Hardens Guide to the Best Restaurants in London Soho
Hardens guides have spent 33 years compiling reviews of the best Soho restaurants. On Hardens.com you'll find details and reviews of 224 restaurants in Soho and our unique survey based approach to rating and reviewing Soho restaurants gives you the best insight into the top restaurants in every area and of every type of cuisine.
Featured Soho Restaurants
1. San Carlo Cicchetti
Italian restaurant in Piccadilly
215 Piccadilly - W1
“For a quick bite” in touristy parts of town, all with a bit of affordable glam thrown in, these “closely packed” Italians with their wide range of Venetian-style Cicchetti have carved a sizeable following: fans say “the small-plates formula works well” and “the whole place buzzes”. Ratings came under more pressure this year, though, with service – generally “swift and charming” – sometimes found “rushed” or “rather random”.
2. Obicà Mozzarella Bar, Pizza e Cucina
Italian restaurant in Soho
19-20 Poland St - W1
“Surprisingly decent Italian fare… proper (and huge) pizza and pasta and, if you have room, pleasing puddings” carves an ongoing niche for these smartly decorated outposts of an international Italian chain (started in 2004), where – as the name hints – many dishes feature Mozzarella di Bufala.
3. SOLA
American restaurant in Soho
64 Dean Street - W1D
“THE place to go for top-class Californian cooking in London” – Victor Garvey’s Soho five-year-old may be “eye-wateringly expensive” (“the price, ooh la la!”) but serves “top-notch cooking well deserving of its Michelin star”. “SoLa is that rare place that sources genuinely top-class ingredients and cooks them to perfection”: presenting them in either a 10-course tasting menu for £139 per person, or 17-course tasting menu for £229 per person. There are also drinks pairings to the above (at £170 and £230 per person) and a “fabulous” wine list drawn mostly from the US (and primarily, but not exclusively, from the West Coast). Despite refurbishment two years ago, the café-style ambience is the weakest link in the experience.
4. Chotto Matte
Japanese restaurant in Soho
11-13 Frith St - W1
These clubby Nikkei haunts from former Nobu exec Kurt Zdesar in Soho and Marylebone have spawned an international group with outlets in North America and the Middle East – with Manchester scheduled to follow this year. The food can be “excellent”, and the joints are “buzzing” (so don’t go if you want a quiet evening, or the “thumping and repetitive club music spoils the dining experience”).
5. Ember Yard
Spanish restaurant in Soho
60 Berwick Street - W1
2021 Review: Up-and-down reports on this “lovely” Soho haunt, specialising in wood-fired, Mediterranean, grilled dishes – part of Salt Yard Group (all of which was absorbed into the Urban Pubs portfolio in November 2018). Fans applaud the “delicious tapas from this ever-reliable family” but quite a few reports express disappointment: “maybe there’s a sense it isn’t quite what it was”.
6. Zima Russian Restaurant
Russian restaurant in Soho
45 Frith Street - W1
Zima is a Russian Restaurant located in the heart of Soho offering traditional Russian dishes with a modern twist.Treat yourself to the best priced caviar in London and other favourites of Russian cuisine, sip on our homemade selection of infused vodka and enjoy the wel...
7. Vasco & Piero’s Pavilion
Italian restaurant in Soho
11 D'Arblay Street - W1F
“Staff could not be nicer” at this veteran Soho Italian, which originally opened in 1971 but has shifted site twice in its lifetime (most recently in 2021, from nearby Poland Street). “The new venue is in the old style and it’s as good as ever”. Fans value “having a reliable, independent Italian in this part of London” and its “delightful”, personal approach particularly underpins its appeal. It also helps that the cooking is “very authentic” and “reliable” too: “standard dishes from a sensibly short menu but nicely done”.
