Hoppers on Frith Street: what to order and when to go

A hopper is a bowl-shaped fermented rice pancake, and Hoppers at 49 Frith Street is where much of London learned to love them. The room is small and cosy: terracotta-tiled floors, a rattan ceiling and Sri Lankan poster art, all inspired by the village toddy shops of Sri Lanka. It is a few doors down from Ronnie Scott's, so the street has music in its bones before you have sat down.

A little history

Hoppers opened on Frith Street in October 2015, from JKS Restaurants (the Sethi siblings behind Gymkhana) and Karan Gokani, a former City solicitor who left law in 2012. The idea began at his wedding, in conversation with his brother-in-law Karam Sethi about casual Sri Lankan food. The space had previously been Koya, the udon restaurant.

Gokani has described the aim in one line: "We wanted it to be dirty, fun and casual." Great British Chefs credits the restaurant as the catalyst for the surge in popularity of Sri Lankan food in London. It won a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2017 and still holds one in the 2026 guide. Marylebone, King's Cross and, more recently, Shoreditch followed, but Frith Street is the original.

One detail worth knowing: the hoppers here are dinner-plate sized. Gokani has said the kitchen would crash if it served the small Sri Lankan size, so they went for bigger pans and bigger pancakes.

What to order

• Bone Marrow Varuval with roti (£13.50): one of the restaurant's signature dishes. The Infatuation's Marylebone review calls the dish indulgently buttery. The plant-based version is the No Marrow Varuval.
• Lamb Kothu Roti (£13): the other signature. Vegetable Kothu Roti is £11.50.
• Egg Hopper (£7.50): the thing you came for. String hoppers, three to a portion, are £6.50, and roti is £3.75.
• Mutton roll with chilli ketchup: Michelin's pick from the short eats.
• Kalupol roasted half chicken: The Infatuation suggests it as a dinner for two, with a rich dipping curry sauce.

Diners also praise the fish kari and the jaggery lamb kari. If you would rather hand over the decisions, the Hoppers Experience is a sharing set menu at £35 a head, covering signature dishes, short eats, hoppers, dosas, sides and desserts. Check the current terms on the restaurant's site before you plan around it.

To drink, the list is tropical and built around Genever and Arrack. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are available.

What it costs

Prices above come from the Soho menu dated November 2025. A fair guide is £35 to £45 a head for food before drinks, which is our own arithmetic from the menu. Opinion is mixed on value: some diners find the portions small for the price, while Hot Dinners has called it very affordable. Check the current service charge when you book.

When to go and how to get in

Go at opening, or at lunch, when the room is calmer. Reviewers report the room filling by half six on a Monday even with a six o'clock booking, and The Infatuation warns that waits can be lengthy.

• Monday to Wednesday: noon to 3pm and half five to 10pm.
• Thursday: noon to 3pm and half five to quarter to 11.
• Friday and Saturday: noon to quarter to 11.
• Sunday: noon to 9pm.

Bookings are made online only, with card details to hold the table, up to three months ahead, for up to 12 guests. There are no phone or email reservations. An Alert Me option tells you when a table opens.

Walk-ins get a limited number of tables. When those are full you leave your details on site and they text or call you, so there is no physical queue. Only complete parties are seated. There are no highchairs, pushchair space or baby-changing facilities.

For after

Ronnie Scott's is a few doors down on Frith Street. Check what is playing on the night before you commit your evening to it.

Sources and more: Hoppers Soho, booking FAQs, The Caterer and The Infatuation.