Best Restaurants in Soho London: A Local Dining Guide

Finding good restaurants in Soho is rarely a question of choice. The harder part is deciding where to eat when several very different restaurants are within a few minutes’ walk of one another.

Soho covers a compact part of London’s West End, stretching around streets such as Dean Street, Frith Street, Greek Street, Brewer Street, Lexington Street, Wardour Street and Old Compton Street. It also sits close to Chinatown, Carnaby Street, Oxford Street and the theatres around Shaftesbury Avenue, making it one of the most convenient areas in central London for a meal before a show, a long dinner with friends or a quick lunch.

The food is just as varied. You can find Thai barbecue, Persian cooking, Sri Lankan dishes, modern Turkish food, Spanish small plates, Indian sharing dishes, Italian pasta and traditional British cooking within a relatively small area.

This guide looks at some of the best restaurants in Soho for different occasions rather than treating every restaurant as though it offers the same experience. Some are suited to a special dinner, while others work better for a casual lunch, a pre-theatre meal, sharing food or a walk-in visit.

Best Restaurants in Soho at a Glance

Restaurant	Cuisine	Best for	Booking
Impala	North African / Egyptian-influenced	Modern dining	Recommended
Kid	Turkish	Fire cooking and sharing	Recommended
Quo Vadis	British	Classic Soho dining	Recommended
Mountain	Spanish / Basque-influenced	Wood-fired cooking	Recommended
Kiln	Thai	Bold flavours and seafood	Walk-ins
Bubala	Middle Eastern-inspired	Vegetarian sharing	Recommended
Berenjak	Persian	Persian sharing dishes	Recommended
Barrafina Dean Street	Spanish	Tapas and counter dining	Walk-in
Andrew Edmunds	Modern European	Romantic dinner	Recommended
Rita’s	Modern American	Dinner and drinks	Recommended
Dishoom Carnaby	Indian	Breakfast, lunch or dinner	Walk-ins available
Padella Soho	Italian	Fresh pasta	Recommended

Restaurant policies, menus and opening hours can change, so check the venue directly before travelling.

12 Best Restaurants in Soho

1. Impala – Modern North African Cooking

Impala is one of the newer names on Soho’s restaurant scene and has quickly attracted attention for its North African and Egyptian-influenced cooking.

Located on Dean Street, the restaurant is led by chef Meedu Saad, whose background includes working at Kiln. The menu brings together North African flavours with French and Thai influences, with dishes built around grilling, smoke, spice, acidity and seasonal ingredients.

The food is more ambitious than the description of a neighbourhood grill might suggest. There are vegetable dishes, seafood and meat, with the menu designed to work well when several plates are shared.

Impala is a good option for diners who want something contemporary without moving into formal fine dining.

• Good for: Dinner, food-focused occasions and sharing.
• What to consider: This is a restaurant for people who want to explore the menu rather than simply order a familiar dish.

The restaurant currently takes reservations for tables of one to six and also has counter seating for walk-in guests. It is at 13–14 Dean Street.

2. Kid – Modern Turkish Cooking Over Fire

One of the significant Soho openings of 2026, Kid brings chef Sertaç Dirik’s interpretation of Turkish cooking to Frith Street.

Dirik previously worked at the family restaurant Mangal II and developed his cooking through experience in London and Copenhagen. Kid is his first standalone restaurant, created with restaurateur David Carter.

The menu draws heavily on Central Anatolian cooking, with Turkish breads, meze, grilled dishes and cooking over charcoal and in a wood oven. The restaurant’s name also refers to one of its headline dishes: slow-cooked goat.

This is a useful choice for diners who enjoy restaurants where the cooking method is central to the experience. Fire, smoke and charcoal are important elements rather than decorative touches.

The restaurant opened at 53–55 Frith Street in September 2026, with the entrance on Bateman Street.

• Good for: Turkish food, sharing and dinner with friends.
• What to consider: The menu is more adventurous than a conventional Turkish restaurant, so diners looking specifically for standard kebabs may find the format different.

3. Quo Vadis – Classic Soho Dining

Quo Vadis has a very different character from Soho’s newer restaurants.

Situated on Dean Street, the restaurant has been part of the Soho story since 1926 and now operates under chef Jeremy Lee, whose cooking focuses on seasonal British ingredients and classic dishes.

The restaurant is particularly useful when you want a proper sit-down meal that feels distinctly connected to Soho rather than a contemporary restaurant concept that could be located anywhere.

The menu changes with the seasons, but the cooking includes British produce and dishes with a strong classical influence. The setting is also part of the appeal, with a traditional dining room and the history of the building adding context to the meal.

Quo Vadis is also a private members’ club, although the restaurant itself accepts general bookings.

• Good for: British food, business lunches, anniversaries and a slower dinner.
• What to consider: This is not the place to choose if you want a fast, inexpensive meal.

