Soho’s best restaurants

Whilst compiling this list, it became clear that a) there are a lot of excellent restaurants in Soho and b) there are also a lot of articles claiming to tell you where Soho’s best restaurants are. But you no longer need any article aside from this one, as this is the Quintessentially approved guide to the best restaurants in Soho, featuring hidden chef’s tables, dazzling dining rooms, and new openings our restaurant specialists can’t get enough of.

Aulis London

Soho’s magic is often in its side streets. Case in point: Simon Rogan’s Aulis London, which is tucked down a narrow alleyway just off Wardour Street. Designed to feel like a home kitchen, it’s a warm and friendly chef’s table experience with more courses (14) than seats (12). And, as it’s Rogan’s only London restaurant, it offers a rare opportunity to try his famed fork-to-table food without leaving the city – when we ate there, the ingredients had been picked that morning from his farm up north.

SO|LA Soho

There’s only one Michelin-starred restaurant in London serving Californian cuisine – and you’ll find it just down the road from Ronnie Scott’s on Dean Street. When we say Californian cuisine, we mean chef patron Victor Garvey’s homage to the sunshine state – which comes in the form of devilled eggs, avocado-piled sashimi, and a chocolate egg topped with caviar (the restaurant’s signature dessert). Wines are imported from the US (with an emphasis on the West Coast, naturally) and complemented by a selection of classic cocktails with a Cali twist.

Milk Beach Soho

No, you’re not in Bondi Bay – although the coastal cool interiors and Aussie-accented staff might have you thinking otherwise. This is Milk Beach Soho – an Australian restaurant that feels 10,000 miles from Soho’s grungy streets. On sunny days, it's almost like you're in a beach club, and the menu adds to this allure with summery, Aussie-inspired dishes served by friendly staff wearing white linen shirts. Kick it off with a Bondi Bay Spritz and then order the kingfish crudo (ask for a hunk of grilled sourdough to mop up the sauce), the mushroom dumplings, and a platter of impossibly juicy grilled prawns.

Mountain Beak Street

If you’ve not heard of Tomos Parry, you’ve almost certainly heard of BRAT – his incredibly popular first restaurant in Shoreditch. And as of 2023, you’ve got a new Parry place to trek to: Mountain. It’s a similar wood-fired concept to BRAT, with every (seasonal) ingredient plucked from the Welsh or Cornish coastlines and all bread baked in-house. Save room for pudding – Mountain’s sweet stuff is complex and diverse (two words we wouldn’t usually use to describe dessert).

Sucre

In a word, Sucre is dazzling. But to use a few more: it’s a marble-columned dining room illuminated by glass chandeliers (made from former decanters, no less) and centred around a whooshing open grill or parilla. It’s the second Sucre in the world (the first opened in Buenos Aires in 2001) and pays tribute to Argentinian cuisine and its Mediterranean roots; this is as much a story of immigration as it is an open-fire restaurant. Don’t miss the chimichurri-splattered meats or a post-dinner cocktail at basement cocktail bar ALMA.

Kolamba, Soho

There are only a handful of Sri Lankan restaurants in London – but by far the best one is Kolamba. Although small and intimate, the flavours are big and powerful – like Aunty Mo’s chatti roast, a moreish combination of slow-cooked beef, hoppers (noodles), and fragrant coconut gravy. Sri Lankan food is also known for its freshness, and this comes across beautifully in dishes like the sweet and sour pineapple fry – a great accent to the richer, curry-style plates.

Donia

Kingly Court has got a new queen – and her name is Donia. The small Filipino restaurant opened at the back end of last year to huge critical acclaim, and the hype has yet to die down. Big, bold flavours sizzle across every plate, with dishes like lamb shoulder pie (a football of meaty, tomatoey goodness) and crab-topped prawn and pork dumplings becoming instant classics. First visit? Order the skewers, the pie, and the dumplings – then immediately book a second reservation to try the rest.

Manzi’s

When we say this is a sea-themed restaurant, we don’t mean there are a few fishing nets strung about and the odd shell-patterned plate. We mean there are marble mermaids, painted frescoes lined with glowing clams, and a huge, wall-mounted marlin. Given all that, it’s hardly surprising that you’ll be dining on seafood here; the scallops are good, as are the mussels (order some fries to soak up the sauce), and you can’t beat sitting at the mermaidy bar with a Seaside Spritz.

Bocca di Lupo

Given the buzz at this Italian restaurant, you might think it was new to Soho’s scene. But Bocca di Lupo has been delighting diners with its trattoria-style food since 2008 – and there’s no sign of the hype dying down. The menu aims to take you on a tour around Italy, with the origin of each dish noted on the menu; you could begin in Rome with some fritti, move to Puglia for taglionini, and finish in Piedmont for dessert. Want gelato to go? Pop into the restaurant’s ice cream shop, Gelupo, over the road.

Evelyn’s Table

If you squeeze down the narrow staircase at the back of The Blue Posts, you won’t find a beer cellar. Instead, you’ll arrive at a 12-seat, Michelin-starred chef’s counter run by ex-HIDE head chef James Goodyear. How Soho. There are two sittings per evening (6pm and 8:45pm), and the overall atmosphere is much more relaxed than other formal fine dining experiences; you almost feel as though you’re dining amongst friends. A word of warning: being a former cellar, don’t expect too much personal space – this is one of London’s more petite restaurants.

Quo Vadis

For anyone who has forgotten their high school Latin, quo vadis translates as ‘where are you going?’. Meaning that, when debating where to dine in Soho, Quo Vadis is quite literally the question and the answer. The charismatic address has been sitting on Dean Street since the 1920s and offers a slice of old-school Soho – stained glass windows, smoked eel sandwiches, and all. Serious foodie? Keep an eye out for its ‘Quo Vadis & Friends’ series where QV teams up with some of London’s best restaurants.

Kebab Queen

It’s only in Soho that you’d find a fine-dining counter restaurant dedicated to kebabs. Oh, and it’s hidden inside another restaurant – and is a strictly plate-free environment (the food is served directly onto the heated counter). Intrigued? This is Kebab Queen – a 10-seat, fine-dining spot tucked under Maison Bab that will challenge your perception of kebabs forever. Forget doner; you’ll be eating celeriac terrines, kattaifi cannoli, and duck manti here, all washed down by an excellent wine flight.

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