessa’s open until 1am from Thursday to Saturday, leaving plenty of time for punchy post-supper concoctions in the cosy lounge – there’s no wrong choice on the carefully curated house cocktail list. Connor Sturges
Address: Nessa Soho, 86 Brewer Street, London W1F 9UB
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Bastien Lattanzio5. Daroco
Burgeoning out of Milan, neo-trattorias have become the focus for traditional Italian flavours with a Michelin-style service. Already iconic to the arrondissements of Paris, the entanglement of Parisian romance and Italian cuisine has come to the bustling streets of central London, Soho. The interiors of this 120-seat dining room, designed by Architect Olivier Delannoy, combine baroque-esk floor-to-ceiling mirrors with teal, mustard and olive suede furnishings, rattan stools and emerald tiles. The contemporary setting and trance-like music juxtaposes alongside expertly stretched and fluffed fresh pizzas fired in the sculptural ‘butterfly’ oven, Prosciutto di Parma with crunchy pickled veg, crispy Arancini and my personal pièce de résistance, the rich Paccheri all’ Astice. The finale, despite a varied selection of Dolci, has to be a classic – the family-size portion of creamy tiramisu followed by a coffee as you wind down the evening, consuming the eclectic atmosphere. Continue the evening with exclusive access through the guarded labyrinth of corridors to the intimate speakeasy, Wacky Wombat. Enjoy wild cocktails dreamed up by globe-trotting French bartender Nico de Soto under the dimmed lighting of this tropical-forest-meets-club bar experience. Megan Wilkes
Address: Daroco, Manette Street, London W1D 4AL
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BENJAMIN MCMAHON6. Rita’s
Rita’s has been around for a while. The first iteration kicked off in 2012, when chef Gabriel Pryce and restaurateur and drinks-lead Missy Flynn opened an American-meets-British spot in Hackney. A sandwich shop in Coal Drops Yard opened, then moved to Clerkenwell. Their first Soho restaurant opened in 2022. Order plates of fried chicken parmigiana, pork chops or salt fish taquitos. The wine list is mainly natural and organic, overseen by Flynn, as well as the kind of cocktails previous versions of Rita’s have been known for. And there’s also a private dining courtyard at the back, where a set menu can be dished up to groups of seven to 14. Sarah James
Address: 49 Lexington Street, Carnaby, London W1F 9AP
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Joe Giacomet7. Tattu
Tattu is one of those rare restaurants on London’s food scene – a spot that opened first in British cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham before making its way to the capital. It’s set a few floors up in Tottenham Court Road’s latest swanky development The Now Building, where supper is served with skyline views. Kick off with a cocktail in the phoenix-themed bar, where kitsch cocktails are as over the top as the elaborate décor, served in smoking skulls and blown-glass dragons. The restaurant is split into four sections, representative of the historic Chinese Courtyard House which is centred around a garden space. Chef Andrew Lasseter has designed London a menu of its own, combining traditional Chinese ingredients with contemporary cooking techniques. Starters are dinky, so you’ll want to order a few dim sum between you. The chicken truffle shumai and wagyu ribeye dumplings are the house favourite, and we can confirm these are a must-order. We loved the wok-fried angry bird with roasted chilli peppers and sesame honey soy and the red-roasted belly pork served in a juicy rich broth with caramel kumquat lily bulb and shitake. If you're looking to splash out on something a little more extravagant go for the green pepper lobster or the succulent grade-five wagyu beef. Theatrical puddings steal the show. A chocolate tree with a moat of overflowing dry ice? Sure. It’s worth ordering just for the entertainment. This might just be the tastiest Chinese we’ve tried in London – come here for a special occasion, and make sure to book in advance. Sophie Knight
Price: £££
Address: The Now Building Rooftop, Outernet, Denmark Street, London WC2H 0LA
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8. Berenjak
In a narrow little space, all sizzling grills and flaming tandoor, Soho restaurant Berenjak is inspired by the hole-in-the-wall kebab shops of Tehran – with the added poetic licence of low lighting, Seventies Iranian funk music and artfully crumbling walls. Heading it all up is baseball-cap-wearing Kian Samyani, who previously worked at one of London's best Indian restaurants Brigadiers and Gymkhana. He wants to serve the traditional dishes he grew up with to the foodie punters of London, ‘with no cheffy touches’. But it’s still fancier than your average kebab, served on shiny metal plates as you sit among richly patterned cushions. The kashk e bademjoon (coal-cooked aubergine with whey and dried mint) is so good it’s ordered by every table, smoky and rich and topped with crispy fried onions. For meaty mains, there are kebabs and stews; among the former, the koobideh (goat with onions and black pepper) is the dish that kebab shops in Iran are rated on – and Samyani’s version is delicious, served simply with chargrilled onion and tomato, lots of herbs and juice-soaked flatbread. Add a fiery kick with a side of marinated chillies. Order the house rice, which comes with a blob of goat butter and a sprinkling of tadiq on top (the crunchy bits from the bottom of the pan), to mop up the sauce. There’s just one dessert – a genius move of sandwiching vanilla ice cream between two pieces of baklava. It sounds simple but it's one of the best desserts in London. Cocktails based on traditional non-alcoholic sherbets are given the night-out-in-Soho treatment with vodka, gin or tequila. This is Persian with a twist from a great young-gun team. Grainne McBride
Chiron Cole9. Ducksoup
Don’t be put off by the unappetising sound of the name, there’s no canard chowder on the menu at this cosy atmospheric bistro. Instead, there’s a scrawled blackboard menu of small plates of seasonal deliciousness (salt cod, calcots and olives, fettucine with gurnard, tomato and saffron, pork cheeks cooked in milk with butterbeans) and a strong selection of natural wines. Food is simple but lively; be sure to add a side of homemade pickles and save space for a cheese course. Space is tight and tables are tight which makes it the ideal spot for a romantic evening. They also do a very reasonable lunch menu: a daily changing dish and a glass of wine for a tenner.
