People are always asking me — usually at the very last minute — “Where should I eat in Soho?” So, I decided it was about time I put together a guide to some of my favourite places to eat and drink in the area.
Despite being such a small part of London, Soho is absolutely packed with brilliant restaurants, bars, cafés and pubs. What I love most is the sheer variety: you can find everything from long-standing Soho institutions and tiny neighbourhood spots to some of the city’s most exciting new openings, all within a few minutes’ walk of each other.
It’s also one of the best areas in London for a spontaneous meal or drink. Whether you’re looking for somewhere for a quick lunch, a proper dinner, cocktails after work or somewhere to carry on late into the night, Soho always has something going on. There’s a real energy to the area, and the mix of old-school charm, international food and constantly changing restaurants and bars makes it one of my favourite places to eat and drink in London.
So, if you’re wondering where to eat or drink in Soho, hopefully this guide gives you a few ideas — whether you’re planning ahead or, as is often the case, looking for somewhere good at the last minute.
1. Berenjak
📍Romily Street. It’s not cheap but in my opinion Berenjak is a level above any other Persian restaurant I’ve been to in London or anywhere. All the kebabs are incredible but my favourites are the jujeh tond (poussin) and koobideh (minced lamb). On top of the grilled meats, the dips are worth a visit alone. I could easily come here and just order a few of them with some freshly baked bread and leave extremely satisfied. The black sesame hummus is my favourite hummus in London, but you can’t miss out on the olivieh either. The Borough Market venue is beautiful and has more space upstairs if you’re in a group but I love sitting by the bar or outside at the Soho venue. I recommend going for lunch to take advantage of the £35 set menu which includes a dip, a bread, a kebab and rice. The Mayfair restaurant is the newest of the three and probably the most beautiful but they do not offer the set lunch menu there. All are very difficult to book.
2. French House
📍Dean Street. A soho institution known for serving half pints (although I think they serve full pints now). Upstairs they serve some pretty good French food. The head chef Neil Borthwick is the partner of Angela Hartnett (Cafe Murano) and is ex-St John.
3. The Devonshire
📍Denam Street. No introduction needed. Possibly the busiest pub in London all year round – this place prints money. If you are able to get a booking at the restaurant upstairs you can enjoy some pretty good pub food. The set menu is very well priced. My only criticism is that they squeeze in a little too many tables so it can feel quite cramped.
4. Barrafina
📍Dean Street. Counter-only Spanish tapas bar, no bookings — expect a queue, but the fresh seafood, jamón, and tortilla are worth it. Sister restaurants have expanded across London, but this original Dean Street spot still has the best buzz.
5. Impala
📍Dean Street. North African and eastern Mediterranean live-fire cooking from Meedu Saad (ex-Kiln), backed by the Super 8 group. Known for wood-fired flatbreads, langoustine kibbeh, and a killer short rib — buzzy, dark, industrial room and one of Soho’s hottest tables right now. Watch my reel here.
6. Kid
David Carter has opened Kid, a modern Turkish restaurant in Soho, in partnership with former Mangal II chef Sertaç Dirik. Located at 53–55 Frith Street, KID focuses on the flavours of Central Anatolia, combining traditional Turkish dishes with contemporary techniques and cooking over fire. The menu includes börek, içli köfte, grilled quail, mackerel, adana köfte and kebabs, with its signature £75 dish being a large piece of kid goat shoulder served with fig leaf and freekeh. The restaurant has a cosy, low-lit interior with banquettes and counter seating overlooking the kitchen, plus a dedicated wine room.
7. Noble Rot
📍Greek Street. Wine bar and restaurant with an outstanding, adventurous list (also runs its own wine magazine) paired with a seasonal, ingredient-led British/French menu. A favourite for serious wine lovers who still want proper food to match.
8. Randall & Aubin
📍Brewer Street. A Soho institution since 1996 — Anglo-French seafood brasserie set in an old butcher’s shop, complete with marble counters, meat hooks on the ceiling, and a glitter ball overhead. Great for oysters, fruits de mer, and a lively pre-theatre atmosphere.
9. Padella
📍Kingly Street. Fast, affordable, exceptional fresh pasta. No bookings, so there’s usually a queue, but tables turn over quickly. I’ve been calling Padella the best pasta spot in London since they opened over ten years ago. There’s a few dishes I always go for here; the picci cacio e pepe, nduja, lemon & marscapone fettucine, the pappardelle with 8-hour beef shin ragu, tagliarini with tomato, garlic, dried chilli & pangrattato. In spring they always serve a spinach & nettle tagliarini which is visually such a beautiful dish. Watch my reel here.
