Experiences
The 6 Best of Soho
A neighbourhood hub for Soho done properly: where to eat, where to drink, where to catch a late set, and the cafe to end the night. Six picks worth crossing town for, from Jeremy Lee's kitchen to a jazz room that has barely changed since 1959.
In short: our top picks are Quo Vadis, Ronnie Scott's and Swift. 6 places in total, chosen on merit, with the full reasoning below.
Soho rewards people who know where they are going. The square half-mile between Regent Street and Charing Cross Road holds more good eating, drinking and watching than most cities manage in their entirety, but it hides the best of it behind unmarked doors and down narrow stairs, and it punishes the aimless with overpriced cocktails and queues for places that were good a decade ago. So this is not a list of everything. It is six rooms we would happily build an evening around, the sort you can string together on foot without ever waiting at a crossing for long. A British kitchen with stained glass and a colourful past. A basement that has heard Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker. A cocktail bar that splits its mood across two floors. A theatre that puts six shows a night across three stages. An Italian counter where the orecchiette is the smartest order in the postcode. And the cafe that never properly closes, which is where Soho nights tend to end whether you planned it or not. Real places, current as of this year, with the doors and the URLs to prove it.
| Place | Area | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Quo Vadis | Dean Street, Soho | £££ |
| Ronnie Scott's | Frith Street, Soho | £££ |
| Swift | Old Compton Street, Soho | ££ |
| Soho Theatre | Dean Street, Soho | ££ |
| Bocca di Lupo | Archer Street, Soho | £££ |
| Bar Italia | Frith Street, Soho |
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Editor’s choice
Quo Vadis
Why we pick itThe grande dame of Dean Street, once home to Karl Marx and now Jeremy Lee's kitchen, where the menu changes monthly and the smoked eel sandwich has a quiet cult of its own. Stained glass keeps the room private and the cocktails old-school, which is exactly how you want it.
British restaurant and private members' club
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Ronnie Scott's
Why we pick itOpen since 1959 and still the room every touring musician wants to play, this low-lit basement has hosted Ella Fitzgerald, Chet Baker and Nina Simone on its tiny stage. Two shows most nights, dinner and cocktails at the table, and a late set that runs looser than the first. Book a table; the standing area is for the brave.
Jazz club and live music room
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Swift
Why we pick itTwo bars, two moods. Upstairs is bright and quick, built for an aperitivo and a glass of something cold before dinner. Downstairs is the proper Soho basement: low light, a wall of whisky and headier mixes, with live jazz on Sundays. A regular on the World's 50 Best Bars list, and it earns it. No bookings down below, so time your arrival.
Cocktail bar across two floors
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Soho Theatre
Why we pick itThree stages, one busy bar and upwards of six shows a night, which makes this the place to gamble on something you have never heard of. New writing in the main house, stand-up that goes on to sell out arenas, and a downstairs cabaret room that is as Soho as it gets. Listings turn over weekly, so check before you go and book the room, not just the night.
Theatre, comedy and cabaret
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Bocca di Lupo
Why we pick itJacob Kenedy's cooking travels the length of Italy, with every dish labelled by region, from Venetian fried squid to a Calabrian stew you won't find easily elsewhere. Sit at the marble counter, order the orecchiette and a glass of something Sicilian, and you have made one of the smartest moves in the postcode. Book for a table; the bar takes walk-ins.
Regional Italian restaurant
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Bar Italia
Why we pick itRun by the same family since 1949, open from breakfast until around three in the morning, and the natural full stop to any Soho night. The counter is the most atmospheric in London, the coffee is properly Italian, and the blue plaque over the door marks where Logie Baird first demonstrated television. Bowie and Bacon drank here; so can you, at any hour.
Italian cafe and Soho institution
Before you book
Soho is walkable end to end in about fifteen minutes, which is the whole point: book one thing, leave the rest to the night. Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Circus all sit on the edges, so you are never more than a few minutes from a Tube. Dinner needs booking ahead at Quo Vadis and on weekends at Bocca di Lupo, though Bocca’s marble counter takes walk-ins if you are happy to perch. Ronnie Scott’s runs two shows most nights and the later set is the looser one; reserve a table rather than chance the standing area. Swift takes no bookings downstairs, so go early or go late. Soho Theatre listings change weekly, so check what is on before you commit. And Bar Italia is open until the small hours, which makes it the natural full stop. Cash still moves quickest at the older spots, but every venue here takes cards.
Common questions
What are the top picks in this guide?
Quo Vadis is our editor's choice: The grande dame of Dean Street, once home to Karl Marx and now Jeremy Lee's kitchen, where the menu changes monthly and the smoked eel sandwich has a quiet cult of its own. Stained glass keeps the room private and the cocktails old-school, which is exactly how you want it. Quo Vadis, Ronnie Scott's and Swift lead the guide, with 6 places in total, all chosen on merit.
How does Lamplit London choose its recommendations?
Every place is chosen on merit, after first-hand visits where possible, with no pay-for-placement. Read our full method at https://www.lamplitlondon.com/how-we-choose/.
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