Keiko Oikawa10. NOPI
This is one of our favourite lunch destinations in London. It’s not immediately obvious, but the name comes from the fact that this Ottolenghi eatery is just north of Piccadilly Circus. But Nopi is just far enough away from Carnaby Street to remain an incredibly calm and tranquil space. Yotam Ottolenghi is known for his bold blend of Middle Eastern, Mediterranian and Asian flavours, and NOPI's menu is a vibrant reflection of this. Book ahead (not always a possibility in Soho), and come hungry. Plates are far from small, and we recommend sharing each dish to maximise the menu. The aubergine is served on a pool of tahini yoghurt with drizzles of sour cherry molasses, while the crispy char siu cauliflower is sweet and tangy all at once. Sweetcorn fritters are dipped in lime sour cream, and the burrata gets paired with apricot and a honey vinaigrette with a tinge of matcha salt. The indulgently tender ox tongue, served with brown butter hummus, garlic pepper and ladopita (a type of Greek bread), is enough to book another table. But if fish is more up your alley, choose the seared trout with chaat masala aioli and harissa. Zahra Surya Darma
11. Yeni
Now, the team have brought the hotspot to London, losing Lokanta (meaning restaurant) from the name and opening as just Yeni on Beak Street in Soho. Sandwiched between some of Soho's best restaurants and cafés (Russell Norman’s Venetian Italian restaurant Polpo is next door, with fancy-pants Bob Bob Ricard opposite and one of London’s best bars Cahoots around the corner), inside there’s a Middle Eastern café vibe: white-washed brick walls, deep blue leather seating against the walls and cute turquoise tiles dotted around for texture and colour. There are two floors, making the space pretty big in Soho terms. Downstairs, there’s an open bar where the chefs make the final, meticulous touches to the dishes before they’re swept onto trays in teams of two to be delivered to your table. The basic premise is refined Middle Eastern flavours. We tried the baked feta: served with a glazed honey on top that made a satisfying, creme-brulee style crust on a bed of sauteed samphire, and the snow pea salad – the chilli kick and crunch from the apple were brilliantly refreshing next to the rich, creaminess of the cheese. For mains, the vine leaves are roasted and filled with springy, salty halloumi, chickpeas and labneh, making for a much lighter supper than you might expect in a Turkish restaurant. The stand out, though, is the roasted beef ribs – pulled, melt-in-the-mouth beef with a deep, meaty flavour sitting on a hunk of sourdough that has become gloriously soggy with the juices. A part of Soho’s already heaving supper scene that isn't lost in the crowd, it’ll change what you think you know about Turkish food. Sarah James
12. Blacklock
You may have passed Blacklock a hundred times before and never really taken in its glass doors and lo-fi sign (which probably worked out well during its alleged past-life as a Nineties brothel – as boldly mentioned in the very first sentence of the restaurant's website). Duck down the stairs to be immediately transported from the Piccadilly Circus overspill above and into a snug, black- and wood-heavy space. With inoffensive nostalgia from the likes of Tina Turner and Paul Simon flowing through the soundsystem and every seat occupied on an average week night, the vibe here is neither high end nor urban cool, but instead a straightforward and merry celebration of meat chops. Indeed, Blacklock’s manifesto is founded upon the idea of sharing the country’s finest cuts – sourced from Cornish farmers who apparently ‘allow their cows a full, free-roaming life’ – for the lowest possible price: the most beef for your buck. And the £20 ‘All In’ deal is perhaps the most generous of its kind in all of Zone 1, if not London: beef, pork and lamb ‘skinny chops’ for at least two people, served stacked on a coal flatbread fat and moist with their juices. The chop sauce is a wise accompaniment, while the triple-cooked beef-dripping chips deserve special mention for their satisfying crispiness. Blacklock also has its own signature dessert – the most wonderful, homemade white chocolate cheesecake we’ve ever sampled, doled out with a ladle at your table, straight from an overflowing baking dish. If you’re lucky, you might even find an entire digestive biscuit at the bottom of your bowl – Blacklock is that sort of place. Becky Lucas
Address: 24 Great Windmill Street, Soho, London W1D 7LG
Book online
Richard Southall13. Inko Nito
From the folk behind stylish trinity Zuma, Roka and Oblix comes Inko Nito, located just behind the clamour of Carnaby. The concept is clear: Californian-Japanese restaurant in a laidback setting, where partakers can breeze in and out, reservation-free, within a lunch break, or feast through five or so small plates and still make it home for a couple of hours’ wind-down on a weeknight. The result is a vibey, timber-heavy, light-strewn space centred around an open kitchen, where handsome, tattooed chefs in bandanas work to a ceaseless soundtrack of sizzling meats, rattling pots, varied music and the guest chitter-chatter that flows out from the mixed-level tables. Start things off with the particularly slurpy ginger-soy-soaked edamame as you peruse the stripped-down menu, before wolfing Portland crab Cali-sushi whole, maki by maki. Grapefruit miso adds zing to the salmon, while the beef cheek and butter lettuce wraps are the kitchen’s top pick, with each meaty taco offering exciting flavour followed by a fiery kick. The charred coconut poke, served with sweet soy, Japanese granola and a cinnamon fortune cookie, is rather like a little, more savoury version of a knickerbocker glory. Sip the bar’s strong take on a Negroni or super smoky Old Fashioned while waiting for your small plates, which come at you thick and fast, whenever they’re ready. And, naturally, sample some sake.