10. Hoppers
📍Frith Street. Sri Lankan and South Indian small plates — hoppers (bowl-shaped fermented rice pancakes), kothu roti, and curries packed with flavour. Casual, always busy, and great value for the quality.
11. Mountain
Sister restaurant to BRAT (the best restaurant in London in my opinion). It’s a beautiful restaurant and the dishes are great too. The crab omelette is a must-get.
12. The Shaston Arms
📍Ganton Street. Classic Soho freehouse dating back to 1999, recently relaunched as a gastropub by Patty & Bun founder Joe Grossman. Cosy, nook-filled boozer serving elevated pub classics alongside good cask ale. Watch my reel here.
13. Andrew Edmunds
📍Lexington Street. Andrew Edmund’s was established in 1985 although it feels a lot older than that being set in an 18th century townhouse. Edmund’s himself passed away in 2022 but the restaurant is still as popular as ever – like most of Soho it’s hard to get a booking. They offer a seasonal modern European menu and good wines (apparently).
14. Duck Soup
📍Dean Street. A small, intimate Soho restaurant known for inventive, seasonal cooking with a strong focus on natural wines. The menu changes regularly and is designed around interesting ingredients and bold combinations, making it a great choice for food lovers who enjoy something a little different.
15. Bob Bob Ricard
📍Upper James Street. A glamorous, theatrical restaurant famous for its luxurious Art Deco interiors and the iconic “Press for Champagne” button at every table. The menu combines Russian-influenced dishes with British and French classics, making it particularly good for a celebratory or romantic meal.
16. Bebe Bob
📍Golden Square. A stylish sister restaurant to Bob Bob Ricard, offering a more contemporary and energetic take on the same glamorous dining style. Expect Russian-inspired dishes, cocktails and an opulent setting that works especially well for a fun evening out.
17. Bao
📍Lexington Street. A cult favourite specialising in Taiwanese-inspired steamed buns and small plates, with creative fillings and beautifully presented dishes. The atmosphere is intimate and lively, making it particularly good for sharing several dishes and trying something a little unusual.
18. Gunpowder
📍Greek Street. An Indian restaurant celebrated for its modern take on regional Indian cooking, with small plates packed with spice and flavour. The menu moves beyond standard curry-house fare, making it an excellent choice for sharing and exploring more unusual Indian dishes.
19. Kricket
📍Denmam Street. A modern Indian restaurant inspired by the flavours of India but presented through a contemporary British lens. It’s particularly known for inventive small plates, excellent cocktails and a lively atmosphere, making it a strong choice for dinner or a date night.
20. Supernova
📍Peter Street. A casual, modern burger restaurant focused on indulgent burgers, fries and American-style comfort food. It’s deliberately relaxed and straightforward, making it ideal for a quick Soho meal when you’re after a really satisfying burger.
21. Blacklock
📍Great Windmill Street. A popular British chop house specialising in expertly cooked chops, steaks and generous Sunday roasts. The atmosphere is relaxed and lively, while the food is hearty and meat-focused, making it particularly good for groups and classic British comfort food.
22. Bancone
📍Lower James Street. A stylish Italian restaurant best known for its handmade pasta, with dishes that range from traditional Italian combinations to more creative creations. It offers excellent quality without feeling overly formal, making it a particularly good choice for pasta lovers and relaxed dinners.
23. Kiln
📍Brewer Street. An acclaimed Thai restaurant specialising in intensely flavoured dishes cooked over wood and charcoal, with a strong focus on regional Thai cooking. The food can be spicy and adventurous, and the counter seating gives the restaurant an energetic, kitchen-focused atmosphere.
24. L’Escargot
📍Greek Street. A long-standing Soho French institution known for classic French cooking in an elegant, old-school setting. It’s a good choice for a more traditional, leisurely meal, with a strong sense of history and occasion.
25. Brasserie Zedel
📍Sherwood Street. A spectacular Parisian-style brasserie with an enormous Art Deco dining room and a lively atmosphere. The menu focuses on affordable French classics, making it particularly good for a relaxed lunch, pre-theatre meal or classic brasserie experience.
26. Bocca Di Lupo
📍Archer Street. One of Soho’s standout Italian restaurants, specialising in regional Italian cooking rather than a generic Italian menu. The dishes are beautifully prepared and designed to showcase different parts of Italy, with the counter seats particularly good for watching the kitchen.
27. Noodle Inn
📍Old Compton Street. A casual Chinese restaurant offering hearty noodles, dumplings and other comforting dishes at relatively accessible prices. It’s unfussy and lively, making it a good option for a quick, casual meal in the heart of Soho.