8. Bentley’s
Fish & seafood restaurant in Piccadilly
11-15 Swallow St - W1
“I love Bentley’s!” – “You always come away happy and well fed” from Richard Corrigan’s carefully nurtured institution, which has a “lovely, old school feel that’s not too formal”; and which celebrates its 108th year in 2024. “Choose upstairs or down depending on your preferred level of formality”: “downstairs is jollier” – “the Oyster bar is an absolute favourite” – while “upstairs is more calm and quiet”. In both locations, you can enjoy “consistently great” fish and seafood prepared in a traditional style. And in summer, the “gorgeous”, big, heated terrace on the pavement outside comes into its own. Personable service is “attentive”, but “you are left in peace” when required and this is a “great and reliable central London business choice”. Top Menu Tip – “the dressed crab here is the best in town”; “wonderful oysters, and the specials are always worth checking out”.
9. Dehesa
Italian restaurant in Soho
25 Ganton Street - W1
“Still a really good location and format” – this Soho ‘tapas haven’ is increasingly forgotten about nowadays, but can still merit a visit. Its Italian/Spanish dishes “aren’t as good as they used to be” but are “solid, and better than many offerings in the area”; and there’s an interesting selection of drinks. Also, “it has a really relaxed style, but with all the vibe of neighbouring Carnaby Street”.
10. Wild Heart
Japanese restaurant in Westminster
20 Warwick Street - W1B
2023 Review: “Great name… even better food” say fans of this casual, Japanese-inspired dining experience within a Soho hotel, whose all-day dining possibilities (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea…) were conceived by star chef Garry Hollihead. Too limited feedback as yet, though, for a full rating of its mix of poke bowls, salads, sliders and main plates, complemented by an oriental cocktail list and sake menu.
11. Tapas Brindisa Soho
Spanish restaurant in Soho
46 Broadwick St - W1
This quintet of tapas bars from the well-known Iberian food importer attracts most attention for its locations – in particular its “lively and popular” original bar at the entrance to Borough Market; and most recent addition: a “lovely riverside spot overlooking the Thames at Richmond”. Despite its renown – and some praise for its “small plates but big flavours” – ratings are held down by prices many reporters consider “high” for what’s widely seen as “pretty standard tapas fare”.
12. The Ivy Soho Brasserie
British, Traditional restaurant in
26-28 Broadwick St - W1F
What does it say about the culinary tastes of the British middle classes that this spin-off chain, with about 40 locations based on the original Theatreland icon, has been such a rip-roaring success? True, there’s some “great people-watching” at the “always buzzing” Chelsea Garden venue (which has one of SW3’s best gardens). And, without doubt, those branches in Kensington, Tower Bridge and Kingston also particularly stand out amongst the rest for their “super atmosphere”. In general though, the knock-off look of their locations “isn’t a patch on the original on West Street, yet pretends to be exactly the same”. And when it comes to their brasserie dishes: although its many followers tout them as “acceptable, albeit nothing special”, their rating-average identifies them as “underwhelming tick-box fare”; all offered by service that’s very “indifferent”. And yet they are “always busy”! In June 2024, it was announced that billionaire Richard Caring had successfully sold his entire Ivy restaurants stake. Now that he is laughing all the way to the bank, it will be interesting to see if ratings reverse, continue or deepen their southward trend.
13. Bao Soho
Taiwanese restaurant in Soho
53 Lexington St - W1
“Eat in or take out, these buns are delicious” – the universally agreed take on this Taiwanese street-food operation founded 13 years ago by Shing Tat, his wife Erchen Chang and sister Wai Ting Chung, now with six sites across the capital and part of the JKS Restaurants group. The “good-value” filled steamed buns “really make you want to go back” – “I called in 3 times in the same afternoon!” – while “the noodles are fab, too”. The only real complaint concerns the settings, with some branches “far too cramped” given their popularity.