14. Aulis
So here's an immersive West End theatre experience: 12 seats, a trio of white-shirted performers juggling close-up magic, and a different show every night. Aulis is where the chef's table meets secret supper club – foodie lab by day, dining table by night, with guests only told its exact location when they book. It marks the London return of Simon Rogan, last seen at Fera at Claridge's, and whose original Aulis up in Cumbria serves as a test kitchen for his three-starred restaurant L'Enclume. There's serious intent here but the mood is playful. Apple marigold and woodruff is brought over to be sniffed, dehydrated carrots rattled in Tupperware, and techniques cheerfully explained with Hall & Oates on the playlist. At the end of your experience, you're handed a card that reads like a stripped-down E.E. Cummings poem. But the bare ingredients don't do justice to the dishes. 'Berkswell, truffle' is a tousle-headed cheese bomb. 'Seaweed, caviar' is an exquisite miso custard spooned from a Japanese ceramic pot. Two carrots recline on a piece of bark like seals, rehydrated and injected with crab and sea buckthorn. Elsewhere there are tiny lardons of steak tartare served with a tapioca crisp, tender slices of duck, swift crunches of potato with smoked yolk, Rogan favourites like hay-baked celeriac with whey, and a wonderful pudding of elderberry yoghurt with shards of blow-torched milk. The 15-course feast begins with a sweet-like creation of raspberry and goat's curd fragranced with rose, is punctuated with homemade kombucha, and ends with 'Fig', a jammy Turkish delight. 'We're big on surprises,' says Rogan. The team have had a lot of fun choosing wines to match. And you'll come away with a new appreciation of German reds after tasting the Spatburgunder pinot noir. Spectator scoffing at its finest – a brilliantly entertaining insight into the working and imagination behind a great kitchen. Rick Jordan
15. Social Eating House
Jason Atherton cut his teeth working under top names, including Marco Pierre White, Ferran Adrià and Gordon Ramsay, before building his own empire; four of his nine London restaurants have Michelin stars, and one of those belongs to Social Eating House. The menu is full of zhuzhed-up bistro classics using mainly British produce; the flip-side proudly lists ingredients and their origin (buttermilk from Buckinghamshire was 45 miles away). While perusing the seasonal dishes, order a 'sharing jar' to whet the appetite – the confit-duck-leg rillettes were particularly good, served with mango and coriander-seed-studded mini poppadoms. A decadent starter of heritage-breed soft-boiled egg, with an oozing vivid-orange yolk, Jerusalem artichoke two ways – crunchy crisps and velvety puree – and shavings of truffle and buttery Iberico ham is a highlight. The main-course hit is roasted turbot topped with a melting, paper-thin sheet of lardon and a meaty hunk of cep. It’s accompanied by risotto-like pearl barley, bringing texture to the mix, and mushroom-and-thyme broth. The sommelier suggests wine depending on your mood and choice of dish: a fruity and svelte New Zealand Te Tera Pinot Noir from the Martinborough Vineyard goes well with the truffle-y egg starter, and a juicy-citrusy Napa Valley Chardonnay is great with the turbot. With a fizzing bar and bubbling restaurant underneath, this is a Soho smash hit. Roxy Kavousi-Walker
16. Pastaio
Pasta, made in-house that day, is served with simple ingredients in a simple setting: canteen-style terrazzo-patterned tables lit with pendant lights. And because it's big by Soho standards it should be much easier to get a table here than at Borough Market's beloved restaurant Padella. It's difficult not to go overboard here, everything on the menu is tempting, as well as inexpensive - so arrive hungry. To start, there are nocellara olives, a 'nduja-and-honey toastie which oozes mozzarealla and red peppers stuffed with tomato and anchovy. And while one plate of pasta per person is certainly enough, trying three plates between two is a better idea still. Courgette and crab fusilli come with a chilli kick; mini shell-like malloreddus are served with slow-cooked sausage meat and topped with crispy-yet-chewy breadcrumbs; and a plate of cacio e pepe made with thick spaghetti is gorgeously buttery. There's a pecorino and pomegranate salad, which works well as a side to all that pasta. And puddings include a giant, cocoa-dusted slab of tiramisu and ricotta-stuffed cannoli. It's hard not to get stuck in. Tabitha Joyce
17. The Palomar
If a tourist were to chance upon The Palomar, (which they might, since it's on the wrong side of Shaftesbury Avenue, at the seedy end of Rupert Street) - they'd be in for a surprise. Perhaps more Piccadilly Circus restaurant than Soho, London's first outpost of Jerusalem's hottest restaurant, Machneyuda, stands head-and-shoulders above the surrounding competition. The restaurant is dark and the music is loud - which makes sense when you find out that the brother-and-sister founders have a background in night clubs. Book ahead for a table in the deep-blue boothed dining room, or risk it on the night when you might bag a backless stool at the bar overlooking the open kitchen, the best seat in the house. The menu takes inspiration from the fringes of the Mediterranean - not only mixing milk with meat, but serving shellfish, and pork aplenty - in what can only be described as an unorthodox take on Jewish dining. Everything's designed for sharing and the menu isn't huge which (if you're in a group) means you can try one of everything. A house favourite is the cured-beetroot carpaccio, served with burnt goat's cheese and a hazelnut brittle. While a zingy salmon 'tabulenia' tartar is mixed with bulgur and Turkish za'atar. And tender chicken thighs are marinated in sumac and served with orange and braised fennel. Another highlight is the stone bass, plated with octopus, burnt courgette and creamy labneh. But perhaps the most remarkable plate of all, is one we'd usually skip: polenta, transformed from a stodgy side into a star dish - whipped, dribbled in truffle oil, and topped with curls of Parmesan and a single asparagus spear. For pudding, good luck resisting the reverse chocolate fondue: a moist banana sponge spotted with marshmallows and peanut brittle, then heaped with molten chocolate before your eyes. Tabitha Joyce
18. Barrafina
Brothers Sam and Eddie Hart introduced London to no-reservation restaurants back in 2007 with Spanish benchmark Barrafina. Cleverly though, their queue has always involved a bar to lean against, a glass of wine and Padrón peppers to pick at - this is the stuff of holiday nostalgia. Once the doors open the queue snakes (or rather shuffles) in a line parallel to the sleek marble-countertop where 28 lucky diners perch on red leather stools - front-row seats at the very busiest of kitchens. It's rare to feel so fully in the thick of things as at frantic-but-flawless Barrafina. The grill sizzles, the oven roars, wire baskets slam in and out of deep-fat fryers and fresh fish sparkles on ice. Magic tapas arrives in stops and starts - plump tomatoes piled on home-baked bread are doused in fluorescent olive oil; tortilla patties scattered with salt crystals are crisp on the outside and runny with deep orange yolk inside. Wooden boards of paprika-charred octopus arrive sprinkled in capers and soft chorizo is served on pan-fried potatoes with watercress. Don't miss the delicate tempura courgette flower which is stuffed with oozing goat's cheese and drizzled with a thin and fragrant honey. For those with a sweet tooth the almond Tarta Santiago with crème fraîche ice-cream will go down a treat. Tabitha Joyce
Steven Joyce19. Temper
