Best restaurants in Soho

Having graduated from Pop Brixton to a permanent Soho site (which has seen been followed up by other locations in Brixton and White City), Kricket is one of the premier Indian small plate joints in the capital. Head here to enjoy the signature Keralan fried chicken and lamb chops with sweet yoghurt, while the delightful likes of smoked sweet potato and crunchy samphire pakoras might make you ditch the meat and become a full-time vegetarian.

From the team behind Bao comes this Taiwanese tea house. The restaurant’s dark wood and marble interiors take their inspiration from 1920s Shanghai, while the food successfully champions Taiwanese cuisine, which is still underrepresented in the capital – try the meltingly-soft char siu ibérico pork and the beef tendon served with fiery chilli vinaigrette to see why we love it so much. You’ll also be happy to know that unlike Bao, Xu (pronounced ‘shu’) takes bookings.

The Japanese may have a reputation for minimalist design, but glamorous Aqua Kyoto appears to have missed the memo – this place is all oversized hanging lanterns, plush red seating and moody lighting. The jewel in Kyoto’s crown is the central bar/open kitchen, which turns out excellent sushi, as well as high-end takes on classic Japanese dishes; think Wagyu gyoza and mushroom yakitori with truffle sauce. We’d also recommend the weekend brunch, featuring free-flowing Veuve Clicquot.

Glamorous Yauatcha has been around for a few years now, but it still pulls in the crowds. Top hits from the menu include the heavenly venison puffs, as well as the edamame truffle dumplings. You can expect a rather hefty bill at the end, especially if you indulge in the expansive line-up of classy wines and killer cocktails, but the quality of food here and the friendly, slick service makes it worth splurging on. 

Found underneath The Blue Posts pub, Evelyn’s Table is a chef’s table experience with room for only 15 diners. The food here sees a seasonally-changing menu of small plates with a southern European accent, with dishes you may come across including salt-cod beignets with punchy taramasalata and smoked eel atop blinis. The best part of dining here though is chatting to your neighbours and the team of friendly chefs – it’s not the place for introverts. 

Often found on ‘best tapas restaurants in London’ lists, Barrafina is a firm favourite among the capital’s foodies. Taking up most of the ground floor of Quo Vadis (this branch moved here from its original Frith Street site in 2016), Barrafina pairs an exclusively Spanish wine list with remarkably moreish tapas – think classic croquetas, sizzling prawns swimming in garlic sauce and deep-fried courgette flowers topped with goats’ cheese. Don’t forget to factor in queuing time.

With room for only 29 and a discreet location in the shadow of the Ham Yard Hotel, Engawa is one of those restaurants which is only frequented by those ‘in the know’. The open kitchen offers some enjoyable theatre where you can watch chefs prepare sushi and sashimi, but the restaurant is best known for its various Wagyu beef dishes. Unsurprisingly, such high-quality meat comes at a cost, but we think it’s worth the splurge.

Anyone who orders the lemon and herb option at Nando’s might want to stop reading, as Kiln is not the place for those who don’t like spice. If you are a fan of intense, punchy flavours though, Kiln is great – the menu consists of various Thai-style barbecue dishes served in clay pots, with our top pick being the glass noodles topped with pork belly and brown crab. Don’t miss the great selection of beers either. 

The brainchild of the acclaimed JKS Group (who’ve had a hand in Gymkhana, Bao and Brigadiers to name only a few), Berenjak is an intimate Iranian restaurant serving delectable small plates and kebabs. The keenly priced menu means you can easily eat here for less than £30 if you skip drinks, but that would mean missing out on the refreshing fruit cordials, which can be topped up with vodka or Tequila should you so desire.

This high-end French restaurant differs from others of its kind, mainly because head chef Alexis Gauthier has populated the majority of the menu with vegan dishes, and plans to make the menu entirely plant-based within the next few years. Proving that vegetables can be interesting, Gauthier serves dishes such as beetroot and black cherry veloute and a pickled black radish ‘carpaccio’, while resolute carnivores can get their fix via dishes such as Welsh lamb with yoghurt.

The original Bao (there are now two more sites in Fitzrovia and Borough), this tiny space was responsible for introducing London en masse to Taiwanese steamed buns. It is still as popular as ever today, with queues regularly forming outside of the door. From the short, tick-box paper menu, it’s imperative that you try the classic bao: moist braised pork topped with coriander and a smattering of crushed peanuts, sandwiched between a fluffy white bun.

When Hoppers opened its doors back in 2015, no one could predict its impact on London’s dining scene. The restaurant became famously hard to get into (Hoppers does not take reservations), but those who joined the thronging queues were rewarded with outstanding and affordable riffs on Sri Lankan cuisine. It’s just as enchanting today, with the obvious order being the eponymous hopper, a fermented rice pancake that features a glossy orange egg yolk at its centre.