14. Andrew Edmunds
British, Modern restaurant in Soho
46 Lexington Street - W1F
“The perfect place to eavesdrop and/or bring a lover… it just screams (murmurs?) romantique!” – this “legendary Soho institution” has navigated the sad loss of its owner and founder in September 2022, and remains one of the Top-20 most commented-on destinations in our annual diners’ poll. Set in a “super-cosy”, Dickensian townhouse, its effortless charm bewitches all of the many who comment on it; and “long may its handwritten menus, its candles in bottles on the table, its tiny tables in the wood-panelled room and charming service continue”. “The range and quality of their legendary wine list at exceptional prices for London is the main gastronomic attraction, but their modern British food is pretty good too”: “never fussy, but always very well done and incredibly tasty”. “The church pew seating can get uncomfortable over a long sitting… nothing that another bottle of wine won’t solve!”. “I was worried it would decline after Andrew passed away, but the staff are doing his memory true service, continuing the Edmunds tradition of real hospitality: it is better than ever!”
15. Mildreds
Vegetarian restaurant in Soho
45 Lexington St - W1
“They succeed in making vegan food interesting!” at this successful chain, founded in Soho in 1988 and which is no longer merely veggie but since 2021 fully plant-based. “While packed and buzzy in set-up, it’s nevertheless a good destination for a healthy stopover” according to the many who commented on it in this year’s annual diners’ poll: “as a meat-eater, I was taken under sufferance but impressed!”. In May 2024, they added a new branch near Victoria coach station.
16. Rita's Soho
Mexican restaurant in Soho
49 Lexington Street - W1F
2023 Review: This well-travelled ten-year-old cult pop-up has been “a great addition to Soho” since it alighted in 2021 on the cute, quirky site formerly occupied by Aurora (RIP), opposite the venerable Andrew Edmunds on Lexington Street. Gabriel Price’s highly rated cooking takes an American-inspired approach to the best of English ingredients, pleasing critics as disparate as Jimi Famurewa and Tom Parker Bowles, while Missy Flynn looks after the front of house and guarantees “so much fun”.
17. temper Soho
BBQ restaurant in Soho
25 Broadwick Street - W1
“Fire-cooked” steaks, supplied from North Yorkshire, aged in-house and supplemented by “inventive” side dishes (tacos, parathas and more), are what put Neil Rankin’s BBQ group on the map, with its fifth site opening in Paddington Basin last winter followed by a smashburger spinoff in White City. But even fans can note that what “was once a firm favourite has declined” – service is often “a bit all over the place” and dishes can arrive “lacking genuine flavour”.
18. Inko Nito
Japanese restaurant in Soho
55 Broadwick Street - W1F
2022 Review: “Our daughters love this restaurant – especially the cubed steak and iceberg lettuce!”. This manifestly cool Soho three-year-old offers sushi and sashimi as well as a wide range of fish and meat from the robata grill.
19. Coqfighter
Chicken restaurant in Soho
75 Beak Street - W1F
The “divine chicken” at these funky East-meets-West outlets – founded by three mates who missed the Korean fried chicken they ate in Melbourne’s Chinatown – is “worth the pain of the uncomfortable seating and queue”. The business has graduated from home cooking and pub pop-ups to five permanent sites with a Soho flagship and a thriving delivery arm.
20. Yauatcha
Chinese restaurant in Soho
15-17 Broadwick St - W1
“Consistently excellent dim sum” served in a vibey setting that “even after so many years is still a fun, cool place to be” ensures continuing plaudits for these sleek venues (founded by Alan Yau in 2004 and nowadays an international brand owned by Tao Group Hospitality with three siblings in India and one in Saudi Arabia). Food aside, its two London branches are very different – the original, intimate ground floor and basement in Soho contrasting with the more “spectacular”, large, “light-filled” modern unit in the City’s Broadgate development. Both scored highly this year – “service appears to have become a bit less standoffish”; and “the only drawback is eating too much!”. Top Menu Tips – “Cheung fun, Venison Puff, Sichuan pork wonton and Wagyu beef puff are some of the tastiest things you can eat”.
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