A useful option for visitors is the Soho Set Menu, which currently offers two courses for £30 or three for £35 during specified lunch and dinner periods. Menus and availability should be checked before booking.

4. Mountain – Spanish Cooking and Wood-Fired Dishes

Mountain on Beak Street is one of Soho’s established destinations for modern Spanish cooking.

The restaurant comes from chef Tomos Parry and the team behind Brat, with wood-fired cooking playing a major role. The menu is built around ingredients rather than a rigid sequence of conventional courses, and many dishes are designed for sharing.

It has a Michelin star in the 2026 Michelin Guide, putting it firmly into the conversation for diners looking for a more ambitious Soho meal.

The restaurant is particularly interesting for groups because the menu includes dishes that can be shared alongside smaller plates. The open kitchen and wood grill also make the cooking visible from parts of the dining room.

• Good for: Special dinners, groups and Spanish-inspired food.
• What to consider: Larger dishes can make the final bill considerably higher than a casual Soho meal.

Mountain is at 16–18 Beak Street and accepts reservations for groups of one to ten, with counter seating available for walk-ins.

5. Kiln – Thai Cooking on Brewer Street

Kiln remains one of the key names to know when searching for restaurants in Soho.

At 58 Brewer Street, the restaurant concentrates on Thai cooking, particularly dishes influenced by the country’s street food, grilling and regional cooking traditions.

The kitchen uses grills, clay pots and intense heat, producing food with plenty of smoke, chilli, herbs and acidity. Seafood is an important part of the menu, although there are meat and vegetable dishes as well.

Kiln is also useful when you want a lively meal rather than a formal restaurant experience.

The restaurant currently operates on a walk-in basis rather than taking pre-booked reservations. That makes it a practical option for spontaneous meals, although you may need to wait at busy times.

• Good for: Thai food, casual dinners, and adventurous eaters.
• What to consider: Groups should arrive together, as the restaurant’s current policy is to seat complete parties.

6. Bubala – Vegetable-Focused Middle Eastern Cooking

Bubala Soho on Poland Street is particularly useful for vegetarians and anyone who enjoys sharing dishes.

The restaurant takes inspiration from Middle Eastern flavours and puts vegetables at the centre of much of its cooking. Rather than treating vegetarian food as an alternative menu, Bubala builds the meal around dishes designed to be shared.

The restaurant’s “Bubala Knows Best” set menu is intended to make ordering straightforward, with a selection of dishes arriving in waves.

That format makes Bubala a strong option for groups where people want to try several things rather than order individual main courses.

• Good for: Vegetarians, sharing meals and relaxed dinners.
• What to consider: The small-plate format can encourage ordering several dishes, so check the menu and portions before deciding how much food you need.

Bubala Soho is at 15 Poland Street.

7. Berenjak – Persian Food on Romilly Street

Berenjak Borough

Berenjak offers a different side of Soho’s Middle Eastern food scene, concentrating on Persian cuisine.

The restaurant is at 27 Romilly Street and was founded by chef Kian Samyani. Its cooking draws on Iranian home-style food, with small mazeh-style dishes, charcoal-grilled kebabs, rice, salads and khoresht.

The format works particularly well for sharing. Rather than approaching the menu like a conventional three-course restaurant, diners can order several dishes and build a meal around rice, grilled food, dips and vegetables.

Berenjak is also a useful option for people looking for Persian food specifically rather than a broad Middle Eastern menu.

• Good for: Persian food, group dinners and sharing.
• What to consider: The menu is best approached as a collection of dishes for the table.

8. Barrafina Dean Street – Spanish Tapas at the Counter

For a more informal meal, Barrafina’s original Dean Street restaurant remains an important Soho address.

The restaurant operates from a counter, with diners sitting close to the kitchen and watching dishes being prepared. The format is quite different from a conventional table-service restaurant.

The Dean Street branch is walk-in only, unlike some of the other Barrafina locations. It also has a covered and heated terrace at the front.

The menu focuses on Spanish food, including tapas-style dishes and daily specials. It is particularly well suited to one or two people who enjoy counter dining and don’t mind waiting for a seat.

• Good for: Spanish food, solo diners, couples and casual lunches.
• What to consider: There are no reservations at the Dean Street branch, so timing matters.

Barrafina Dean Street is at 26–27 Dean Street, close to Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square and Oxford Circus.

9. Andrew Edmunds – Old Soho Atmosphere

Andrew Edmunds offers something increasingly unusual in central London: a restaurant where the atmosphere is closely tied to the history and layout of the building.

Established in 1985, it occupies an 18th-century Georgian townhouse on Lexington Street. The restaurant serves seasonal Modern European food, with the menu changing according to available ingredients.

The setting is intimate, with closely spaced tables, candlelit rooms and a traditional Soho feel. The wine list is another reason diners seek it out.

