Soho Kitchen and Bar

Stopped by here to grab lunch and afternoon drinks with a friend, at his recommendation. Very pleasant place you could end up spending hours at. I ordered a double cheeseburger with chips and a mojito. The cheeseburger was a delight — really thick patties that warmed my soul with their scrumminess. The bun itself was really tasty too, being fried up and completely blowing away any new year resolutions I had to lose weight. Scrummy though.
The mojito was sweet and surprisingly strong given how much ice there was in it. Got me in the mood for a nice long conversation talking about life and everything else. Overall, a great place to hang out and spend an afternoon.

I came here for brunch and was initially skeptical of the ambiance (it certainly doesn’t feel like a diner!), but the food and great service did not disappoint. The waffles with bacon were the clear star of the morning– they were light and fluffy, the perfect combination of savory and sweet. We ordered the fried chicken in the hopes of combining it with the waffles, but the chicken wings were actually more of a Korean fried chicken with some kick to them– they were quite enjoyable but not the ‘chicken and waffles’ combo I had planned. The Eggs Royale was pretty good but not mind-​blowing. The service was lovely and attentive, and when the waitress noticed I had devoured the little homemade oatmeal cookies served with the coffees she even brought some extras, which was such a nice touch! I’d certainly recommend this restaurant for a casual brunch in a relaxed environment.

Best Bloody Mary in town. The cheeseburger and Philly cheesesteak were fantastic add in warm service and fair prices… done.

One of the best eggs Benedict’s I’ve ever had, and I eat a lot of Benedict’s. Early birds need not apply. Opens at noon. Cheers!

This place is like TGI Friday’s, but with more tourists. Teenagers with their moms and washed up dudes with their third wives. I ventured into Soho without a plan and paid the price by ending up here.
Crappy service, mediocre food and a euro trash-​on-​holiday atmosphere. Weak beer selection.
You were warned.

This place has a great atmosphere. We will be back when in the area. Music was great as well.

Centrally located, an awesome roster of food/​drink, and no wait on a crazy Saturday in Soho. What’s not to like?
It was a big weekend in London when I sauntered into Soho Kitchen and Bar. Not only was it the Queen’s birthday (with expected traffic delays and pomp and circumstance), but it was also the fateful date when hundreds of people annually ride their bikes completely naked through the center of town (way too many cyclists were using Barclay’s Bikes, but that’s a whole other story). Needless to say Soho was a madhouse in the late afternoon, so imagine my delight when this upscale diner was completely open to walk ups and I was able to procure a table for three immediately. Score.
The food and drinks could have been terrible and I’d have still given these guys a favorable review. Lucky for me that wasn’t the case. They have a lot of familiar comfort food items with several unique twists. Take their jalapeño croquettes with green yoghurt and honey fried chicken for instance. Not unlike what you might find elsewhere, but with special elements that set them apart nicely. And with cocktails coming in under the £10 range — both bespoke and on tap — it won’t break the bank either.
It’s the kind of all day hang you can feel comfortable in morning, noon, and night. Whenever you’re hankering for a bite, Soho Kitchen and Bar is a solid choice.

Burger: Really, really good. Very juicy and just all round excellent. Also fries came with some pretty awesome aioli
Cocktails: Meh. Not great. The list wasn’t extensive and the cocktails we got were generally disappointing
The rest: We were seated by the window. When the weather’s nice (I assume) they open the massive windows and since the inside and outside tables are literally right next to the window and the seats on the inside face directly out to the window, you do end up with a bunch of smoke in your face while you eat if you’re unlucky enough to have smokers opposite you (which I was). I would recommend requesting a table away from the window
tl;dr Don’t sit by the window. Eat the burger if you go: it’s damn good but nothing else lives up to it