Soho's long been a place of lost weekends, stray eccentrics and half-forgotten addresses. In the 1920s, you could buy cocaine over the counter from a sandwich shop here; and it's rumoured the Pentagon runs its UFO-spotting office from Soho Square. While some parts are getting shinier and less dingy, the traditional underground den endures. And Temper has to be the least grimy fleshpot yet: a thrillingly cavernous space where Neil Rankin's team practise the fiery art of barbecue and serving some of the best steak in London. Hoik up a stool at what must be London's biggest open-kitchen counter for the sheer theatre of blazing charcoals, chefs who look like Wolverine carving and weighing meat, and other people demolishing it. It's smokier than Smokey Robinson chugging on a hand-rolled Cohiba. You order Countdown-style in that 'two from the top, one from the bottom' way - with hand-rolled tacos (the 'Aged Cheeseburger' is fabulous) to graze on before the main flatbreads arrive, each one glistening with 100g hunks of tender beef, or lamb, or pork, or goat (marinaded for nine hours, it's super-soft). For a token vegetable, a morsel of green, order the smacked cucumbers; you can customise your plate, Thai style, with sauces and sprinkles such as MSG ketchup, salsa verde, crunchy onions, and shrimp and peanut - each a vivid blur of flavour. Actually, there is one highlight on the menu that wasn't once chewing the cud in a field: the baked cookie dough with milk-custard served in its own little skillet is seriously good - gooey and crunchy - and might disappear from the plate if you look away. The surprisingly lengthy wine list has plenty of funky, natural wines to experiment with, and an orange wine by the glass (the Ottavio Rube Bianco) that stands up to the hot flavours. Rick Jordan
Paul Winch-Furness20. Kricket
Kricket landed on the food scene in 2015 as one of the best Indian restaurants in London squeezed into a Pop Brixton shipping container. Now its owners have opened Kricket Soho, their first permanent restaurant, which ups the square-footage without losing the atmosphere of a bustling pop-up. Inside a sleek dining room with exposed brickwork and sculptural lighting, a team of young chefs serve up exciting Indian street food to a boisterous crowd. Grab a seat at the marble counter to watch the open kitchen in action - staff rush about flipping naan on the grill and swirling fragrant pots of masala chai while the owners chat happily to diners like amiable dinner-party hosts. Old favourites from Kricket Brixton remain: the crispy samphire pakoras are justly renowned and the Keralan fried chicken is crumbly, succulent and guaranteed to give its Korean counterpart a run for its money. Dishes experiment with a clash of British and Indian flavours. The duck-leg kathi roll served with a dollop of peanut chutney was particularly delicious. Don't overlook the vegetarian small plates either - the smoked sweet potato with sesame raita is an ingenious twist on an aloo tikki chaat. The bhel puri (a classic Indian street snack of puffed wild rice, potatoes and tamarind chutney) was the star of the show: simple, perfectly balanced and as good as any you'll find on the best street stalls in Mumbai. Radhika Seth
21. Kiln
While southern Thai food (tom yum soup, green curries) is well-trodden territory the world over, it's more rare to find a place that specialises in food from the region where food from Thailand, Myanmar and China meet. The distinct flavour combinations and strong, exhilarating spicing at Kiln make it Soho's latest must-try restaurant, following in the footsteps of its hugely popular sister restaurant Smoking Goat on Denmark Street. Low lights, shoulder-to-shoulder seating at the bar counter (there are also tables downstairs for groups) and a fully open kitchen only adds to the buzziness. Sharing dishes make for intimate, exploratory dining, with generous portions and an informal approach to serving. Charcoal-grilled aged lamb and cumin skewers coupled with smoked sausage and turmeric are sharp and spicy openers. The Burmese wild ginger and beef short rib curry has a nice bang - order alongside the Tamworth pork belly and brown crab meat with clay pot-baked glass noodles. For the full experience, sit at the kitchen end of the bar - watching the chefs cook over flaming charcoal is riveting. Ananda Pellerin
22. Mildreds
Mildreds is the perfect place for a healthy supper in Soho. The menu is entirely vegetarian with the odd vegan dish thrown in. They don’t take reservations so there is usually a bit of a wait, but the turnover is quick and it's easily worth it. The soul bowls come with a mix-and-match of colourful beetroot, carrots, dates, kale, avocado, quinoa and sprouts but do try the Roman artichoke crostini starter and one of the veggie-heavy burgers for a main. They also have a sugar-free raw forest berry mousse cake that's vegan-friendly.
23. 10 Greek Street
A daily menu is chalked up on the board, and the (maybe facially pierced and certainly tattooed) staff are very honest about the food and drink highlights; they'll do their best to accommodate should you want to mix, match or veer off-piste. Our recommendations – should they be available when you visit – include the burrata and truffle or Parma ham and melon appetisers, followed by the hake and clam or courgette flowers and gooey ricotta, and the lemon posset and summer berries for dessert, served with some of the finest shortbread we’ve ever laid teeth into. This is the sort of authentic foodie spot you may well have wandered past hundreds of times before – but now you’ve found it you'll be keen to revisit it frequently, just like an old, party-throwing, friend. Becky Lucas
24. Andrew Edmunds
Endlessly put forward as the most romantic supper spot in Soho, this 30-something-year-old institution is old fashioned, knee-knocking, candle-wax-dripping-down-a-wine-bottle stuff. Elbows clash between tables but nobody cares a jot in the dark cocoon of the rooms, as they peer at the hand-written menu and order deeply traditional dishes of duck liver or smoked sprats, rose veal or roast pigeon. The food is top notch but it’s the atmosphere that keeps everyone coming back. Very special indeed.
25. Bocca di Lupo
There is surely no smarter setting in Soho to try all the flavours of Italy at once. Come to Bocca di Lupo as a couple and sit at the bar, sharing a bottle of crisp Grillo from Sicily and Calabrian orecchiette with spicy 'nudja. Or bring a whole gang, take over a round table at the back under the twinkling lights and work your way from classic Negroni cocktails to sharing plate after sharing plate: sea-bream carpaccio with orange and rosemary; truffled radish with pecorino; supplí stringy with buffalo mozzarella; kid-goat pappardelle; white-wine-braised lamb. And to finish? Blood-orange granita, as refreshing as a Roman mini-break.
26. Bob Bob Ricard
Yes, it still has the ‘Press for Champagne’ buttons on each table, and the fin-de-siecle David Collins design – all polished Orient Express details, marble, tiles and mirrored ceilings – make it a fantastical no-brainer for the #AccidentallyWesAnderson Instagram page and a great date spot for a romantic supper in London. A decade in Soho is at least 20 in normal years, so hats off to the Anglo-Russian menu’s longevity – favourites include lobster mac and cheese, beef Wellington to share, chicken Kiev, with enough truffle and caviar to sink a superyacht. Eric Chavot recently took over as executive chef, bringing Gallic flair to the kitchen, as well as a vegan menu, following local popular demand – and its ‘off-peak’ pricing is welcome, though it’s not a place to count the pennies. A whole lot of fun.
27. Sun and 13 Cantons
Few London pubs have gone this far to incubate new restaurant talent. For the past few year's this Fullers boozer has given one side of the pub over to a variety of new teams for extended foodie pop-ups: French-accented plates from Oxalis, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, crab-cracking Claw, and Asma Khan’s Darjeeling Express, for home-cooked royal Indian dishes with a story or two on the side. Many have gone on to open their own joints – maybe Wild Serai, currently in residence with a menu of Malaysian dishes such as Nyonya fried chicken and lobster laksa, will join them. Little-known fact: the basement here is where the Chemical Brothers started their DJing career in town.
