Sidestepping any attempt at pigeon-holing, Soho’s history charts a course from Henry VIII’s hunting ground to high-society enclave, gay village and vibrant immigrant hub. It’s a riotous recipe for a red-light district littered with blue plaques, where drag queens serenade pre-theatre dinner crowds, broadsheet journos bump shoulders with mascara-smudged clubbers, and Karl Marx once lived across from what’s now a Soho Works.
Today, this rectangular-ish criss-cross of streets in the West End walks the tightrope between sleaze and sophistication with panache. Let us introduce some of the ’hood’s local legends, as well as ‘new kids on the block’ worth knowing; our insider guide to Soho will keep you going from brunch till way past your bedtime.
Coffee in Soho
Burning the midnight oil may as well be a by-law in Soho, so kick off your morning with a coffee pit-stop. Hideaway Coffee lives up to its cutesy name, cosied away in a quiet courtyard just off Brewer Street, which could pass as prime Richard Curtis territory. Indoor seats are a hot property, so come early for a cappuccino and an almond croissant as big as your head. By Carnaby Street, the Department of Coffee and Social Affairs has won bean buffs’ hearts with its quality in-house blends. And for a cup of Joe with a conscience, head to sustainable, small-grower-supporting Colombian Coffee Company. Its barraquito – a blend of espresso, condensed milk, cinnamon and lemon – makes for a zingy pick-me-up.
Algerian Coffee Stores (image by Clem Onojeghuo)
Otherwise, allow your eye be caught by the candy-striped awnings of two time-tested institutions: Maison Bertaux, London’s oldest pâtisserie packing in plenty of old-world charm; and Algerian Coffee Stores, going strong on Old Compton Street since 1887, where the walls are lined with jars of speciality teas and coffee, and an espresso shot for around £1.20.
Lunch in Soho
For a hearty, wholesome lunch, head to heritage Italian deli turned foodie darling Lina Stores. The retro mint-hued interiors will reel you in, but you’ll stay for the simple yet special menu of fresh pasta and homemade sauces, all made using authentic Italian produce.
Lina Stores (image by Mariell Lind Hansen)
Mildreds has long been pioneering the plant-based scene with its inventive vegan offerings; but, with its umami-rich udon bowls and fried-chicken-style burgers, omnivores won’t miss the meat. And the hearty brunch spreads will win over the harshest soy-milk sceptics.
Mildreds (image by Hayley Kelsing)
And for lunch on the fly, follow your nose for the global flavours of Berwick Street Market’s gourmet street-food stalls.
The best things to actually do in Soho
Soho’s the natural habitat of London’s nocturnal crowd, but there’s still plenty to do pre-sundown. Check out the latest gut-punch exhibitions at the Photographers’ Gallery, where historic retrospectives share space with form-bending new artists – if you catch the bug, snap up a coffee-table tome and a few rolls of film from the basement bookshop. House of Minalima is a Potter pilgrimage site (if that’s your thing), but hustle past the Hogwarts paraphernalia and you’ll find a dinky gallery of art deco film posters and folksy fairy-tale illustrations, taken from the design studio’s future-heirloom hardbacks.
If you’re seeking greenery, grab a cone from craft gelateria Gelupo and conduct a Blue Plaque-spotting promenade around Soho Square and Golden Square. Or stray all the way to grotto-like Phoenix Garden to find refuge among the fish ponds and community-led art installations.
For evening plans that won’t (necessarily) make the morning after a write-off, swing by the Soho Theatre to catch some of the capital’s best comedy and new playwrights – many a career has been launched on the upstairs stage (and many a mad night out has been launched at the buzzy, artist-propped-up bar).
Then lean into Soho’s late-night antics – 30-plus sequin-spangled years have proved that anything could happen at the Phoenix Arts Club, just off Tottenham Court Road, but expect cocktail-fuelled cabaret nights starring burlesque dancers, circus stars and ballad-belting drag queens.