This isn’t somewhere to come if you’re just hungry and just want to fill your belly, it’s a full on experience that you need to take some time out for, and should be savoured.
Recommended by my fellow elite Hazel, we went for a catch up, and as a result a few days later when in the area, I had to revisit.
I remember this place as the bohemian café, which I used to frequent a while back when I first came to London (and where I had, and fell in love with, gnocci, for the first time) and recall how fantastic the food was.
The décor and layout is exactly the same… think speakeasy, laid back brassiere, dimly lit, quality robust features, with comfy booth tables and a chilled out vibe. Great for catching up with friends, but equally would be perfect to take a date too, the acoustic volume being just right… however gone are the wooden plates and Italian themed menu, for mismatched plates and a more ‘American feel’ menu.
However I am happy to report that the food is still up to scratch.
Some may complain about the portion sizes, and the price tag is on the more expensive side. However I think that it’s worth every penny.
This is how you do food right! It seems so effortlessly made and menu options feel as if there isn’t much on offer here, but it just goes to show that sometimes easy sounding meals can be reinvented and the difference between a good chef and someone who’s just getting food on a plate.
On my first visit I started with a pre-​meal sidecar, shared chilli croquets, and for main, sea bass with a side of spinach. My second, I opted for the prawn’s as a starter and main, poached egg and avocado salad, whilst we shared a bottle of red.
I really cannot fault either experience, the food was absolutely delightful, fresh, tasty and each mouthful an explosion of flavour and texture.

Located on one of the most popular streets in London, it seems surprising to find such a relaxed venue.
Soho Kitchen and Bar is a little gem located on Old Compton Street, Soho. My most recent visit had been the second time venturing here and most certainly won’t be the last. The design of the venue is quiet minimal, but as they sometimes say «less is more» and this place represents all things so in regards to design.
Due to the nature of the venue that they serve food as well as alcohol it’s a nice gesture to be abled to be seated upon entry at either one of their booths or around a table on the very comfy chairs in which we opted for the well-​cushioned chairs and within no time there was a waiter taking our drinks orders.
Customer service as a whole is polite a swift with the waiters taking the orders as well as regularly checking up on whether we wanted food or if there was anything that they could do for us which was a nice feeling. On the note of customer service, this venue does contain a full bar in which you can get up and go to, but, the customer service takes care of that so that you can enjoy your conversation without ever having to leave your seat.
**Soho Kitchen and Bar is definitely worth a visit. Ambience is subtle with dimmed lights and a relaxing nature and never too loud as well as only having to pay for the standard prices for drinks for Central London. I sure will be recommending and visiting again to try out the food, but I must warn you, time does fly when in here so be be prepared but as they say «time flys when you’re having fun”**

Busy doesn’t always mean good but in this case it certainly does. The menu is quirky and interesting. The bartenders are great and quicker than most. I enjoyed the space but be warned it gets super busy so book early.
This is a good place for groups and seems to always be lively with cheer. There’s a diner meets pub feel here and this American Southerner in London think it’s almost the best of both worlds, y’all.

This is always my go to burger place while in Soho, with their burger being one of the better ones I have ever tasted. I have eaten here many times, but haven’t been for about 5 months. Well — a lot has changed in those months.
Quite a few things were off; we were offered a table right next to another couple in an empty restaurant, when we asked for a different one we were shown to the one next to the one we were offered before. I would have like to be further away to have a conversation with my boyfriend.
We waited ages for everything — we had our starters, finished then waited about 30 minutes for two burgers and chips. It took so long that I asked for our bill when the mains came because I was worried we would miss the start of the Opera.
The food just wasn’t up to scratch. Our starter of nachos was burnt with hardly any toppings, my burger was well done and the chicken BLT was dry. Maybe they have a different chef?
Overall it was very disappointing, and I know I won’t be back. I think my love affair with them is over…

So many specialty burger places around London that feature all sorts of exotic burgers… but sometimes you want a good o’le diner style one. Thanks to Unilocal — had to give this place a try and whats great is that you don’t have to queue or make reservations well in advance.
The first time I went I ordered the single cheeseburger with bacon, avocado and a fried egg. It was HUGE — like a mountain of cheeseburger. It is so filling esp with a huge side of chips. I was amazed at the quantity of avocado as I would expect just a couple of slices but it was several thin slices. And the bacon, it was more like a chunk of pork belly rather than a typical slice of one. I really like the egg as an option but it does make it a little messy.
I’m sure the other things on the menu are good but always get swayed into getting the burger each time.

