Best Restaurants In Soho

Soho has a rich history and a buzzing nightlife, not to mention an unrivalled food scene. Bubbling with diversity and bringing you dishes that span the globe, it's time to shine a light on all things special about eating out in the heart of the capital. Whether it's dim sum in a secret bar or innovative Thai cuisine straight from a wood-fired oven, there's something for everyone in our guide to the best restaurants in Soho.

Last edited by katie kirwan

Last updated on 18th March 2024




Balans Soho No.60

Sparkling Thursdays - half price Champagne and sparkling wines and 1 other offer

While the quirky Balans Soho No.60 is perfect for everything from brunch 'til dinner, seven days a week, there's another reason why it's so popular: they serve food way into the early hours of the morning so you can feast on eggs and sky-high pancakes all day (and night) long. It's also one of the most cheap places to eat in Soho so you won't be feeling a dent in your wallet after you leave. 

Red Dog Austin Bar-B-Que Soho

Treat your tastebuds to a load of tantalising treats over at Red Dog Austin Bar-B-Que Soho. This American-style restaurant is full of character as its interior is reminiscent of a stateside joint, sprinkled with red and yellow condiment bottles, sepia-framed photographs and wooden flooring. It uses an award-winning smoker to slow-roast its meats, so get ready for beautifully tender ribs and melt-in-the-mouth brisket, accompanied by mac 'n' cheese and tequila.

Paradiso Burger & Cocktail Bar - Soho

Situated on Carnaby Street (inside the always-buzzing Kingly Court) and spanning two floors, Paradiso Burger & Cocktail Bar is an excellent restaurant to head to if you're looking for some food with friends. Enjoy a bottomless brunch, or small plates of buttermilk fried chicken wings with ranch mayo, cheeseburger tacos and bang bang cauliflower accompanied by gochujang sauce.

Ember Yard

Located on Berwick Street in the very heart of Soho, Ember Yard boasts an idyllic Spanish and Italian dining experience. Perch upon high-top tables underneath dangling light fixtures and browse a menu inspired by the wood-fired cuisine of Spain and Italy. Try pan-fried prawns with black garlic, Cornish monkfish tempura with a pickled onion salad and churros dusted in cinnamon sugar to finish.

INCA London

If you're on the hunt for a dining experience you won't forget at one of the best restaurants in London, then you'll want to book a table at INCA. This Soho hotspot takes inspiration from South America, boasting bold, colourful interiors with exposed brick walls and cosy leather sofas. It's a dazzling cabaret restaurant spread across three rooms, with a mouthwatering fusion menu, consisting of tea-smoked lamb chops, king crab California rolls, and bluefin tuna with spicy miso tacos. 

Mele E Pere

This intimate basement location serves up some droolworthy Italian food that you won't be able to get enough of. Grab your friends and book your table at one of the hottest restaurants in Soho, Mele, E Pere. Enjoy low-hanging orbs of light and checkered flooring paired with monochrome art and prepare to inhale a menu packed with flavour. Think 48-hour proved pizzas, homemade pasta dishes and juicy steaks, with an extensive list of vermouth cocktails to boot.

Ping Pong Soho

Lazy Sumday - All you can eat and 2 other offers

Ping Pong Soho is an outpost of the famous Chinese restaurant and is serving up all sorts of deliciousness on Marlborough Street. Known for its dim sum and steamed buns, the modern eatery cooks up a variety of dishes such as chilli prawn bao and chicken noodles, along with having a cracking cocktail menu featuring the charcoal-activated Beijing Sunset, and fabulous bottomless brunches. Its interiors are social thanks to its circular tables that make it easy to share with friends, and it oozes elegance with its warm light fixtures hanging from the ceiling and opaque panelling across the back wall. 

Aqua Kyoto

With expertise in omakase sushi and sashimi, alongside signature dishes including tempura and specials from the robata grill, Aqua Kyoto is one of the most sought-after Soho restaurants for dinner. Located on Regent Street, this stunning eatery is a must for any occasion, with slinky interiors and a stunning rooftop terrace perfect for a tipple or two.

