Whether you pine for its seedier past, or are content with its newly gentrified aura, Soho has always been associated in one way or another with, ahem, entertainment. Handily located for West End theatres and the Oxford Circus shopping district, where once its bars and eateries would have been filled with spirited, bohemian souls, they are now patronised largely by the area’s office workers and tourists.

And, while many opine the difficulty these changes pose for independent businesses, when it comes to restaurants, the influx of money into the area has seen it flourish as one of the finest places to eat in the capital. From tiny basement dining rooms to Michelin-starred favourites, here’s our guide to the best restaurants in Soho right now.

40 Dean Street

Dubbed as Soho’s best kept secret, 40 Dean Street is an unassuming restaurant that boasts a starry reputation. It opened 20 years ago under the guise of executive chef Nima Safaei, who originally intended to open a bar when he purchased the site, but quickly fell in love with the restaurant’s Italian heritage. Together with his sister, who grew up in Florence, 40 Dean Street became a manifestation of their shared love of Italian cuisine and culture, and set Safaei on a path to become one of the most well respected chefs in the capital.

The menu takes its cues from different regions across Italy while using fresh produce often sourced from local delis in Soho – think bread from I Camisa & Son, and coffee from the iconic Algerian Coffee Stores. Expect an array of classic Italian entrées such as decadent bruschetta, and beetroot with goat’s cheese arancini, while larger plates are set to appease seafood enthusiasts with fresh mussels in a white wine sauce, or pan-fried tiger prawns with a brandy sauce. Pasta, however, is the beating heart of the menu, and is made fresh daily to serve velvety beef ragu pappardelle, and 40 Dean Street’s signature dish: seafood linguine. Desserts are no afterthought here, and those with a sweet tooth can pick from pistachio tiramisu, Italian profiteroles or vanilla pannacotta to round things off. All we can say is there’s a reason why this restaurant is busy every night of the week…

40 Dean Street, W1D 4PX, visit fortydeanstreet.com

Kiln

With dimmed lights, a fully open kitchen and shoulder-to-shoulder seating at the bar counter, Kiln provides a buzzy experience for diners looking to sample open-fire rural Thai cooking. The team of chefs cooking over wood-burning kiln ovens will keep you entertained, while dishes inspired by regions where Thailand borders Myanmar, Laos and Yunnan will ensure you’re satiated by the end of the evening. The menu changes regularly, but our top picks from Kiln’s most recent fare include roasted shrimp relish, jungle curry with smoked kippers, grilled bavette with smoked chilli glaze, and clay pot baked glass noodles, while £7.50 cocktails are made from kitchen ingredients to create serves such as green peppercorn and basil mojito. Always ask the staff the spice level of each dish if you’re on the sensitive side, and be sure to book ahead – Kiln is often heaving, but the staff are known to leave a spot or two at the bar for walk-in solo diners. 

58 Brewer Street, W1F 9TL, visit kilnsoho.com

Bar Kroketa

Specialising in one all-important dish found on every tapas menu – croquetas – Bar Kroketa is the go-to destination in Soho for relaxed Spanish fare at more-than-reasonable prices. The seven dish-strong menu features fillings of king prawn, black squid ink, butternut squash and roasted piquillo and, a personal favourite, spring onion, chive and Nacarii caviar alongside countertop bar snacks and small dishes from the open kitchen. From crab toasties with pickles and salt cod and harissa to Guinness and chorizo popcorn, there is a dish to delight every tapas fan. And for those who find themselves closer to Bond Street than Oxford Street, a welcoming Bar Kroketa outpost isn’t too far away on St Christopher’s Place. 

21 Beak Street, W1F 9RR, visit kroketa.co.uk

Dear Jackie

Hidden on the ground floor of the Broadwick Soho hotel, Dear Jackie is a destination for Italian opulence, refined dining, and evening glamour. Open for dinner, the menu reflects modern gastronomy – think veal and pork genovese agnolotti and Australian black winter truffle, shellfish risotto drizzled with Sicilian lemon, and Blythburgh pork collar with roasted peach, rainbow chard and pistachio. Go upstairs to discover the restaurant’s little sister, Bar Jackie: an all-day vibrant bar and terrace serving coffee and bomboloni, aperitivo classics such as Pinsa Romana, arancini and antipasti, as well as negronis, vermouths and homemade gelato and granita.

20 Broadwick Street, W1F 8HT, visit broadwicksoho.com

Mountain

Having been awarded a Michelin star earlier this year (despite only opening last summer), Tomos Parry and the team behind Brat have been making waves on London’s culinary scene with their second restaurant, Mountain. Located on Beak Street, Mountain is in essence, a wood grill and wine bar, and, as Parry explains “draws on the 'mar y montana' (or sea and hillside) cooking of Spain, alongside the seas and mountains within the Welsh landscape, the language and of course the produce which guides us everyday.”