I could sum up my visit to Soho Diner in two words: too much. Soho Diner & Bar looks like an odd and hugely popular pub — I guess it owes its popularity in part to its prime location in central London.
When I was there on a Sunday afternoon, it was buzzing, very busy and the music was perhaps a bit loud. But anyway, I really liked the atmosphere of the place. Only I felt that the bench and table were not built for me. The massive table made it a little bit difficult for me to put my legs somewhere convenient.
The burger was recommended to me recently, so I did not think twice about my order. I added bacon and was surprised about how thick the bacon slice was they put on the burger. I like a thin and crispy bacon, but this thing was almost as big as the patty. Besides that, the burger actually tasted not bad, just the odd bacon spoilt it for me.
The other surprise was, how much ice they added to the coke. I had to wait for the ice to melt down a bit, before I could easily drink without having to deal with ice in my face. Not really what you want.
Difficult to rate this place, there are good bits, for sure, but I must admit, that I am not overwhelmed. Maybe I should go a second time — without bacon and coke.

This place is run by clever devils who might be in league with the brains behind Five Guys. Why? Well Five Guys plays on the sense of delightfully exceeding your expectations by for instance making a portions of fries actually feed 2 people and a single cheeseburger to come with 2 pattys standard. Not to mention additionally fillings are all included in the price. Soho Diner does the similar, but by not telling you exactly what comes with each dish, so that you’re delighfully surprised with all the little touches and extras that surround your what appeared to be simple dish.
This place doesn’t do reservations and prefer to seat whole parties together, so don’t be surprised if you’re outright rejected when only two of you show and you want a 5 person table. The place is really small and tight and the noise level loud in the evenings.
So it’s easy to understand that the food is great from other reviews because of the little touches. One personal highlight for me however is that they do American Draft Beers. To understand this. They’ve taken a beer brewed in the US of A and shipped it keg by keg to our lovely shores. It’s no wonder there’s a shortage of the stuff on importers websites as everyone wants in on this action. Brooklyn Lager is normally by the smallish 330ml bottle. Not here. It’s by the PINT. Or half pint if you’d like.
I am in love with this place. Mostly because they do Brooklyn Larger on Tap. Also because they like very few businesses understand the important of attention to detail and lastly, because their food is that good. Take what you expected the food to taste like and imagine it better. That’s what Soho Diner can do for you, and that’s why I’ll be back.
Okay, fine, You also want some downsides to help you make up your mind. The place is really small and not good for groups. Tables only really for 2 – 3. Can be a bit dark in the evenings and it’s quite loud. You satisfied now?

Oh I love the Soho Diner! Wood-​strip bench seats, black and white tiled floor, ornate, peeled and faded ceiling tiles — beautiful, beautiful!
The staff are attentive and accommodating. Smooth, soulful, funky tunes in the background and dim, soft, intimate lighting. I didn’t want to leave!
Food was served quickly. The mac and cheese was tasty, tangy, hearty and satisfying. My friend had the Philly cheese steak sandwich which he said was delicious and tender. Don’t be fooled by the little cup they serve the chips in. It’s like a chip Tardis! The chips were neverending! We didn’t even finish them — and that’s unheard of with me! …all washed down with an Aspall’s cider — yum!
Looking forward to my next visit!

In the interests of disclosure: I had seen Book of Mormon right before I came here. Personally, I think Soho Diner has enough going on to bring about happy feelings aside from the cacophony of pleasure that seeing Book of Mormon evokes, but still, I thought I should mention it.
Soho Diner is a new addition to both Soho and Diners in London. And it sells the best burger I’ve had in a long time. As I remarked to my girlfriend as we struggled to contain our awe, it has the looks of the Meat Mission burgers but the delivery of something rather more epic. There’s no solemn inquiry about how you like your burger cooked, just whether you’re going for a ‘single’ (two patties) or ‘double (three patties), bacon, fried egg and/​or avocado. And out it comes, the meat soft and the bun more classic American in appearance rather than a brioche or equivalent. It’s super-​tasty, but have your napkin to hand, as there are a lot of juices flying around, particularly if like me you opt for the fried egg too.
Elsewhere, the offerings range from good to average. I found the milkshake to be decent. The pistachio and honeycomb one I had was moreish despite having far less ice cream in it that benchmark-​setter Byron. One of the best milkshakes I’ve had in London for sure. Service was good too, speedy, helpful and quick to top up our glasses with water. And the prices were very competitive too: just £9 for my single burger with fried egg, £7 without. That’s cheaper than Byron but far, far better.
The chips however were generous in portion but average in taste. The beer served was an interesting mix of standard draft beers (e.g. Kronenburg) and more unusual bottled craft beers. I was slightly surprised by the lack of anything pancake or waffle on the menu, but I guess it’s not an obligatory item for diner menus.
Still, the London burger scene is highly competitive at the moment. So to stand out from this crowd and have a milkshake as good as it is? Five stars, no question.