Address: 21 Great Pulteney Street, London W1F 9NG
Book online
28. Antidote
A real Soho treasure, mixing Paris bistro design with Scandi freshness – curvaceous zinc chairs, dangling bulbs and a menu chalked up on the blackboard. You can sit by the bar with a bowl of olives and charcuterie and a glass of something interesting – the wine list is strong on organic and biodynamique (say it with a French accent), or settle in to the dining room upstairs for flavoursome plates such as mozzarella with heritage tomatoes and strawberry consommé, sea bream with braised fennel and olives, green-tea panna cotta. On Monday, you can drink wine at wine shop prices. Critics love this place, so do chefs. It’s unfathomably quiet at times, considering, but that’s no bad thing.
29. Maison Bertaux
London’s oldest patisserie, on Greek Street, is run by Soho legend Michelle Wade, who was a Saturday girl here in the 1970s. Every morning the shelves in the window are stocked with freshly baked pastries and cakes, from cinnamon buns to sticky apple turnovers. Inside, everything is just left of centre – there’s kitschy details, photos of the shop in its previous iterations and a second room upstairs where art shows are held in the evenings. Sarah James
30. The French House
Francis Bacon and Dylan Thomas used to be regulars at this Dean Street boozer known by most as just The French. Downstairs is a classic Soho pub, which draws plenty of the neighbourhood’s biggest characters, serving only half-pints that drinkers take outside for people-watching in the street. Upstairs, there’s a surprising restaurant – French-inspired, obviously – serving hearty food. We especially like the creamy goat’s cheese plastered on a slice of toast and topped with confit garlic and cheesy, stringy aligot – mashed potato with cheese, essentially. Upstairs, there’s a surprising restaurant – known as Upstairs at The French House – serving hearty and obviously French-inspired food. Sarah James
31. Quo Vadis
Quo Vadis is one of Soho's original kingpins, opening in Karl Marx's former abode in 1926 to become a thriving part of Italian London, attracting celebs such as Max Beerbohm and Jimmy Durante, and has always been one of the best restaurants in London. It's been through several incarnations since, including a period in the Nineties under the combustible ownership of Marco Pierre White and Damian Hirst. But it really hit its stride in 2012 when owners Sam and Eddie Hart brought in the charismatic Jeremy Lee as head chef, who had built up quite a following at the Blueprint Café. Jeremy Lee's autumnal menu exudes a reassuring confidence with a slight swagger and several gamey dishes, including Victorian kickshaws - dinky pasties filled with wild rabbit - and a grouse salad with elderberries, apple and beetroot to rootle through. It's a bit of a Marmite ingredient, but the smoked-eel sandwich, a creamy dollop of horseradish and delicate fishiness bookended by fried bread, is a punchy way to start. Hake with red mullet and hide-and-seek mussels and cockles is another long-standing favourite. There's even retro pie and mash, and vol au vents, and oysters back on the menu. And even 'no pudding' types will pounce on the cloud-light profiteroles. And, go on, the pear-and-almond crumble tart with honey ice cream if you can manage it. Rick Jordan
John Neate32. Paradise
This contemporary Sri Lankan joint hasn’t had enough hype. The moody monochrome bar-like space has polished concrete walls and a stainless steel counter lined with stools. But the table to book is the four-man booth through an archway at the back of the restaurant – settle in and take your time over the spice-packed small plates. To kick things off, there are mutton rolls with fermented chilli sauce and arrack-infused cauliflower roti tacos with coconut labneh. Then mix and match spicy sambal chutneys and hoppers with the various curries listed under vegetable, land and sea. A roasted baby squid curry cooked in cardamom and coconut is a good option for anyone trying to steer clear of too much spice. But the real show-stopper is the chopped chicken and Cheddar kothu roti – just try it. Classic cocktails with a Sri Lankan twist include a Coconut and Nutmeg Colada and a Ghee Arrack Old Fashioned. The Paradise team, together with Zeren Wilson (Bitten & Written), have put together a wine list that highlights growers who focus on low-intervention winemaking and whose work is grounded in biodynamic and organic principles. This is a refreshing Soho dining destination with flavours that pack a punch. Tabitha Joyce
33. Sussex
Restaurateur Richard, chef Oliver and farmer-supplier Gregory have previous experience when it comes to bringing their bucolic hamlet to London: Chelsea’s Rabbit, The Shed in Notting Hill and Nutbourne in Battersea have all become well-loved neighbourhood haunts. But opening up in Soho is different. And Sussex is the most grown-up of the four restaurants, with less of a farmhouse feel, encouraging classic dining rather than small-plate sharing in the wood-panelled, U-shaped space. The mushroom-Marmite eclairs, a hit at Rabbit and The Shed, have made it onto the snacks menu alongside stone-bass croquettes and crab tartlets – but otherwise, the food is more dressed up here. Of the starters, the monkfish carpaccio most epitomises Sussex’s haute-forager vibe: silky slivers topped with puréed aubergine, pine nuts and poppy little amaranth seeds, with traces of lemon and chilli. A lot going on, but all of it good. The all-English cheeseboard is another revelation, including a smooth Isle of Wight blue and a buttery Red Leicester aged in muscat. Aside from one tequila, the cocktail list is all-English, with Suffolk-based Adnams providing gins, vodkas and even the single malt for the Old Fashioned or the Film Noir with banana and chocolate bitters. Naturally, there are wines from the family vineyard, which is mostly run by Bridget, the brothers’ artist mother. Crisp whites including the Bacchus and Sussex Reserve recall the best Rieslings and go well with the monkfish. But while Nutbourne tends to produce whites and sparkling wines, there’s a long list of reds, heavy on full-bodied French classics to pair with the red meat. It’s refreshing to see pure-bred British locavorism land in Soho, and without much attendant gimmickry. Toby Skinner
Address: 63-64 Frith Street, Soho, London W1D 3JW
Book online
34. Kolamba
This spot is knocking up smart Sri Lankan plates with a modern edge on Carnaby’s buzzing Kingly Street. Indulgent home cooking is done up and done right here – the concept a nostalgic creation by Sri Lankan husband-and-wife team Eroshan and Aushi Meewella, first-time restaurateurs. Inside is a rustic set-up of cement and exposed brick, smooth wooden fittings, patterned cushions and rattan lampshades in tan hues. You are hit with an intoxicating, layered scent upon entering that hints at the spicy, sweet and sour flavours to come. Kolamba’s menu is a love letter to a Colombo childhood. Dishes are family recipes, and the intention is that you order multiple and share gleefully. The result is a feast – a series of colourful earthenware plates squeezed onto the table. Among the ‘short eats’, are sweet pilchards rolled into perfect spheres with crunchy breadcrumbs and soft string-hopper noodles topped with silky roast beef that has an almighty kick. There are also hoppers, the bowl-shaped pancakes made popular by the Soho restaurant of the same name, and sambol relishes, the standout being a fiery pot of caramelised onions. A dynamic wine list includes a selection of international bottles, with a helpful team on hand to advise on the best one to suit each dish. But the real power players are a crew of cool cocktails. Each one puts a Colombo spin on old favourites: the Kadju Sour mixes up Colombo No 7 gin, pineapple chutney and cashew orgeat, while the Kolamba-Colada adds jackfruit and cinnamon to the usual ingredients. Leah Craig