Arros QD

In the northern streets of Soho, you'll find Arros QD, the swish Spanish fine dining restaurant whipping up Valencian fare using fire cooking techniques. Among black-tiled walls, dine on dishes like yellowfin tuna tartare or a wild forest mushroom ragout to start, followed by moreish mains featuring lamb pastela, encased in honey-glazed filo pastry, scattered with pistachio crumbs.

Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel

Staking its claim as 'London's original rock and roll hotel', Karma Sanctum Soho Hotel on Warwick Street promises an evening of top-quality drinks and food at its Wild Heart Restaurant. Its interiors are grand with dazzling chandeliers from the ceiling, cherry blossom trees, and snake skin leather booths. Their menu consists of creative and delicious Japanese-style dishes, responsibly sourced from the finest producers. Feast on chicken or vegetable gyozas, salmon teriyaki and chargrilled sirloin with panko oyster mushrooms and buttered wasabi ponzu.

Honest Burgers Soho, Meard Street

Burger lovers of Central London can rejoice with Honest Burgers near Dean Street, slinging out some seriously cheap eats in Soho without scrimping on quality. The chain whips up hearty patties using British meat and market veg (giving them that homemade taste) and promises juicy bites and those famous rosemary fries we all know and love. Make a pit stop on your shopping trip, slip into a booth and let the sauce run down your fingers with their Meard Street special made with The Gay Farmer pesto.

The Rum Kitchen Soho

CARNIVAL HAPPY HOUR

There are hundreds of restaurants in Soho, but none of them can pack a punch like The Rum Kitchen. Here you'll find flavourful signature cocktails like the Hurricane and the perfect daiquiri. Offering a banging soundtrack of feel-good music, there are heaps of tasty Caribbean eats on the menu like dirty fries loaded with jerk chicken and buns filled with halloumi and scotch bonnet mayo.

Dehesa

For a relaxed tapas restaurant, Dehesa provides a simple menu of charcuterie, bar snacks and delectable dishes, perfect for pairing with one of their refreshing cocktails like a summer negroni made with raspberry puree. Wolf down the likes of crispy whitebait with aioli and lemon for dipping, chargrilled chorizo picante, then finish by munching on a chestnut cheesecake. If you're after Spanish-Italian dining in the heart of town, this is the place to book, with head chef William Breese celebrating seasonality and Carnaby Street only a stone's throw away.

Park Row

Perhaps one of the most famous restaurants in Soho, Park Row is the DC and Batman-themed spot that's bound to turn your head. From theatrical dinners to cocktails and the stunning Art Deco space that feels like stepping into Gotham City, there's plenty to get stuck into. Take your pick from oysters and caviar (if you're feeling fancy) plus Thai-inspired small plates like wagyu tataki. 

Pizza Pilgrims Selfridges

If you're after the best affordable restaurants in Soho, then be sure to check out Pizza Pilgrims located on the 4th floor of Selfridges. Head to this popular joint to get your hands on some top-quality Neapolitan-style pizza with a bubbly crust, perfect for dipping in pesto sauce. Feast on toppings such as double pepperoni and hot honey, plus add on a side of their smoked mozzarella bites for the ultimate cheese-fest.

Inamo Soho

Boasting an innovative dining concept as its centrepiece, where an interactive ordering system is beamed directly onto the table via digital projections, Inamo is popular for dinner when on the hunt for fun places to eat in Soho. There's even the option to play battleships while you wait for your food in this animated, futuristic setting among wooden dividers dotted with luminescent marble squares. The menu features classic sushi rolls, Japanese small plates such as sweet and sour popcorn pork and creative cocktails like a lychee mojito and the Panasian Gin Fizz.

Scarlett Green

The Antipodean eatery, Scarlett Green, is up there with cute and casual restaurants in Soho. It brings you a scrumptious range of Aussie food to enjoy in a quirky setting, featuring colourful wall art and Bondi beach vibes. The menu can carry you from brunch straight through to dinner with the likes of shakshuka or BBQ tandoori salmon, washed down by a great array of cocktails.

