Soho’s Best Shops, Bars and Food!

Soho is one of the most awesome areas in London, More theatres than you could possibly fathom, a true shopping paradise, bar and clubs climbing over each other to serve you up a night to remember, and more great places to eat than any other part of London.

All these places can be easily reached from Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road or Leicester Square tube stations. Shopping areas are listed first, followed by theatres, then bars and clubs, and finally restaurants. We love these places!

Berwick Street

Welcome to a diverse assortment of food, clothes, fashion accessories and saloons.

Here you will find every major ethnicity in Britain with their signature traditional goods. This street does not get very crowded, unlike the rest of the landmarks in Soho, so you can enjoy your shopping escapades peacefully.

Address: Berwick Street, London W1F 0PH
Website: berwickstreetlondon.co.uk

Carnaby Street

This street has been the home to suave fashion houses as well as quaint independent boutiques since the 1960s.

Here, you will be acquainted with every trending fashion statement. Style enthusiasts in London come to shop here for its reasonable prices, albeit the crowds can really swell at the weekends.

Address: Carnaby Street, London W1F 9PB
Website: www.carnaby.co.uk

Kingly Court

This area is an extension of Carnaby Street, made for all the foodies. It has an extensive food court with an array of multi-cuisine stalls, along with fine dining restaurants. These fill the neighbourhood with the mouth-watering aromas of delicious preparations.

Moreover, during holidays, especially Christmas, the whole place is lit up with decoration and festive fever.

Address: Kingly Street, London W1B 5PW
Website: www.carnaby.co.uk

Oxford Street

Oxford Street is the heart line of London, with every major brand trying to seek a place on its perennially busy premises. With labels like Zara, Russell and Bromley, and Selfridges, it is a fashionista’s go-to destination for serious no-nonsense shopping. Here, you can go through all the latest collections and trends on the market. Additionally, it also caters to cheap high street shopping needs with jumbo departmental stores.

Address: Oxford Street, London W1D 2JH
Website: www.oxfordstreet.co.uk/shopping/

Regent Street

With the tradition of magnificent Christmas decorations and a year-round lively vibe, this street adds to London’s regal charm.

You can shop for the best of everything, as all the shops have the latest updated collections.

Its royal origin and age-old construction is evident from its wide buildings and pavements, with beautiful street lamps.

Address: Regent Street, London W1B 4HT
Website: www.regentstreetonline.com/

Gielgud Theatre

This theatre is nothing less than a landmark in Soho.

Formerly known as the Globe Theatre, this place has staged legendary plays like And Then There Were None and There’s a Girl in My Soup, along with renditions of many Shakespere plays.

It was refurbished twice and was renamed as Gielgud Theatre in honour of the great theatre actor John Gielgud.

Address: Shaftesbury Avenue, Westminster, London W1D 6AR
Website: www.delfontmackintosh.co.uk/Theatres/gielgud_theatre.asp

Prince Edward Theatre

Known for long-running stellar performances of critically acclaimed musicals, this theatre has had a rollercoaster of a history.

Edward A. Stone established it in the 1930s, but soon turned it into a cabaret hall in 1935. Along with its reputation, its structure was also destroyed by air raids in WW2.

However, it saw excellent restoration projects and was re-opened to the public as a theatre again in 1942, with a staggering capacity of 1,650.

Address: 28 Old Compton Street, London W1D 4HS
Website: www.princeedwardtheatre.co.uk/

The Prince of Wales Theatre

A Grade II listed building with a beautiful art deco style interior. This has hosted some of the best musicals and dramas like the lively Mamma Mia! and Charlie Chaplin’s controversial play The Great Dictator, which was banned in most of Europe at the time.

It was built in 1884 and was named Prince of Wales 1886 in honour of Edward VII. Due to its rich background and gorgeous architecture, it is a Grade II listed building in London.

Address: 28 Old Compton Street, London W1D 4HS
Website: princeofwalestheater.com

Ambassador Theatre

Comparatively, this is one of the smaller theatres in London, with a seating capacity of just 446 people. Its most famous and long-running production has been Agatha Christie’s crime-thriller masterpiece The Mousetrap.