28. Singpulah
📍Shaftesbury Avenue. A casual Asian restaurant with a focus on bold, aromatic flavours and comforting dishes. It’s suited to an informal meal when you want something more flavour-packed and relaxed rather than a formal dining experience.
29. Quo Vadis
📍Dean Street. A Soho classic combining sophisticated British cooking with a relaxed, clubby atmosphere. It’s particularly appealing for a longer lunch or dinner, with well-executed seasonal dishes and an excellent bar and wine offering.
30. Bar Kroketa
📍Beak Street. A small, lively spot centred around croquetas and Spanish-inspired small plates. It’s ideal for grazing, drinks and sharing a few dishes rather than sitting down for a formal multi-course meal.
31. Crunch
📍Dean Street. A popular sandwich spot specialising in generously filled, indulgent sandwiches. It’s a great casual option for lunch or a quick bite when you want something substantial without committing to a full restaurant meal.
32. Golden Union
📍Poland Street. A classic Soho fish-and-chip shop serving generous portions of traditional British comfort food. It’s particularly good for a straightforward, casual meal when you’re after fish, chips and all the usual accompaniments.
33. Panadera
📍Hopkins Street. A Filipino bakery and café offering freshly baked breads, pastries and Filipino-inspired treats. It’s a good daytime stop for coffee, something sweet or a lighter breakfast/lunch.
34. Grasso
📍Dean Street. A stylish Italian restaurant focused on fresh pasta and modern takes on Italian classics. The atmosphere is buzzy and contemporary, making it particularly good for a relaxed dinner or date night.
35. Bubala
📍Poland Street. A lively Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant built around vegetable-led, predominantly vegetarian dishes designed for sharing. Expect punchy flavours, excellent dips, breads and small plates in a warm, energetic setting.
36. Bar Bruno
📍Wardour Street. A proper old-school Soho café with a wonderfully unchanged, slightly scruffy charm. It’s famous for huge breakfasts, sandwiches, Italian dishes and generous portions, making it especially good for breakfast, lunch or a post-night-out feed.
37. Koya
📍Frith Street. A Japanese udon specialist known for handmade noodles, simple broths and beautifully balanced toppings. The food is understated but exceptionally satisfying, with counter seating giving the restaurant a relaxed, authentic feel.
38. BoneDaddies
📍Peter Street. A lively Japanese ramen bar specialising in rich, flavourful bowls of ramen alongside gyoza, fried chicken and other Japanese-inspired dishes. It’s casual, energetic and particularly good for a comforting bowl of noodles.
39. Miznon
📍Broadwick Street. A vibrant Israeli/Mediterranean street-food restaurant famous for pitas packed with grilled meat and vegetables. The atmosphere is deliberately loud and informal, making it a fun choice for a quick, sociable dinner.
40. Fatt Pundit
📍Berwick Street. A lively Indo-Chinese restaurant combining Indian spices and Chinese cooking techniques. The menu is packed with bold, punchy dishes and is particularly well suited to sharing with a group.
41. Ria’s
📍Fouberts Mansions. A newer Soho favourite specialising in Detroit-style pizza paired with natural wine. The pizzas have a thick, airy base and crisp caramelised edges, while the cosy wine-bar atmosphere makes it particularly good for a casual date or relaxed dinner.
42. Tongue & Brisket
📍Wardour Street. A classic Soho sandwich shop specialising in salt beef, brisket and other generously filled sandwiches. It’s a straightforward, old-school lunch option and particularly good if you want a substantial sandwich rather than a sit-down restaurant meal.
43. Bar Italia
📍Frith Street. One of Soho’s most iconic Italian coffee bars, famous for its historic atmosphere, espresso and late-night opening. It’s as much about the experience and people-watching as the coffee, and remains a quintessential Soho stop.
44. Lina Stores
📍Greek Street. A much-loved Italian deli and restaurant known for fresh pasta, traditional Italian dishes and beautifully presented plates. It has a stylish but approachable atmosphere and is particularly good for pasta, lunch or a relaxed Italian dinner.
45. Bleecker Burger
📍Old Compton Street. A cult burger spot specialising in juicy, American-style burgers with a focus on quality beef and simple toppings. It’s casual, unfussy and ideal when you want a seriously good burger without the formality of a restaurant.
46. Barshu
📍Frith Street. A Sichuan restaurant known for spicy, deeply flavoured Chinese dishes and plenty of chilli and Sichuan pepper. It’s a great choice for adventurous eaters and groups who want to share a range of intensely flavoured dishes.