It is particularly well placed for a romantic dinner or pre-theatre meal, with several West End theatres within walking distance.

The restaurant accepts bookings and advises customers to book ahead.

• Good for: Date nights, wine and pre-theatre dining.
• What to consider: The townhouse setting means accessibility is more limited than in many modern restaurants, so guests with access requirements should contact the restaurant before booking.

Andrew Edmunds is at 46 Lexington Street.

10. Rita’s – Modern American Cooking

Rita’s on Lexington Street takes a modern American approach while working with British and European produce.

The restaurant was founded in 2012 and is led by chef-owner Gabriel Pryce and beverage director Missy Flynn. Its menus are seasonal, with meat and fish sourced according to the restaurant’s stated sustainability approach.

The atmosphere is less formal than a traditional fine-dining restaurant, making it suitable for dinner, drinks, and a more relaxed evening.

Rita’s also accepts walk-ins when space allows, which can be useful if online availability is limited.

• Good for: Dinner, drinks, and modern American-influenced food.
• What to consider: The restaurant is relatively small and seating arrangements vary, so larger groups need to check availability in advance.

Rita’s is at 49 Lexington Street.

11. Dishoom Carnaby – Indian Food Across the Day

Dishoom Carnaby

Dishoom Carnaby is one of the more accessible choices on this list.

Situated on Kingly Street, it serves food inspired by the Irani cafés of Bombay, with breakfast, lunch and dinner available. The menu includes vegetarian and vegan choices alongside meat and seafood.

One practical advantage is the restaurant’s approach to walk-ins. Bookings are available for certain times and group sizes, while many tables are kept for walk-in customers.

It can therefore work for several different occasions: an early breakfast, lunch around Carnaby Street, or dinner before heading to a West End show.

• Good for: Breakfast, groups, vegetarian diners and casual Indian food.
• What to consider: The restaurant can become busy in the evening and at weekends. Dishoom advises that queues can form during busier periods.

Dishoom Carnaby is at 22 Kingly Street, with Oxford Circus the nearest Tube station.

12. Padella Soho – Fresh Pasta Near Carnaby Street

Padella’s Soho opening gives pasta lovers another reason to head towards the southern end of Carnaby Street.

The restaurant comes from the team behind the original Padella in Borough Market and its Shoreditch location. The Soho restaurant occupies two floors and focuses on fresh pasta.

It is a useful choice when the priority is a relatively focused Italian meal rather than an extensive menu. Pasta dishes are the central attraction, with the restaurant’s established approach to hand-rolled pasta carried into its West End location.

• Good for: Pasta, casual dinners and pre-theatre meals.
• What to consider: It is a pasta-focused restaurant, so diners wanting a broader Italian menu may prefer another option.

The Soho restaurant is just off the southern end of Carnaby Street.

Which Soho Restaurant Should You Choose?

The right restaurant depends largely on what you want from the meal.

If you want…	Consider
Modern Turkish food	Kid
North African flavours	Impala
Classic British cooking	Quo Vadis
Michelin-starred Spanish cooking	Mountain
Thai food	Kiln
Vegetarian sharing dishes	Bubala
Persian food	Berenjak
Spanish tapas	Barrafina
Romantic old-school Soho atmosphere	Andrew Edmunds
Modern American cooking	Rita’s
Indian food across the day	Dishoom Carnaby
Fresh pasta	Padella

This is more useful than choosing a restaurant simply because it appears on a generic “best restaurants” list. Soho’s restaurants cater to very different occasions, budgets and dining styles.

Best Restaurants in Soho for Different Occasions

For a special occasion

Mountain, Quo Vadis and Impala are worth considering when the meal itself is the main event.

Mountain has the strongest fine-dining credentials of the three, while Quo Vadis offers a more traditional London restaurant experience. Impala is a newer option for diners interested in contemporary cooking and unfamiliar flavour combinations.

For a date night

Andrew Edmunds and Rita’s are particularly suited to a relaxed evening.

Andrew Edmunds has a more traditional, intimate setting, while Rita’s has a contemporary restaurant-and-bar feel.

For a group dinner

Bubala, Berenjak, Kid and Mountain all lend themselves to sharing food.

For groups, booking is sensible because Soho restaurants can become busy quickly, particularly around Friday and Saturday evenings.

For a casual meal

Kiln and Barrafina Dean Street are useful choices if you prefer not to plan too far ahead.

Both have walk-in elements, although that does not guarantee an immediate table during busy periods.

For vegetarians

Bubala is particularly relevant because its cooking puts vegetables at the centre of the menu. Dishoom also has a substantial vegetarian offering, while many Soho restaurants provide vegetarian dishes alongside meat and seafood.

Eating in Soho Before a West End Show

Soho is surrounded by London’s West End theatres, which makes timing one of the most important considerations when choosing a restaurant.