Locals, as well as tourists, frequent it equally, as it is a Grade II listed structure. Therefore, it is nearly impossible to get a seat here without reservations.

Address: West Street, London WC2H 9ND
Website: www.theambassadorstheatre.co.uk

Lyric Theatre

This majestic theatre has achieved a feat of retaining its old Edwardian charm. Even with two renovations and constant remodelling, it retains many of its architectural features from the original construction in 1888.

English Heritage listed it as a Grade II building in 1960.

Address: 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7ES
Website: www.nimaxtheatres.com/lyric-theatre/

The O Bar

With three floors of amazing decor with different styles, this lounge-bar-club is constructed in a way to suit the needs of people of all ages. It is always attracting crowds from the pre- and post-theatre routine. Predominantly tourists and shopping crowds who want to end their day with a few drinks.

Address: 83-85 Wardour Street, Soho, London W1D 6QE
Tel: 0207 434 9413
Website: www.obarsoho.com

Bar Italia

After a long night out at one of Soho’s clubs or theatres, this is the place to come for an invigorating cup of the best coffee in Soho.

Their age-old Gaggia espresso machine still makes coffee from fresh beans, continuing the tradition since its first day of opening in 1949. The majority of its interior also remains the same, also with cheerful staff!

Address: 22 Frith Street, London W1D 4RF
Tel: 0207 437 4520
Website: baritaliasoho.co.uk

Ronnie Scott’s

Less of a club and more of an institute and platform for the best jazz musicians from around the world, this place is one of the prides of Soho. It is the brainchild of Ronnie Scott, who was one of the best jazz musicians himself.

He founded this club in 1959. It was his dream to create Britain’s very own jazz scene, which this club has definitely achieved.

Address: 47 Frith Street, London W1D 4HT
Website: www.ronniescotts.co.uk

YallaYalla

This popular restaurant will leave you scrounging for seats during lunchtime.

Its reputation stems from its high-quality fresh ingredients and authentic taste of simple Lebanese cuisine. They have delicious dishes ranging from wraps to roasted meat. End with sweet baked delicacies which you can drown with a glass of exquisite Lebanese wine.

Address: 12 Winsley Street, London W1W 8HQ
Tel: 0207 637 4748
Website: yalla-yalla.co.uk

The Breakfast Club

This restaurant is part of a well-known chain across London, specializing in the most important meal of the day.

Their throwback to the 1980s interior creates a pleasant state of nostalgia. Bright yellow paint, records, exposed brick walls and even T-shirts with autographs from the original The Breakfast Club cast. They offer various breakfast and brunch platters, with something good from all parts of the world.

Address: 33 D’Arblay Street, London W1F 8EU
Tel: 0207 434 2571
Website: thebreakfastclubcafes.com

Imli Street

This upscale restaurant serves classic Indian dishes fused with elements from other cuisines. Like their star dish – naan pie, a combination of the classic Indian bread and shepherd’s pie. The interiors have been recently upgraded to exude an old-school industrial vibe, with hanging steel lamps and exposed brick walls.

Address: 167-169 Wardour Street, London W1F 8WR
Tel: 0207 287 4243
Website: www.imlistreet.com

Cinnamon Soho

Here talented chef Vivek Singh displays his ingenious creations. These are the highlight of this dimly lit, wood-panelled restaurant in the heart of Soho. He artfully weaves different flavours from international cuisines into homely Indian dishes. Want some Laal Mass, Punjabi lamb or beef vindaloo? They create masterpieces with a perfect balance of spices.

Address: 5 Kingly Street, London W1B 5PF
Tel: 0207 437 1664
Website: www.cinnamonsoho.com

10 Greek Street

When you are offered exemplary Greek dishes with a contemporary twist, it is bound to gain attention. This restaurant focuses its energies on serving seasonal delicacies with fresh flavour combinations. This all comes at an extremely affordable price.

Super crowded, so not for a quiet chat, and remember, no reservation policy.

Address: 10 Greek Street, London W1D 4DH
Tel: 0207 734 4677
Website: www.10greekstreet.com

Balls & Company

Specialization is a risk that only the confident and courageous can take. This restaurant definitely excels in its specialized cooking! They offer dishes developed using meatballs of every kind, some even without meat.

