Soho, Italian Restaurant Guide

“Paradise for Italian food lovers” – Jacob Kenedy’s “easygoing” yet “well-run” and immensely popular operation, a short walk from Piccadilly CIrcus, is one of the most culinarily interesting destinations in town (especially of the “reasonably priced” variety). “It’s not just your standard Italian trat fayre, yet neither is it merely über-trendy small plates”. Instead, an “unrivalled selection of vigorous and distinctive dishes are labelled by region and available in two sizes” (tapas-style or ‘main’). “Dishes are from all over Italy, change regularly” and “are often unusual (for example fried calf’s foot)”. There’s also “a terrific Italian wine list (available by the carafe), with knowledgeable advice available at all price levels”. “Go early if possible, as it can get too buzzy” and “vibrant” and “is quite packed-in” (although most reporters feel that “the food justifies any lack of comfort”). “Sit at the counter for a bird’s-eye-view of the chefs” (although these perches in particular can feel “high, cramped and noisy”). “I think I have eaten over 75 times at Bocca and the food and team there remain at the top of their game – the food is always different and amazingly authentic to its origins”. Top Menu Tip: “great puddings including the signature sanguinaccio (blood, pistachio, chocolate)”.

“For what it is, this small spin-off from the well-known Italian deli is a great way to dine casually, including at the bar” – Soho institution, Lina Stores (est 1944) has opened this nearby, snappily decorated, no-reservations pit-stop, with a 12-seater kitchen counter and 50 covers over two floors. Early reports praise its “exceptional, cheap ’n’ cheerful food” – the pasta is the star – and to say that the newspaper reviewers have gushed would be an understatement.

“Still the best espresso in the capital”, say fans of this 24/7 veteran, now in its 70th year and little changed, and where posing elbow-to-elbow with other late night denizens of Soho, or squeezing in to watch Italian footie, is a London rite of passage. There are light bites, but they aren’t the point.

“A funky and friendly Italian in Soho that’s the total opposite of all the Italian chain eateries in the area”. “Staff are a joy (if sometimes overworked)” and put “real care into providing good portions of very tasty food”. Top Tip: “terrific vermouth cocktails at the welcoming bar”.

Part of the Salt Yard Group – this “lovely little dining room” off Carnaby Street has won a reputation for its “excellent quality” Spanish and Italian tapas. All reports here remain upbeat, but – while the most enthusiastic feels the cooking “never fails to impress” – since the departure of Ben Tish, the chain’s chef-director, ratings have slipped and the most sceptical regulars feel the “food has fallen from delicious to mediocre”.

Russell Norman’s ‘bacaro’ in the middle of Soho (behind what used to be called Raymond’s Revue Bar) won solid ratings this year for its menu of Venetian small plates: “The food always has an extra something beyond Polpo and the price is about the same”.

As “a pasta pit-stop”, Stevie Parle’s “buzzy and canteen-like” Soho yearling (“well-located” in Kingly Court) wins a fair amount of praise as a “good-value-for-money” option around shopping or before a movie. On the downside, some who were “hoping for big things” given Parle’s reputation felt it fell short – in particular, “amateurish” service can take the gloss off the experience.

This “busy coffee shop with wonderful cakes” is the Soho outpost of a smart Milanese bakery, with self-service from the counter from breakfast until late at night, providing upmarket fast food, including pizzas.