For a pre-theatre meal, look for restaurants where the kitchen operates early enough to give you a comfortable margin before the performance.

Andrew Edmunds, Quo Vadis, Dishoom and several of the restaurants around Carnaby Street can work well depending on the show location and reservation time.

Allow more time than the walking distance alone suggests. Soho’s streets can be busy, tables can run late, and some restaurants have fixed dining times for certain bookings.

A sensible approach is to book earlier than you think you need and leave enough time to walk to the theatre without rushing.

Getting to Soho for Dinner

Soho is served by several Underground stations, so the most convenient station depends on which part of the neighbourhood you are visiting.

Tottenham Court Road

Useful for restaurants around the eastern and northern edges of Soho, including parts of Dean Street, Greek Street and Frith Street.

Oxford Circus

A practical choice for Carnaby Street, Kingly Street and the northern side of Soho.

Piccadilly Circus

Useful for the southern and western parts of Soho, particularly around Shaftesbury Avenue and nearby streets.

Leicester Square

Convenient for restaurants around the southern end of Soho and the Chinatown boundary.

Walking is often straightforward once you arrive. TfL’s West End walking information, for example, identifies short walking routes between Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road and Piccadilly Circus, with Soho sitting between these central points.

Do You Need to Book a Soho Restaurant?

Not always.

Some Soho restaurants are deliberately geared towards walk-in dining, while others can be difficult to get into without a reservation.

Book ahead when:

• You are visiting on Friday or Saturday evening.
• You have a larger group.
• You are dining before a theatre show.
• You have specific dietary or accessibility requirements.
• You want a particular time.
• You are visiting a small restaurant with limited seating.

Try a walk-in when:

• Your schedule is flexible.
• You are dining alone or as a couple.
• You are happy to eat at the counter.
• You can visit outside peak hours.
• The restaurant specifically operates a walk-in system.

Kiln and Barrafina Dean Street are examples where the current walk-in approach can be useful. Dishoom also keeps tables available for walk-in customers, although queues can develop.

Is Soho Expensive for Eating Out?

Soho covers a wide range of prices.

A quick meal, noodles, Indian dishes or pasta can cost considerably less than a long dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Sharing-style restaurants can also appear affordable at first but become more expensive when several dishes, drinks and desserts are ordered.

Before booking, consider:

• Number of courses
• Portion sizes
• Whether dishes are intended for sharing
• Drinks
• Service charge
• Theatre timing
• Set-menu requirements
• Minimum spends for private dining or groups

The best way to compare restaurants is therefore not simply by headline price. Look at the complete format of the meal.

How to Choose the Best Restaurant in Soho

Use this five-step approach if you are unfamiliar with the area.

1. Start with the cuisine: Soho is strong across many cuisines, so decide what you actually want to eat before looking at individual restaurants.
2. Match the restaurant to the occasion: A quiet anniversary dinner requires a different setting from a quick lunch before shopping around Carnaby Street.
3. Check the booking policy: Do not assume every Soho restaurant takes reservations. Some are walk-in only or hold significant numbers of tables for walk-ins.
4. Check the menu: Menus change frequently, particularly at restaurants that work heavily with seasonal produce. Check the current menu if you have allergies, dietary restrictions, or a specific dish in mind.
5. Check the location: Soho is compact, but a restaurant on Beak Street is not necessarily convenient for a theatre near Leicester Square or a show near Oxford Circus. Allow time to walk between venues.

Why Soho Has So Many Good Restaurants

Part of Soho’s appeal comes from its location and history.

The neighbourhood sits at the centre of the West End, close to Chinatown, Mayfair, Covent Garden, Oxford Street and Regent Street. It has also developed through successive waves of immigration and cultural change, which is reflected in the range of food available.

That history is visible in the streets themselves. Dean Street, Greek Street, Frith Street, Brewer Street and Old Compton Street all have different characters, while Chinatown begins immediately to the south.

The result is a dining area where traditional restaurants can sit alongside new openings without creating a single dominant style.

For visitors, that variety is one of Soho’s biggest advantages. A single evening can move from Persian food to Turkish cooking, Spanish tapas or British dishes without travelling far.

FAQ

Final Thoughts

The best restaurants in Soho are not necessarily the restaurants with the most famous names. Soho works because it offers different answers to different dining needs.

Choose Quo Vadis or Andrew Edmunds when the setting and classic cooking matter. Try Kiln or Barrafina when you want a more informal meal. Bubala and Berenjak make sense for sharing, while Mountain offers a more ambitious Spanish-inspired experience. For something newer, Impala and Kid bring contemporary approaches to North African and Turkish cooking.

Before setting off, check the restaurant’s current menu, opening hours, and booking policy. Soho changes quickly, and the practical details can be just as important as the food when planning a meal in central London.