It is an impressive restaurant, which makes no compromise when it comes to precision flavours, while being light on your pocket.

Address: 58 Greek Street, London W1D 3DY
Tel: 0207 851 6688
Website: ballsandcompany.london

Babaji Pide

This restaurant came as a pleasant surprise to all Londoners who were used to hummus, lamb and pilaffs from Turkish cuisine.

This is a Turkish star chef’s new venture and is already a success with delicious pides (Turkish pizzas). The pides have a thin base and a heavenly assortment of fresh Mediterranean toppings.

Address: 53 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 6LB
Tel: 0203 327 3888
Website: www.babaji.com.tr

Bao

Its sleek interior with natural, bright lighting will instantly lighten your mood. Bao is a small space in Netil Market for steamed milk buns and other inventive Taiwanese eats and drinks.

The food adds to the casual appeal of this place, with light bits as well as spiced big burgers with succulent meat and fish.

Address: 53 Lexington Street, London W1F 9AS
Website: baolondon.com

Barrafina

This stylish Spanish tapas-style restaurant has a modernistic allure, with interiors decked in white and chrome.

It has a lively and vibrant atmosphere with friendly staff. Consequently, you will have to get here at least an hour before if you want to dine here. They do not take reservations and they are always entertaining a full house, especially on weekends.

Address: 54 Frith Street, London W1D 4SL
Website: barrafina.co.uk

Bó Drake

Some people call this a Korexican restaurant. It is essentially an east Asian barbecue restaurant with a shade of influence from the feisty Mexican cuisine. It is already popular with foodies all across London who want to experience its fabled experimental cuisine.

The ambience is light and casual, where you can enjoy your meal and a quiet evening with your loved ones and take advantage of their lovely service.

Address: 6 Greek Street, London W1D 4DE
Website: bodrake.co.uk

Bocca di Lupo

Bocca Di Lupo translates to mean good luck, and you will definitely brand yourself lucky if you are to dine at this wonderful place. The interior is classy and sophisticated, and they make you feel at home.

They have some marvellous creations on the menu. Like the buttery brown shrimp served with creamy polenta and mouth-watering deep-fried calamari cooked to the right consistency. It lives up to the hype, but be ready to shell out a heavy amount of cash.

Address: 12 Archer Street, London W1D 7BB
Tel: 0207 734 2223
Website: boccadilupo.com

Brasserie Zédel

This is a gem of a place, with a gorgeous art deco interior in an extensive and winding basement.

Its serves traditionally cooked French food with a delectable and tasteful selection of wine. This makes this opulent restaurant equally attractive to tourists as well as locals. Also, do not be fooled by its magnificence, for its menu is reasonably priced, with two-course meals starting at just £10.

Address: 20 Sherwood Street, London W1F 7ED
Tel: 0207 734 4888
Website: brasseriezedel.com

Ceviche Soho

Ceviche Soho is one of those rare and brilliant restaurants. It offers rustic Peruvian food which Londoners have come to love.

The star dish of this restaurant is, of course, the ceviche preparation and its Pisco cocktails, whose fame alone draws a multitude of foodies here on a daily basis.

Address: 17 Frith Street, London W1D 4RG
Tel: 0207 292 2040
Website: cevicheuk.com

Chotto Matte

A newcomer on Frith Street, this restaurant offers an innovative, never-seen-before Japanese and Peruvian fusion cuisine. It yields dishes with a harmonious blend of rustic and raw flavours of fresh ingredients. Their cocktail and bar menu is inviting. In addition, this wonderful combination has been successful in attracting a loyal following among Londoners in a short span of time.

Address: 11-13 Frith Street, London W1D 4RB
Tel: 0207 042 7171
Website: chotto-matte.com

Well, we could go on and on with the kind of line up of restaurants and attractions Soho has. But this list will suffice to emphasise how important a part Soho plays in London. So just go to Soho and experience its magic for yourself!

The post Soho’s Best Shops, Bars and Food! appeared first on Felix Magazine.