Vermouth made in Sicily for Mountain by Salvatore Marino is poured from tap, alongside blood orange Garibaldis and a selection of spritzes made with citrus fruits from the magical Todoli Foundation in Valencia. At the head of the snack menu are two types of Sobrassada (cured Spanish sausage) alongside raw Carmarthen prawns, wild asparagus and braised peas with cockles. Elsewhere, discover a simple and uncomplicated main menu – think pink bream served whole, split and roast on the plancha, a plate of wood grilled lamb chops and whole Anglesey lobster in a rich caldereta aromatic braise. A different approach to the wine list has been developed in collaboration with Keeling and Andrew of Noble Rot, which will focus on a dozen winemakers that are meaningful to the restaurant while downstairs, a burr poplar timber bar is stacked with vinyl records and serves all the classic cocktails. Let us know if you nab a table, because we’ve heard it's been booked up for months… 

16-18 Beak Street, W1F 9RD, visit mountainbeakstreet.com

Gauthier

French gastronomy and plant-based diets are not two phrases you often hear in tandem, but this sophisticated Soho eatery specialises in just that. Set in a restored Regency townhouse, Gauthier Soho transports diners back to a bygone era of intimate, formal fine dining with its precise, refined fare. Spread over three floors, with five private dining rooms and a well-stocked wine cellar, chef-restaurateur Alexis Gauthier spotlights classic French cuisine with his five- and eight-course set tasting menus, all of which are entirely vegan. Expect everything from golden potato with green samphire and wakame veloute to pink radish crunch, all expertly paired with the restaurant’s finest bottles by its in-house sommeliers.

21 Romilly Street, W1D 5AF, visit gauthiersoho.co.uk

Sola

Taking its name from its mission to bring the best of LA’s Californian cooking to Soho, Sola opened in September 2019 and earned a coveted Michelin star in the 2021 guide. Helmed by chef patron Victor Garvey, who credits his upbringing between New York and Barcelona for his global outlook on food, menus come in the form of a 16-course tasting priced at £229 or a refined a la carte. Dishes rely heavily on seasonal produce, with summer’s seafood-heavy menus featuring John Dory with lime, langoustines in ginger and Dartmouth crab with pea and miso. The wine list is also full of interesting American options, with bottles from Long Island, Santa Barbara, Sonoma and Napa – opt for the premium wine pairing to sample the best.

64 Dean Street, W1D 4QQ, visit solasoho.com

Kricket

Upscale Indian cooking is something that London has come to excel at in recent years, with Gymkhana, Bombay Bustle, Amaya and many more each offering their own take on the country’s varied cuisine. Fans of the trend shouldn’t miss Kricket, an industrially styled space close to Piccadilly Circus, serving up crowd-pleasing dishes packed with the flavours of South Asia.

Keen to impress that it offers food inspired by India, this is not the place to go if you’re looking for the capital’s most authentic Indian food. What you will get, however, is an unusual and memorable meal that cherry-picks the best of the country’s rich foodie heritage and combines it with Western influences. The samphire pakoras, Keralan fried chicken and Mangalorean smoked pork belly aren’t to be missed.

12 Denman Street, W1D 7HH, visit kricket.co.uk

Evelyn's Table

If one of your biggest gripes with the London restaurant scene is how difficult it can be to find a booking at a reasonable hour, Evelyn’s Table may not be the restaurant for you. Tucked away beneath the Blue Posts on Rupert Street and offering just 20 covers per day, waiting lists can be long but, should you persevere, you’ll find a unique dining experience well worth the patience.

Helmed by chef James Goodyear, who cut his teeth at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Hide Above, to name a few, the ever-changing five-course tasting menu melds great British produce with Selby’s classical French training and knowledge of Japanese and Scandinavian flavours and techniques. Having held a Michelin star since 2022, this is one for those who take their dinner seriously.

28 Rupert Street, W1D 6DJ, visit theblueposts.co.uk

Lina Stores

If you’ve never been to Lina Stores you’ve almost certainly admired its pistachio-hued exterior. An extension of the original delicatessen on Brewer Street – a store almost impossible to pass without dreaming of cacio e pepe and gelato – this elegant Greek Street space is a go-to for reliably delicious handmade pasta, excellent antipasti and an Italian aperitivo and wine list to rival any in the capital.

The space is small so booking ahead is highly recommended. However, should you be lucky enough to snag one of the al fresco walk-in spots you’ll be treated to some of the best people-watching in the city: this really is dinner and a show. Start with fried ricotta with herb gnudi and bruschetta with anchovies before moving on to Lina Store’s signature pasta dishes. There really is no bad choice here but, if forced, we’d recommend the 30-yolk tagliolini with black truffle, butter and parmesan every time.