Serving some of the best regional Italian food in London, Bocca di Lupo is a buzzy space that’s great for a low-key meal. The menu consists of sharing dishes which change with the seasons, but there are a few staples that stick around all year long – the arancini filled with soft cheese for example, and the comforting prawn tagliolini. Once you’ve finished, pop over the road to Gelupo for dessert, Bocca’s own ice cream parlour.

Soho’s bustling Kingly Court is a great spot for quick and casual dining, but it’s mostly populated with mini-chains. If you’d rather support the underdog, swing by chef Asma Khan’s brilliant Indian restaurant, which boasts an all-female kitchen team. Dining here feels like popping over for a dinner party at that friend of yours who can really cook, with entrancing dishes to try including plump prawns laced with chilli and a slow-cooked Bengali goat curry.

The chic spin-off of chef Yottam Ottolenghi’s more casual eponymous café chain finds its home on Warwick Street, boasting a calming cream colour scheme and an Instagram-ready ‘hall of mirrors’ loo. Breakfast here means freshly-baked pastries or scrambled tofu on toasted sourdough, while later in the day you’ll find colourful health-conscious dishes with Middle Eastern accents, such as chickpea pancakes and mutton shawarma with pickled watermelon and a dollop of natural yoghurt resting atop flatbread. 

After operating its legendary Soho delicatessen for over 75 years, the team behind Lina Stores decided to open their own restaurant just a few moments away. The intimate two-floor space has a cosy charm about it, where the team serves up the likes of ricotta and herb gnudi with sage and brown butter. All of the dishes are reasonably priced too, as are the drinks, so it’s very easy to dine here for under £30 a head.

Part of Jason Atherton’s sizeable restaurant empire, Michelin-starred Social Eating House is often packed to the rafters, largely thanks to its well-curated wine list and spot-on cocktails, as well as a seasonally evolving menu that shows a real commitment to fastidious sourcing. On the menu, you might come across dishes such as crab on toast, slow-cooked lamb rump and Charcoal grilled Cornish turbot with seasonal veg. Chatty, fun-loving staff perk up the atmosphere too.

Found below Aqua Kyoto, this Spanish restaurant from the acclaimed Aqua Group (originally founded in Hong Kong) is as sleek as you’d expect, but it’s not a case of style over substance. Expect a menu of show-stopping tapas which runs the gamut from Iberian ham croquettes and patatas bravas through to spiced crab tostadas and oxtail and avocado empanadas. The street-side terrace overlooking Regent Street is great for a spot of al fresco dining too.  

An offshoot of the Bone Daddies chain, Shackfuyu boasts a prime location right in the heart of Soho’s plethora of bars. That isn’t the only draw though, as Shackfuyu’s keenly-priced menu of Japanese small plates is more than worth exploring. Here, you’ll find prawn toast disguising itself as okonomiyaki (Japanese-style pizza), and delicious miso-coated roast aubergine. To finish, the kinako cake with green tea ice cream is worthy of its position as Shackfuyu’s sole dessert.

Part of the Hart Brothers empire, long-standing Quo Vadis underwent a refurb in 2016, with the ground floor now housing Barrafina Soho after it had to move on from nearby Frith Street. Quo Vadis might have less of a buzz than it once did, but the menu is still a joyous celebration of all things seasonal, including chilled soups and vegetable-led dishes alongside the more traditional fish & chips. Excellent service is a further draw.  

Devout carnivores can come and worship at the altar of this temple of meat, which now has siblings in the City and Shoreditch. Blacklock is best known for its ‘all in’ option, which will get you pre-chop bites (canapé-sized snacks), followed by a pile-up of beef, pork and lamb chops atop coal-grilled flatbread and a side each. If you’ve got any room left, we’re big fans of the white chocolate cheesecake, served straight from the tray.

Although a sleek City sibling has now opened, the original Bob Bob Ricard still has plenty of pulling power. As well as being popular for its famous ‘press for Champagne’ buttons, Bob Bob is also a well-known hotspot for famous faces because the booth seating provides a touch of discretion. The menu of pimped-up comfort food meanwhile is as luxe as they come – think lobster mac ‘n’ cheese and a Champagne and oyster mushroom pie.

Serving dishes seen in modern day Jerusalem, The Palomar is regularly recognised as one of London’s foremost Middle Eastern restaurants. The best seats in the house are at the counter where you can watch the team at work – be warned that you can’t book though, so you’ll need to factor in queueing time. The wait is worth it to sample the likes of pork belly rubbed with Turkish coffee beans, and ‘Jerusalem mess’ for pud.

Part of the ever-expanding Soho House group, Dean Street Townhouse is full of chatter from morning till night, with the intimate street-side terrace the most coveted spot. Inside, you’ll find comfy furnishings and a menu of best-of-British fare. Try the likes of eggs any style or avocado on toast for breakfast, while later in the day sees lamb leg with broad beans and mint or ribeye steak with a side of thick-cut chips and béarnaise.