The French House

A Soho staple known for its chic bohemian diners and lack of tech distractions, The French House is the place to be for those who want to kick back and relax without any fuss. Boasting 30 Champagnes and wines, this celeb hotspot serves lunch throughout the week and nibbles like a charcuterie board to share on Tuesdays through Thursdays until 7pm. The menu changes frequently, but past dishes have seen confit garlic and goats curd on toast, foe gras terrine alongside chutney, plus Madagascan chocolate and rum mousse. 

Bocconcino Soho

After opening in Mayfair in 2014, Bocconcino's sister venue is one of the best restaurants in Soho, London. Spanning two floors of gorgeous decor such as white marble countertops backlit with warm golden lighting, leather seats and sleek panelling (making it a swoon-worthy date destination), it takes inspiration from traditional trattorias dishing up prawn-stuffed ravioli, wood-fired pizzas using Roman dough and tomahawk steak.

Tattu London

Tattu is all about modern Chinese cuisine and stunning decor, with their signature cherry blossom trees stealing the show. Whether you're meeting up with friends or catching a play in the West End, this swish haunt is the perfect place for a bite or a sip. On the menu, expect to find treats such as shredded beef spring rolls and seven spice seared tuna, washed down with an oolong old fashioned.

Brasserie Zedel

A banging triple-threat of glamour, gastronomy, and entertainment, Brasserie Zedel is a restaurant and bar that boasts live music, as well as a cabaret venue called The Crazy Coqs. Exuding 1930s Art Deco vibes with marble pillars dotted throughout and golden finishings, this French bistro serves up affordable plates like onglet steak 'bordelaise' and twice-baked cheese soufflé.

Kiln

Kiln is a Soho classic dishing out Asian-inspired plates made with fresh ingredients all the way from Cornwall. It's rustic, airy and earthy, complete with stainless steel counters as well as wood-fired ovens. Their spiced lamb is a must-try if you're a meat lover. Cocktail-wise, you can expect to nab the likes of a turmeric gin and tonic or a green peppercorn and basil mojito fresh from the kitchen for under a tenner.

Pastaio

London's renowned chef-restauranteur Stevie Parle joined hands with his pals to open Soho's premier Italian eatery, Pastaio. This vibrant venue has got quality pasta made from scratch such as a whole lobster linguine to share, antipasti like a 'nduja, honey and mozzarella fried sandwich, plus classic Italian cocktails, for example an Aperol spritz or a negroni. 

Bob Bob Ricard Bar

An elegant restaurant and bar decked out in 1920s-inspired decor (think The Orient Express and then some), the iconic 'press for Champagne' buzzers, a fusion of Russian and British cuisine, and a renowned wine list, Bob Bob Ricard is as impressive as it is delicious. With dishes like venison tartare and platinum vodka shots, this place is something to write home about.

Hoppers

A Tamil-based restaurant inspired by Southern India and Sri Lanka's roadside shacks, Hoppers near Greek Street brings the heat and spice of Sri Lankan cuisine to London. With goodies like savoury pancake dosas topped with chilli cheese or masala, plus drinks such as tequila and grapefruit soda to wash it down with, this Soho joint will knock your socks off.

Blacklock

Found in a secluded basement Soho space (which was also formerly a brothel), Blacklock serves up the juiciest, most tender chops in a communal atmosphere. Ex-Hawksmoor chef Gordon Ker runs the show, serving mouthwatering racks of beef, pork, lamb and veal to the West End's gleeful carnivores. Go for the 'all-in' option, which consists of pre-feast bites, followed by a mix of skinny chops on top of charcoal-grilled flatbreads to share for £26 per person, with a choice of side each too. You won't regret it - and don't forget that you can get £5 cocktails.

L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele Soho

If you're looking for the best pizza in Soho, you'll find it inside L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele. Famed for its world-renowned Neapolitan pizza, this buzzing, intimate joint is nestled on Old Compton Street and slings out the best in the business. Take a seat under the neon pink signage, marvel at the floral ceiling and tuck into a proper margherita alongside a signature cocktail or two. 

Paradise

Making a name for itself on the London food scene is Paradise in Soho, a restaurant serving up contemporary Sri Lankan small plates while taking inspiration from a wealth of other international cuisines. Decked out in low-hanging lights and with concrete booths, it has a menu includes the likes of lamb fat-infused paratha roti and clarified mezcal margaritas.