Barrafina
£££·Dean Street·Tottenham Court Road
Restaurants
From Michelin-starred fine dining to beloved local favourites
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Thai GrillMichelin Bib Gourmand
Kiln
££·Soho·Piccadilly Circus
Ben Chapman's ferocious Thai grill on Brewer Street. No reservations, no nonsense, just some of the most intensely flavoured cooking in London. The clay pot baked glass noodles are essential.
TaiwaneseSoho Icon
Bao Soho
££·Soho·Piccadilly Circus
The original Lexington Street bao spot that launched a thousand queues. The classic bao is still perfect, and the fried Horlicks ice cream is a thing of wonder.
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Modern BritishSoho Institution
Quo Vadis
£££·Dean Street·Tottenham Court Road
A Soho institution since 1926, reinvented by the Hart brothers. The upstairs members bar has the best views in Soho, but the ground floor restaurant is where the real cooking happens.
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Chops & SteaksGreat Value
Blacklock Soho
££·Soho·Piccadilly Circus
A basement chophouse on Great Windmill Street doing pre-theatre chops for a fiver and Sunday roasts that pack out the room. Proper, unpretentious, and brilliant.
British BrasserieSoho Classic
Dean Street Townhouse
£££·Dean Street·Tottenham Court Road
Soho House's ground-floor brasserie serves proper British comfort food in a beautiful Georgian townhouse. The fish finger sandwich at lunch is a Soho power move.
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Sri LankanQueue-Worthy
Hoppers
££·Soho·Tottenham Court Road
Sri Lankan hoppers, kothu roti, and bone marrow varuval on Frith Street. The egg hopper with seeni sambol is one of the most satisfying bites in Soho.
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SeafoodChampagne & Oysters
Randall & Aubin
£££·Brewer Street·Piccadilly Circus
A former butcher's shop turned champagne-and-seafood bar. The rotisserie chicken is legendary, the fruits de mer platters are spectacular, and the atmosphere is pure Soho.
SteakBest Value
Flat Iron Soho
££·Beak Street·Piccadilly Circus
One cut, one price, absolute perfection. The flat iron steak with unlimited salad and a cleaver for a steak knife has spawned a mini empire, but the Soho original remains the best.
Modern JerusalemSoho Legend
Palomar
£££·Soho·Leicester Square
Sit at the counter on Rupert Street and watch the chefs work. Jerusalem-meets-Soho cooking that is loud, generous, and endlessly exciting. The polenta Jerusalem-style is unmissable.
Spanish TapasMichelin Star
Barrafina Dean Street
£££·Soho·Tottenham Court Road
The original Dean Street counter where it all began for the Hart brothers. No reservations, perch at the bar and eat some of the finest tapas outside Spain.
Indian Small PlatesModern Indian
Kricket Soho
££·Denman Street·Piccadilly Circus
British ingredients through an Indian lens, served as inventive small plates in a buzzy basement. The samphire pakoras and keralan fried chicken are essential ordering.
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Mediterranean-AsianOttolenghi
Nopi
£££·Soho·Piccadilly Circus
Yotam Ottolenghi's all-day Warwick Street restaurant. The breakfast is outstanding, the vegetable dishes are revelatory, and the white marble room is a calm escape from the Soho chaos.
Chinese Dim SumMichelin Star
Yauatcha
£££·Broadwick Street·Oxford Circus
Alan Yau's Michelin-starred dim sum teahouse is as beautiful as it is delicious. The venison puffs and scallop shu mai are standouts, and the patisserie counter is world-class.
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Russian-BritishPress For Champagne
Bob Bob Ricard
££££·Upper James Street·Piccadilly Circus
The restaurant with a "Press for Champagne" button at every booth. Behind the gimmick is genuinely excellent Russian-British cooking in an opulent art deco dining car of a room.
Modern EuropeanMichelin Star
Social Eating House
£££·Soho·Oxford Circus
Jason Atherton's Poland Street restaurant with a speakeasy bar upstairs. Smart, creative cooking in a handsome room. The set lunch is a steal for Michelin-starred food.
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EuropeanSoho Secret
Andrew Edmunds
££·Lexington Street·Piccadilly Circus
A candlelit Soho secret that feels like dining in someone's exceptionally well-curated home. The handwritten menu changes daily, the wine list punches miles above its weight, and the prices remain mercifully fair.
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PizzaStreet Food Hero
Berwick Street Pizza
£·Soho·Oxford Circus
Simple, perfect slices from the Berwick Street Market stalls. No pretence, just good dough, proper toppings, and the satisfaction of eating pizza standing up in the middle of Soho.
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ItalianFresh Pasta
Lina Stores
££·Brewer Street·Piccadilly Circus
The iconic green-and-white striped Italian deli has been on Brewer Street since 1944. The restaurant next door serves some of the best fresh pasta in central London.