35. Lina Stores
For decades, the pistachio-green-and-liquorice façade of Lina Stores in Soho has been synonymous with selling the best Italian cured meats, cheeses and, above all, pasta in the capital. Now all these things are on the menu at the legendary deli’s first restaurant, a few streets away, which – with its peppermint-and-cream awning – is just as recognisable. Kick off with antipasti of prosciutto from Parma (not too wafer thin so it has a bit of bite), fat little aubergine polpette with sticky tomato sauce, and radicchio and puntarelle salad with anchovy dressing. The pasta is handmade in the deli every day (as it has been since 1944) and push-biked over to the restaurant. Try to order at least two pasta dishes, even between two, as they are excellent. Highlights include ricotta-and-herb gnudi (a lighter version of gnocchi) with sage and brown butter, spaghetti with Dorset crab and chilli, and pici, a lip-smacking, rib-sticking recipe from the chef’s home town with Umbrian sausage and porcini mushrooms. All-Italian aperitivi are mixed up in the little cocktail bar downstairs: Americanos and Negronis come in chunky glass tumblers, the Italicus Sour (gin, bergamot liqueur and nettle syrup) in a delicately stemmed Martini glass. To follow there’s a crisp Verdicchio, a meaty Montepulciano, or a refreshing Sicilian lemonade. A contender for the title of London’s best pasta restaurant. Grainne Mcbride
36. Brasserie Zedel
This pre-theatre classic is big and bustling and glossy, like it’s been picked up from mid-century Paris and dropped in the nexus of the West End. Brasserie Zedel was dreamt up by the team behind sister London stalwarts The Wolseley and The Delaunay, taking inspiration from 19th-century European café culture. There’s a street level Parisian café (there are no reservations; go for breakfast, when you’re more likely to nab a table and can order plates of fluffy patisserie) and a cocktail den, Bar Américain. The main event is downstairs, where the ever-changing Prix-Fixe is astonishing value (£17.25 for three courses). And this spot has a coveted Bib Gourmand, guaranteeing top-notch grub. Sarah James
The Food Snobs37. Bubala
You’d be surprised by how many people will happily have a vegetarian supper at 6:30pm. At least, I was surprised when I arrived at Bubala's new-ish Soho restaurant a little early, naively thinking I could just get a quiet drink by the bar while I waited. It wasn’t quiet, and there wasn’t a spare seat to be found around the turquoise tiled bar. The next table wasn’t available until 10pm. A restaurant serving Middle Eastern small plates is nothing new, and yet founder Marc Summers has tapped into a certain Yiddish magic that went from pop-up to a permanent spot in Spitalfields and now Soho, where there’s an a la carte option, as well as the signature Bubala Knows Best vegan and vegetarian set menu. Opt for the latter to get the full experience (and avoid having to make any decisions). 11 plates for £39 ain't bad either.
Order a drink – Bubie’s spicy Margarita is hard to resist – and the plates will start arriving before you’ve downed it. There are pillowy swirls of labneh with confit garlic, smokey skewers of meaty oyster mushrooms and a genius zingy tomato and mango salad with proper chunks of ripe mango. The crispy-herby potato latke slabs are great, but really it's hard not to rave about the halloumi and the halloumi alone – a whole block served in gooey chamomile and fennel honey crust. If you eat it all – and you will – it's worth taking a breather before pudding. Our waiter suggested a glass of orange wine, with the caveat that most orange wine is a bit strange, but Bott Frigyes’ Just Enjoy is a winner, and she was right. If there’s room, the baklava semifreddo is the dish to try, combining the most beautiful rosewater ice cream with a dollop of sticky caramel walnuts, topped with a flaky pastry hat and sprinkled with a magical sweet-yet-salty pixie dust, also known as cinnamon sherbet. Lauren Burvill
OLA O SMIT38. Zahter
If you’re looking for a secret little spot around Carnaby Street where you might actually be able to get a coveted group-size table, try Zahter – but be quick. This Istanbulite restaurant, spaced neatly over two floors, opened in early summer 2022 and hasn’t quite been discovered yet, despite its appealing dark blue façade, al-fresco tables and pretty interiors. (Ask for the top table if it’s free, located literally at the top on its own little mezzanine floor, looking down on the street below and into the intriguing residential flats opposite). Order plenty of pide and zahter bread with smoked yoghurt before dissecting the interesting and reasonably veggie-friendly menu – a few mezzes and a platter will feed a hungry gang of you. Highlights include the Koz Patlican smoked aubergine with chilli jam, the Karpuz Beyaz Peynir watermelon and feta cheese and the Bosnak Mantisi wood-oven beef dumplings. The most intriguing dish of all, however, is the Tavuk Gogusu, a milk pudding with cinnamon and… chicken breast. You’ll be surprised. Becky Lucas
Address: 30-32 Foubert’s Place, Carnaby, London W1F 7PS
Book online
39. Kettner’s
Kettner’s has long been one of my favourite spots in Soho. There’s something magical about ascending those two little steps, doors swinging open to reveal the cosy, dimly lit lobby – bar tinkling with chatter on the left, bustling dining room to your right, transcending you far far away from raucous Romilly Street in an instant. After making the restaurant members-only back in 2019, it was happy news indeed to hear that it is now open to the public once more. This time it’s under the direction of Sam Gleeson, Harry Kaufman and Robert Webster-Shaw, who have taken up residency with an outpost of their Stoke Newington neighbourhood pub The Clarence Tavern. The menu is British with a Mediterranean accent, accompanied by an extensive wine list focusing on natural wines. Seasonal arancini are changed up every two weeks; ours – vegan 'nduja – is perfectly melty with warming spices, while the courgette fritters and harissa vinaigrette are incredibly moreish. The hero dish of the night is the chicken and girolle pie for two, which arrives piping hot, with a browned, chewy pastry top and a spoon to serve yourselves. For pudding, the cinnamon doughnuts sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and served with apple compote for dunking were a hit. Stay for one more drink and soak up the atmosphere – Kettner’s is a Soho institution, and now it’s back for everyone to enjoy. Sarah Allard
40. Miznon
Born in Tel Aviv and making its way to capitals across Europe, including Paris and Vienna, it’s about time celebrity chef Eyal Shani opened Miznon in London.
