The Best Restaurants In Soho

Another award-winning South Asian eatery (this one is the proud owner of a Bib Gourmand) from the Sethi family who also run Trishna and Gymkhana, Hoppers is one of the very best exclusively Sri Lankan restaurants in the city –what’s more, it’s very reasonably priced. Aptly named after one of Sri Lanka’s popular dishes, egg-topped pancakes, Hoppers offers a drool-inducing menu that’s brimming with flavour. The restaurant – a small room with a sexy Soho take on all things Sri Lankan – is always buzzing, and the fiery flavours are guaranteed to get the taste buds tingling.

Visit HoppersLondon.com

Much-loved Soho pasta joint Lina Stores now has sites in King’s Cross, Marylebone and the City. But we still love its first restaurant on Greek Street, which sports the same signature green and white stripes of the original deli (round the corner on Brewer Street) and is stocked with the very best Italian pantry essentials to eat in or take away. Diners can enjoy the theatre of the open kitchen while they wait for dishes such as black truffle tagliolini and pappardelle with beef shin ragu and horseradish gremolata.

Visit LinaStores.co.uk

Quo Vadis, a members club on Dean Street, is housed in a fun, beautiful three-storey townhouse where its small, stained glass-lit restaurant is open to non-members. The kitchen is headed up by Jeremy Lee – one of the capital’s most charismatic chefs – and serves a rotating selection of seasonal British dishes such as bream with crab broth alongside a pie of the day and Jeremy’s famous smoked eel sandwich. Emerging from a refurb in mid-Feb, the ground-floor restaurant will have 40 seats instead of 20 and will sport a red colour palette.

Visit QuoVadisSoho.co.uk

Z He and Alex Peffly, the husband-and-wife team behind Bun House and the Pleasant Lady Jian Bing Trading Stall, opened Wun’s Tea Room & Bar a few years ago. Here, you can sample nostalgic Cantonese dishes from Z’s childhood such as salt and pepper cuttlefish with sesame and chilli, crispy duck leg with jasmine-vinegar syrup, and fried chicken kung pao butter. There’s also an excellent choice of Chinese-inspired cocktails and refreshing iced teas – we like the melon oolong blend. 

Visit Tearoom.Bar

Jacob Kenedy and Victor Hugo opened Bocca di Lupo in 2008 and the restaurant has since received countless awards and accolades for its stripped-down, honest regional Italian cuisine. Despite the slick Soho surroundings, it’s a family business that feels like a traditional trattoria. Almost everything is homemade, from the breads, sausages, salame, pickles and mostarda down to the pasta – the artichoke and ricotta ravioli is an SL favourite. Be sure to arrive with plenty of time to try a couple of wines – and save space for dessert and coffee.

Visit BoccaDiLupo.com

Bubala opened a second London site on Soho’s Poland Street last summer. The restaurant seats 50, including eight on a counter with views of the open kitchen and yakitori grill, and serves much-loved classics from Bubala Spitalfields, such as confit potato latkes with toum and aleppo chilli, as well as new creations including baba ganoush with curry leaf oil and pine nuts, and Chinese cabbage skewers with preserved lime and maple – plus some of the nicest hummus we’ve tried in London.

Visit Bubala.co.uk

Berenjak is named for the handfuls of crunchy toasted rice eaten as a snack at funfairs in Iran. It takes its inspiration from classic hole-in-the-wall kabab houses that line the streets of Tehran, as well as from founder and chef Kian Samyani’s childhood spent gathering around the dining table with his Iranian family. Part of the same family as Bao, Gymkhana and Lyle's, you know what to expect – a bold take on traditional world dishes, served in stylish surroundings. Make sure to order the bademjoon (blackened aubergine with whey, walnuts and dried mint) and the jujeh chicken kabab.

Visit BerenjakLondon.com

Blacklock is in the basement of an old brothel on a side street in the centre of Soho. With a week-round focus on quality meat (mostly cooked over fire), Sunday sees the restaurant come into its own. We recommend kicking things off with a ‘Breakfast Martini’ and the pig’s head on toast (don’t be squeamish – it’s delicious). Grab a group and go all in: for £20pp you’ll get a whole Cornish leg of lamb, 55-day aged beef rump and Middlewhite pork loin, with all the trimmings (plus bone marrow gravy) for the whole table.

Visit Blacklock.com

Barrafina’s Barcelona-style tapas joints – arguably the best in London – serve everything from tortillas, croquetas and jamón to deep-fried lamb brain. Pull up a seat at one of the no-bookings counters for delicious, fuss-free dining – and make sure to order a sherry over ice for company during the queue.

Visit Barrafina.co.uk

Launched in 1985, Andrew Edmunds is one of the last bastions of 'old Soho', made all the more poignant following Edmunds’ death last year. Set in an 18th-century townhouse, a relaxed atmosphere, seasonal menu and reasonably priced wine list have ensured the site’s enduring popularity. Loved for its traditional, hearty fare, dishes here could include anything from Scottish langoustines with marie rose sauce to brill, chips and aioli.

Visit AndrewEdmunds.co

With its red and gold gilded interiors, Bob Bob Ricard really sets the scene for an atmospheric late-night bite to eat. With an ‘elegant’ dress code, the restaurant serves British and Russian classics with a modern touch – think anything from lobster mac ’n’ cheese to elevated beef wellington. For an extra dash of extravagance, order bubbles via the restaurant’s famous ‘Press For Champagne’ button on every table.

Visit BobBobRicard.com