Kingly Court: what to order and when to go

Kingly Court is a three-storey courtyard of about 20 restaurants and bars, tucked behind Carnaby Street. Tables spill into the open air downstairs and the upper floors are lined with more places to eat. Carnaby's own wording is a "playground of international cuisines", which is fair: it is a place to graze across continents, or to find a table for a group without a fight.

Finding the door

The postcode is W1B 5PW. There are three ways in. The Carnaby Street archway sits next to Dr Martens and is easy to miss. The Kingly Street entrance is by Pizza Pilgrims, and the Beak Street passage is by GRIND. Oxford Circus is the nearest tube. By night the courtyard is festoon-lit, and in winter giant umbrellas shelter the whole quad, according to The Nudge.

A little history

The honest version is short. Survey of London records that Kingly Street was called King Street until 1906, and that a plot with a windmill and a well may perhaps be identified with the site of Kingly Court, with the land built over and largely complete by 1693. The food-court idea is much newer: Restaurant Online reported in May 2014 that seven new venues had joined as part of a redesign, making it a 15-venue destination. No firm date for the concept itself is on record, so we will not invent one.

What to order

Alta, upstairs and down on the largest site

Alta is the newest big name, a Basque and Northern Spanish live-fire restaurant from MAD Restaurants, on the former Rum Kitchen site, with chef Rob Roy Cameron at the helm. It runs over two floors with a terrace, and Restaurant Online covered the launch. Hot Dinners was extremely impressed, and the menu is small and large plates. Order from the live-fire section and share. Go for lunch or an early supper.

Donia, top floor

Donia serves modern Filipino sharing plates on the top floor of Kingly Court. The Infatuation includes it in its list of the best Soho restaurants and calls it a calm spot amid the courtyard bustle, good for date nights and birthdays. Book it for a quieter dinner and order a spread for the table.

Señor Ceviche

Time Out singles out the Peruvian ceviche and pisco sours. Order both, and bring company: My Soho Times says it suits long, sociable sharing meals.

Pizza Pilgrims, 11 Kingly Street

The Kingly Street entrance has the pizzeria, which opened in 2014 as the company's second ever, and has since been refreshed with a sixties look. It is the easy choice when the group cannot agree.

When to go

Early evening on a weekday is the sweet spot: arrive before the peak dining rush and you will have your pick of tables, while the after-work crowd gathers along Kingly Street. In summer the courtyard is the draw. In winter the covered quad is a retreat from Carnaby's Christmas lights. Explore all three levels, not only the ground floor.

Prices and booking

There is no single price for the court, because each venue sets its own. Yelp tags it as ££. Each restaurant takes its own bookings, so reserve the popular ones in advance. Hours are set venue by venue, and most are open from lunch until late, so check the one you want before you set out.

For after

Kingly Street is pedestrianised, with pubs and live music venues along it. Visit London lists La Maritxu for Basque cheesecake, a sweet follow-up to dinner at Alta, and The Shaston Arms for a pint. Check hours before you go. For a later sitting, Padella is open on Kingly Street, per Carnaby.

More detail: Time Out on Kingly Court, Carnaby and Survey of London.