Expect big things from the cool casual space – chalk messages scribbled on the walls, counters covered with brown paper and a singular tomato, cauliflowers lining the windows and the chef's open kitchen-bar, which is decorated with fresh veg and hanging sage that will later make its way onto your plate. Pop by, no need to book, for a bite to eat and a fruity cocktail before a night out.
The menu is long and illusive, with dish names such as ‘rolling sour cream wrapped with tomato ovaries’ and ‘Sac de coq. not what you think, but the same pleasure made out of chicken’ – expect to ask your server plenty of questions. Known for their jam-packed fluffy pittas, this is a good place to start. There’s plenty of unusual meaty options including the all day English breakfast with steak, egg and lima beans covered in a spicy tomato sauce – and a cottage pie pitta. Curious, we ordered the cheeseburger pitta, served with a mighty piece of fried cheese poking out – you need to be super hungry for this one if you're planning on having sides. Vegetarian options are just as tasty, if not better, thanks to fillings such as ratatouille, magic mushrooms (not that kind) and hot potato.
Other stand-out dishes include soft juicy whole roasted cauliflower served in a paper bag, crunchy broad beans served straight onto the paper table top, lima bean stew and the run over potato – a whole roasted potato covered in butter, sour cream and dill and smashed between two sheets of paper. And obviously, order the hummus topped with lamb ragu – best scooped up with soft warm pitta.
It’s a messy affair with plenty of dipping, finger licking and punchy Mediterranean flavours. Sophie Knight
Address: Miznon, 8 Broadwick Street, London W1F 8HW
Book online
Sergey Melnikov41. Firebird
Firebird – an open-fire restaurant and natural wine bar from Madina Kazhimova and Anna Dolgushina – is tucked neatly on Poland Street, although you won’t need a map to find it. Simply stroll until the wafts of wood-fired cooking, the chatter of diners and the clinking of glasses hits you. Hailing from St Petersburg, Dolgushina (who is also the sommelier) and Kazhimova's aim was to create a menu that’s “touched by the flames”, accompanied by natural wines and signature cocktails in a rustic, Mediterranean-inspired setting (think terracotta floors and plastered walls). I’ve barely landed on the bar stool – a pitstop on the way to our table at the back of the small but perfectly formed space – before I’m ordering one of the strawberry mezcal Negronis being poured in front of me. The smoky booze works well with the sweetness of the strawberry, although for savoury cocktail fans there’s the Horiatiki Martini – Firebird’s take on a Dirty Dry Martini with feta and oregano infused gin, cucumber bitters and red pepper infused vermouth. The menu – inspired by Head Chef Nikos’ Greek heritage – is small and full of Mediterranean influence. Bloody Mary corn ribs are tangy with a kick, and the prawns – sweet and garlicky – and well worth ordering with a side of tomato focaccia to mop up the buttery sauce. The standouts, though, were the two choux dishes. The first, bitesize pillowy buns filled with chicken liver pate and sultanas that burst in your mouth. The second, a pistachio and strawberry eclair with the smoothest, cinnamon-infused creme pat. Head here for your next date night and leave room for choux. Sarah Allard
Price: £££
David Robson42. Milk Beach
2020 was the year of the neighbourhood restaurant. As millions of us were restricted to pounding the streets of our local area, we found a collective love for the local joint – the place where the barista knows your name, the bartender knows your order, and bed is but a few minutes away. Milk Beach in Queen’s Park was that place for me – an Antipodean slice of sunshine which moves from brunch to local wines at happy hour to dinner service seamlessly. 2022 sees a second outpost of the spot open in Soho, taking the neighbourhood hotspot to central London to charm city slickers as well as the home crowd of freelancers and yummy mummies.
The new spot, set just back from Greek Street in a courtyard I’d never come across despite working in Soho for more than five years, brings all the best bits of the OG to W1. The dining room is spacious, as Soho restaurants go, all pastel and earthy woods and tons of natural light from the floor-to-ceiling atrium out front. There’s outdoor seating in the courtyard (with heaters and blankets, a sensible move considering al-fresco dining season lasts all of five minutes in London). If you squint, you could well be in a Bondi Beach hangout.
Luckily, and sadly quite unusual for Aussie-themed restaurants in the capital, the food is every bit as joyful as the setting. The menu is mostly new, although a few crowd-pleasers have made the journey from NW6 to this new sister spot. These include the koji-marinated chicken schnitty – crispy, perfectly cooked schnitzel with punchy mayo and excellent chicken salt chips (I have a theory that you can judge a restaurant entirely on its potato offering, which is a story for another time). The fluffy potato gems with buttermilk and pops of salmon roe, another Queen’s Park transplant, further that theory. New to Soho are prawns from the robata, served with chilli butter for dunking, as well as fresh watermelon topped with crumbles of velvety feta. Plus, there's a sparkly new raw section which includes gin bloody mary oyster shooters, a playful take on classic splashy dining that pretty much sums up what the team here is aiming for. And they reach these lofty heights, with a menu packed with things you really want to eat and the kind of service that makes you feel like this is your neighbourhood hangout, after all. Sarah James
Address: Milk Beach, 14 Greek Street, London W1D 4DP
Book online
Carol Sachs43. Bao
Getting a table at this tiny Chinese restaurant hasn’t got any easier in the few years since it opened. There’s no bookings, and no option to pop your name down and head off to one of the brilliant bars in Soho for a drink – you have to queue on the street to get a space jostled at the busy counter. The fact that there’s nearly always a queue outside is the first indication of how delicious the food is here. Dishes of plump, pillowy bao buns from the short menu are packed with soft confit pork, golden fried chicken or rich lamb shoulder and slung out at speed. And Bao is home to one of our favourite puddings in London: the surprising, sweet Horlicks ice cream bao. Sarah James
Paul Winch-Furness44. Bébé Bob