The best shops in Soho
You don’t need to be a niche collector to get a kick out of Gosh Comics – the double-height shelves are stacked with small-press publications, glossy art books and award-winning graphic novels. At Wolf & Badger’s Berwick Street boutique, browse colourful homewares and fashion from a coterie of ethical indie designers. Duke’s Cupboard is a hit with varsity-jacketed vintage-streetwear aficionados. And for hipster points, rifle through the record shops on Poland Street and Berwick Street. Sister Ray is ace for rooting out rare vintage vinyl, Reckless Records is your rock and pop one-stop shop, Sounds of the Universe specialises in funk and jazz, and Phonica’s DJs spin electro beats after dark.
Sister Ray (image by Max Dillon)
Carnaby Street’s revolving-door line-up of high-street fashion and beauty brands is a far cry from its swinging heyday, but there are still interesting indie shops to sniff out. And nearby, Liberty still delivers a time-warp dose of Victorian-department-store charm. It’s easy to see yourself bustle-swishing down the creaky antique staircase, through air thick with eau de parfum, but Liberty has a proven track-record of spotting future-star labels – in recent years, Le Labo and Paloma Wool both launched here.
The best restaurants in Soho
Date night in Soho demands three things: a dependably excellent menu, hardly-have-to-lean-in levels of intimacy and a spot where decades’ worth of dalliances have unfolded. Andrew Edmunds – a literati-loved restaurant squeezed into a Georgian townhouse – delivers all three. Flickering candlelight and a knee-weakening wine list make this old-Soho stalwart a guaranteed heart-stealer.
Brindisa
In the spirit of Soho’s hedonism, Bob Bob Ricard’s ‘press for champagne’ button is a gimmick we can get behind. But if sharing is caring, cosy up at the Broadwick Street outpost of Borough Market staple Brindisa. Embrace the over-ordering here – when faced with the seasonal tapas menu (ingredients are from small family suppliers in Spain), eyes bigger than your stomach are inevitable.
The best bars and pubs in Soho
There’s little need to stray from the stalwarts here – Soho has had nightlife sussed for centuries. Stop in for a half at the French House, where regulars included Francis Bacon and Charles de Gaulle when he helmed the Free French Forces.
Ronnie Scott’s
Ronnie Scott’s remains one of the coolest jazz clubs in town, hosting sell-out shows on a stage once graced by Miles Davies and Count Basie.
Whisky buffs, get thee to Greek Street, where Milroy’s peddles hand-chosen bottles in a pleasantly buttoned-down setting, with a secret bookcase door leading to candlelit cocktail den the Vault, one of Soho’s prime canoodling spots. And, for contemporary polish, slip below street level to lunar-like speakeasy Soma, where bold Indian flavours are distilled into sense-tingling craft cocktails.
Soma (image by Felix Speller)
Where to stay in Soho
Believe it or not, people do sleep in this part of the city – often not alone… The best hotels in Soho have plenty of personality to draw in the nightbirds. The usual artsy set gather at Soho House’s Dean Street Townhouse, where quaint, cosy interiors collide with YBA art and a buzzy bar – scene of some of the city’s most mythicised night’s out. Soho House stablemate Kettner’s, a historic high-society haunt with a saucy past, has been transformed into a decadent modern stay. Luxurious boudoirs and a steady flow of champagne ensure its seductive powers.
Kettner’s Townhouse (image by Hannah Dace)
At old-world stay Hazlitt’s, stately interiors cocoon you from Soho’s hustle. Make like the eponymous 18th-century essayist and jot down sharp-witted observations on city life in its library – or just snuggle up with the resident cat.
Sandwiched between Broadwick Street and Berwick Street, Broadwick Soho nails the area’s never-a-dull-moment playfulness with pastel-hued interiors, an intimate Italian restaurant and a bomboloni-serving bar. The fun continues at the Soho Hotel, a design-conscious stay set just back from the Dean Street hubbub, where Technicolor interiors and two in-house cinemas draw a cultured crowd.
Broadwick Soho (image by Hannah Dace)
And, sequestered away in a quiet courtyard seconds from Shaftesbury Avenue, Ham Yard Hotel should be high on your list of Soho addresses. The restaurant is a favourite haunt for media types, but you can give them the slip by retreating to the spa, rooftop-spying terrace or your Kit Kemp-designed room.
Lay your head at more London hotels, or see more of this charismatic capital with our guide to Marylebone.
(Header image of Broadwick Soho by Hannah Dace)