Q: What’s the appropriate response to leaving a doctor appointment just a couple hours before where the doctor said «you may need to lose a bit of weight»?
A: Go to Soho Diner and share honey fried chicken, a burger with bacon, avocado, and a fried egg on it, a Philly cheesesteak, grilled ham and cheese fingers, and an order of chips with your good friend Grant T. Oh, and put a pistachio and honeycomb shake on it.
YUP! It’s all pretty tasty. Although that burger is tremendously messy. I think it just had one topping too many as the avocado kept squishing out and falling onto the plate. Whatever, that’s what forks and fingers are for. The honey fried chicken (wings) are delicious and have a bit of an asian feel to them what with the sesame seeds and what I think is a hint of ginger in the background. And those stupid little ham and cheese fingers were so tasty and reminded me so much of home I could cry.
My two (minor) gripes are that the cheesesteak is kinda eh and the milkshake would have been amazing if it was just a bit thicker in consistency.
Go, pig out. It’s cool. Your doctor won’t be angry with you at all.

Wow.
I heard of the Soho Diner opening, a new spot from the guys who did the Electric Diner, but wasn’t sure what to expect. An old school diner in Soho that takes no reservations? Let’s check it out.
Soho Diner is interesting as you walk in. It’s not quite old-​school American diner and it’s not quite posh Soho restaurant, it’s an interesting blend of the two. You’ve got the classic black and white chequered floors and leather booths but also old wood everywhere and no one named Doris chewing bubblegum.
The staff is on their game, we sat and menus came down immediately. It’s a small but strong option for lunch with an American feel, couple salads, burger, hot dog, mac & cheese, the works.
We asked what was good and was told the burger with egg and thick bacon, which wasn’t on the menu. That was it, we’re going with that. Single or double? Single.
It didn’t take long for the food to come down and wow. I said it at the start and I had to say it again, it was like a work of art. The burger comes almost assembled, but the bun off the top, and a beautiful egg on top. Pick it up and quickly turn it to complete your burger and watch the yolk run off.
Then the bacon on top of the burger. Sweet sauced and so thick it looks hard to eat. And a ton of it! Not just one dinky piece but enough to push out of the bun. Holy woah. But wait, two patties? We asked our waitress and said we only wanted a single. Turns out that is the single, the double comes with three.
And it was good. So good. Every bite was just fantastic that I had a hard time not wolfing it down.
Did I mention that we found at the end that none of those additional items cost most? They came included with the price.
Amazing.
To top it off, we ordered fries with aoli sauce, which were thick and crispy and came in one of those standing containers that keeps even the ones on the bottom hot.
The burger was £7. The fries were £4 but easily split between two people. This is hands-​down one of the better burgers in London and for under £10, one of the better deals as well. If you are a Soho fan, a burger fan, or a great lunch fan, you need to get here now.

I can’t vouch for much on their menu, but I can totally vouch for the AMAZING cheeseburger I just had at Soho Diner. In fact, it’s still digesting in my tummy as I’m typing this review up. Did I mention my «single» cheeseburger had 2 beef patties? and juicy thick-​cut bacon? Oh, AND a fried egg? Holy crap, this thing was so good, I practically inhaled it. Alex S. witnessed it… and it was gone in seconds.
From start to finish, the service was incredible. Even as I waited for Alex to arrive, the servers kept refilling my water and asking me if I had any questions. Best of all, they didn’t totally disappear during our meal. I asked the server what she recommended and she said the cheeseburger. Once she mentioned fried egg and bacon, Alex and I were in. 2 orders please with a side of fries with aioli. Boom.
As expected, this burger delivered deliciousness. I was in burger heaven and I truly believe after spending nearly a year here in London, I have found the best burger across the pond. One thing I was unsure of is that I’m not sure if this was a «special» order… The menu just says ‘cheeseburger.’ We only knew of this fried egg and bacon business once the server mentioned it so if this is what you want to order, it might be best to clarify that you want the little slices of heaven on it.
So, I’ve said it… BEST BURGER IN LONDON. Nom nom nom. That was £7 well spent.