47. Laxsa
📍Old Compton Street. A Malaysian restaurant and bar specialising in classics such as laksa, nasi lemak, mee goreng and roti. The food is aromatic and generously flavoured, while the relaxed setting and cocktail bar make it a good option for both lunch and dinner.
48. It’s Bagels
📍D’Arblay Street. A New York-style bagel shop serving freshly made bagels with fillings ranging from cream cheese and lox to substantial breakfast and deli sandwiches. The Soho branch is designed for quick grab-and-go eating, making it an excellent breakfast or casual lunch option.
49. Breadstall
📍Berwick Street. A casual pizza spot where you can order by the quarter, half or whole pizza, making it easy to grab a quick slice or settle in for something more substantial. It’s particularly handy for a relaxed lunch while exploring Soho.
50. Algerian Coffee Stores
📍Old Compton Street. A Soho institution that has been serving coffee from the same spot on Old Compton Street since 1887. Algerian Coffee Stores It’s tiny, old-school and wonderfully unpolished, with the original wooden counter and shelves still in place. The real draw is the huge selection of coffees and teas from around the world, alongside their own house blends and freshly roasted beans. It’s more of a coffee shop to grab a quick cup than somewhere to sit and linger, but that’s part of its charm. If you’re a coffee lover — or simply appreciate a bit of Soho history — it’s well worth popping in.
Drinking
Pubs
1. The Blue Posts
📍Berwick Street. Classic Queen Anne-fronted boozer dating from a 1914 rebuild, with a red-carpeted interior, jukebox, and a green plaque honouring dancer Jessie Matthews, who took lessons above the pub. Now a mix of old-school locals and streetwear heads thanks to its proximity to Palace and Supreme.
2. Coach & Horses
📍Old Compton Street. Grade II-listed pub dating back to 1731, run by Shepherd Neame. It spent decades as beloved drag and cabaret venue Molly Moggs before reverting to its original name in 2019 — a friendly, decent beer selection just a short stumble from its more famous Greek Street namesake.
3. The Devonshire
📍Denman Street. One of London’s most hyped modern pubs, opened in 2023 by ex-Guinea Grill landlord Oisín Rogers, Flat Iron founder Charlie Carroll, and former Fat Duck chef Ashley Palmer-Watts. Known for pouring some of the best Guinness in London downstairs, with an excellent grill restaurant upstairs — expect a queue and a wait for a table.
4. French House
📍Dean Street. Soho institution dating to 1891, once the unofficial HQ of the Free French Forces under de Gaulle during WWII — hence the name. Famously serves no pints (halves and wine only), and bans music, TVs, and phones, making it a haven for actual conversation; past regulars include Dylan Thomas and Francis Bacon.
5. Simmons Bar
📍Greek Street. Retro, neon-lit cocktail bar with a legendary happy hour and a hidden karaoke room tucked behind a fake fridge door downstairs. Occupies a historic building (the old “Pillars of Hercules” pub, referenced in Dickens) — loud, fun, and unpretentious.
6. Star & Garter
📍Poland Street. A proper old-school Soho local dating from around 1825, refreshingly untouched by gentrification — no food menu beyond a few rolls, just good beer and a loyal crowd of regulars. Small, wood-panelled, and unpretentious.
Cocktail Bars
1. Soma
📍Denman Street. Underground speakeasy-style cocktail bar tucked below Kricket, with cocktails inspired by the Indian subcontinent (think tamarind, chaat masala, coconut). Sleek, minimalist, and moody — a great late-night spot open into the early hours.
2. Swift Soho
📍Old Compton Street. Award-winning two-floor cocktail bar from the Milk & Honey/Nightjar crowd — a bright, elegant aperitivo-style bar upstairs, and a cosy whisky den (250+ bottles) downstairs. Regularly ranks among the World’s 50 Best Bars.
3. Bar Américain
📍Sherwood Street. Glamorous art deco cocktail lounge tucked inside Brasserie Zédel, all dark wood, gilded fixtures, and period glamour straight out of the 1930s. Classic cocktails at surprisingly reasonable prices for such an opulent West End spot.
Other
1. Trisha’s
📍Greek Street. Officially “The New Evaristo Club,” this legendary basement members’ bar has been a Soho institution for over 80 years, once a haunt of Anthony Bourdain and Amy Winehouse. Red-lit, unpretentious, and gloriously old-school — Time Out named it Soho’s best bar.
2. Gerry’s Club
📍Dean Street. Old-school private members’ drinking den founded in 1955 by actor Gerry Campion, historically a late-night refuge for actors, writers, and musicians. Walls covered in photos, occasional piano singalongs — one of the last true bohemian holdouts of old Soho.
