Noble Rot Soho

Summary

“An admirable replacement for the Gay Hussar and a great sibling to the original Noble Rot” – this legendary Soho site (founded as the Gay Hussar in 1953, and closed in 2018) has been rejuvenated by Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew and re-opened in September 2020. Even in its heyday, the point of a meal here was to polish off a conspiratorial bottle of wine or two, rather than critiquing its stodgy Hungarian scoff. So its resurrection by a wine-focussed group feels like a true continuation of its former spirit and “there is no end to exploring the wine list” which recreates the excellence of the first Noble Rot; as does its “warm, knowledgeable and impressively passionate service”. The interior was always “really lovely” and retains its still old-fashioned looks, with dark wood-panelling and cartoons from Martin Rowson. Meanwhile “the food quality has been transformed for the better” (thank heavens!) with chef Paul Weaver (aided by input from The Sportsman’s Stephen Harris) “maintaining a more-than-respectful nod to the past” by including the odd Mitteleuropean note in what’s essentially a hearty, modern European menu. “Love it!”