51 Greek Street, W1D 4EH, visit linastores.co.uk

Bob Bob Ricard and Bébé Bob

You know Bob Bob Ricard – the hugely opulent Soho mainstay that launched a thousand Instagram posts with its ‘Press for champagne’ buttons. Accordingly, it holds the record for pouring the most champagne of any restaurant in Britain but, if you can drag yourself away from the bubbles, you’ll find a food menu that sparkles in its own right. Featuring both a take on modern British cuisine and influences from Russian restaurateur Leonid Shutov, there’s a menu of vodka shots served at -18°C, alongside an extensive caviar offering and Bob Bob Ricard classics, including a bone-in chicken Kyiv, beef Wellington and lobster macaroni and cheese.

Bob Bob Ricard's younger sister, Bébé Bob, opening last September and is located on the corner of Golden Square. Exclusively serving just rotisserie – available in two varieties of chicken from different regions in France, Vendee and Landes – both birds will be served whole at the table alongside sides of truffle French fries, winter leaf salad, sauteed kale and Albufeira sauce. No Bob Bob outpost is complete without a caviar offering, and Bébé Bob will specialise in baerii, oscietra and shrenkii caviar, served with large blinis and made fresh tableside.

1 Upper James Street, W1F 9DF, visit bobbobricard.com; 37 Golden Square, W1F 9LB, visit bebebob.com

Polpo

With locations in Soho and Chelsea, Polpo is another of the capital’s eateries serving up the best primi and secondi you’ll find outside of Italy. This time inspiration comes from the rich culinary heritage of Venice, with the menu dominated by small plates of cicchetti and pizzette, all designed to be enjoyed alongside the restaurant’s impressive offering of Italian reds, whites and cocktails. Unconstrained by a starter, mains and dessert structure, allow yourself to meander around the menu, ordering an olive tapenade crostino here, a soft egg, spinach and parmesan pizette there, while encouraging your dining companions to add some pork, fennel and chilli meatballs and beef shin rigatoni for the table, to create a dining experience as long and luxurious as an afternoon spent lounging beside a gently lapping canal.

41 Beak Street, W1F 9SB, visit polpo.co.uk

Barrafina

With four locations across the capital, Barrafina has pretty much got the Spanish tapas scene sewn up and it’s the original (and now Michelin-starred) outpost on Dean Street we’d recommend booking. Owned by brothers Sam and Eddie Hart – also of Quo Vadis and El Pastor fame – Barrafina specialises in authentic tapas taken from the varied cooking traditions of Spain’s different regions, accompanied by a succinct list of cavas, Spanish sherries and wines. The core menu is dominated by familiar dishes taken back to their roots, including pan con tomate, gambas rojas and prawn and piquillo pepper tortilla. A daily changing list of specials – for which there is a dedicated Instagram account – is also worth exploring for its seasonality. 

26-27 Dean Street, W1D 3LL, visit barrafina.co.uk

Sussex

Part of the Gladwin Brothers' ever-expanding empire of modern British restaurants, which also includes The Shed in Notting Hill, Rabbit in Chelsea and The Black Lamb in Wimbledon, Sussex specialises in local and foraged produce treated with proper care and attention. The majority of the high-welfare meat comes from the Gladwin farm while much of the wine list also hails from the family vineyard in West Sussex. When it comes to food, you’re unlikely to find a truer family affair.

Food at Sussex falls squarely into the British classics done right category, with mushroom Marmite eclair, Hampshire asparagus and Somerset pecorino ravioli and Dorset lamb rump all featuring. Special seasonal menus and regular events also provide a big part of the draw at Sussex, with the restaurant regularly hosting guest chefs, such as Masterchef: The Professionals 2020 winner Alex Webb, and one-off feasts to celebrate foodie events such as the Glorious Twelfth.

63-64 Frith Street, W1D 3JW, visit sussex-restaurant.com

Yeni

The first London offering from chef proprietor Civan Er, whose Istanbul eatery Yeni Lokanta is one the city’s most highly regarded, Yeni blends open-fire cooking with fine British ingredients for a fresh take on Turkish culinary traditions. All dishes are designed to be shared and there’s plenty for vegans and vegetarians – who, understandably, often hear the words ‘open fire’ and assume it’s not for them – to get stuck into.

Do, however, expect your palate to be challenged – there are combinations here you almost certainly haven’t tried before. Think house-cured raw sardines with grapefruit, beef with double fermented yogurt and Gibraltar octopus with sour cherries. Feeling brave? Opt for the carte blanche tasting menu and let chef Er send out a parade of whatever he deems to be best that day.

55 Beak Street, W1F 9SH, visit yeni.london

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