Leonid Shutov is well accustomed to wooing diners with delicious food and an ambience unmatched by most London restaurants. Bob Bob Ricard was Shutov’s first restaurant, and what better way to celebrate its 15th birthday than with the opening of his new, slightly more laid-back sister restaurant? We had the pleasure of getting a first look, and what became abundantly clear to me is that Bébé Bob will not play second fiddle to its sibling. The interiors are transformative and evoke travelling back to the Roaring Twenties, when art deco glamour reigned supreme. Royal blues and deep reds take shape in plush furnishing, dimmed lamps and panelled walls. Tasteful celebrations of colour appear via geometric designs adorning the floors and walls, with Pollockesque artwork peppering the space. The menu pays homage to the classics while making them feel exciting, with rotisserie chicken, caviar, fine wine, and Champagne as the primary focus. We start with a dégustation of three caviars served with créme fraîche and blinis, making for a luxurious (and tasty) warm-up to the main affair, the rotisserie chicken. We decide on the Landes chicken for two, which arrives piping hot and with silver service to boot. The chicken is deep in flavour, juicy and cooked to perfection. Order the roast potatoes and a winter leaf salad to accompany the dish, both of which complement the star beautifully, and finish with a Paris-Brest and Chocolate Fondant à la Black Forest – an indulgent end to a glamourous dining experience. No doubt, Bèbè Bob will work its way into the hearts of Londoners in no time at all. Amber Port
Address: Bébé Bob, 37 Golden Square, London W1F 9LB
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45. Dear Jackie
If there's one criticism levelled at Soho these days, it's that the neighbourhood has lost its soul. It's one of the foodiest areas in the city – and some of our favourite places to eat in London are restaurants in Soho – and while much of the area has retained its plucky atmosphere, the odd opening creeps in, which is so homogenous it doesn't reflect the area's frenetic rhythms at all. Not so here. Broadwick Soho, an opulent hotel opening designed by Martin Brudnizki, taps into Soho's quirky vibe from the off. It's not every day you find yourself in front of a building bedecked with six-foot elephants, after all. From the rooftop bar, Flute, to the 57 rooms, it's a riot of sequins and glitter and leopard print – a glossy take on Soho's penchant for vintage and late nights. But something special happens on the lower-ground floor, where the restaurant Dear Jackie sits. Seductive Murano lighting, maroon silk walls, plump blue-and-white booths transport guests from Soho to Sicily. Starters such as light-as-can-be seabass crudo with fennel and orange, burrata with quince and hazelnuts and – our favourite – seared scallops bobbing in delicate Champagne sauce kick things off. These make way for a requisite pasta course – keep it classic and order the spaghetti vongole, or go for the silky pappardelle with rich braised rabbit, guanciale, and salty olives. Mains of roast turbot and artichokes or perfectly plump Cornish lamb with anchovies are there for the taking, although serves are happy for you to skip a main and head straight to dessert if a four-course supper sounds a little too on the heavy side. Whatever you do, don't sleep on the lemon crème brûlée, the love child of the classic French pud and a lemon tart. Reservations can be made as late as 10.45pm on weekends. It's a proper late-night hangout, and the crimson silk walls and intimate booths only exacerbate the vibes making for a fun-loving neighbourhood addition that, at its core, dials into Soho's soul – or at least, a very elevated version of it. Sarah James
Address: Dear Jackie, 20 Broadwick Street, London W1F 8HT
Book online
Tim Winter46. Manzi's
This new restaurant in Soho’s backstreets is actually not so new. Manzi’s originally opened in 1928, and in its heyday was the stomping ground of everyone from Joan Collins to the Kray twins. The restaurant closed in 2006, but to the excitement of its nostalgic loyalists, has now re-opened – this time under the experienced helm of the Wolseley Hospitality Group (The Wolseley, Brasserie Zedel, The Delaunay). The design is loud and very much under-the-sea themed. Scalloped chairs, coral-adorned floors and shell lighting fixtures are the first eye-catching features, but the maximalism continues with glittering wall inserts, sea-themed artwork and giant mermaid statues standing guard at the bar.
The cocktail list is inventive and refreshingly different – the celery gimlet, for example, is a peppery twist on the classic with Tanqueray gin, fino sherry, celery juice and droplets of lime and black pepper cordial. Food throws it back to seafood restaurants of days gone by. Starters of king prawn cocktails with a Bloody Mary dressing; shellfish bisque with cognac cream; or clam chowder with smoked sweetcorn are suitably retro options, but the mains offer more modern innovations. The Arbroath souffle is a fluffy, smokey, cheesy delight, and the monkfish Wellington is a decadent take on a classic. Purists should take a look at the mussels selection – the marinière classique is served with white wine and parsley, while those wanting to shake things up a bit can plump for the aromatic option with coconut, ginger and lemongrass. Olivia Morelli
Address: Manzi's, 1-8 Bateman's Buildings, London W1D 3EN
Price: ££
Benjamin McMahon47. Mountain
The chalk sign outside reels in the punters: “Vermouth, spider crab, tripe, ensaimade, +500 wines…” reads the line-up. You had me at ensaimade. Anglesey-born Tomos Parry certainly knows how to pick a location. Brat, his first restaurant, opened in 2018 in a former pole-dancing bar in Shoreditch. This sequel occupies the same space as the fabulous and far more salubrious Murray’s Cabaret Club, where dancers tangoed in elaborately stitched costumes, Henry Kissinger, Princess Margaret, and Paul Getty rubbed shoulders, Ruth Ellis danced before killing her husband – and Christine Keeler met Stephen Ward before embarking on the Profumo Affair. Quite an act to follow, then, but Parry – fully clothed, youthful Dicaprio looks ablaze at the pass – has the chops. And the beef ribs and the langoustines. Mountain takes British ingredients and barbecues them Spanish-style, wafting shimmies of woodsmoke around this corner of Soho; but here he’s added a bakery – loaves are wood-fired using six different flours – and makes more fresh cheese. A headline act is the Balearic lobster caldereta (braised and grilled with a thick sauce). The supporting small plates were entertaining: pillowy bread like a puffer fish; a delicate ceviche of red mullet and scallops; fluffy spider-crab omelette with a smattering of seaweed, Menai Straits oysters wearing tiny carnations of fermented red gooseberry, and slow, slow-cooked beef sweetbreads. As for that ensaimade, it’s a Mallorcan pastry, similar to filo and filled with pork fat and almonds, then fire-cooked; but our favourite pudding – ‘almost criminal’, our waiter tells us (all the staff are top of their game, menu fluent and fun) – is the torrija, a rich, French toasty slab of brioche, blow-torched and accompanied by grilled strawberries. Downstairs is an equally atmospheric basement space for a pre-dinner Negroni while imagining life here in the Sixties (oh, if the walls could talk). It’s an obvious punchline to end with, but Mountain is smokin’ – this is Tomos Parry at the peak of his powers. Rick Jordan
Address: 16-18 Beak Street, London W1
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