‘Noodle & Beer’ is one of the world’s great three word sentences.
It’s also a sparse and starkly functional title – one which could indicate, say, a gritty street food vendor slinging ramen from the back of a moped. However, as their popular outpost in Spitalfields indicates, this is not the case. The East London restaurant is a shrine to Chongqing & Sichuan cuisine – particularly Xiaomian, meaning bowls of intensely seasoned, often very spicy noodles, served either with or without soup – and now they’ve expanded to Soho.
With inspiring ambition, Noodle & Bar on Wardour Street is near-singlehandedly looking to restore London’s reputation as a late-night city by heroically serving food and drink until 4am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Oh – and Nudge Members +1 are getting 50% off food from 21st March – 4th April.
Firstly, don’t panic; despite its name, you do get more than one noodle. There’s a plethora to choose from, in fact – think richly seasoned Tian-Shui Mian (water noodles coated in a sweet and spicy sauce), Xian Jiao Niu-Rou (spicy braised beef noodles cooked over high heat), and miso and butter dry noodles, all of which can be cooked to your preferred level of firmness. And, exactly as its name suggests, these can be washed down with the cold beer of your choosing (there’s a healthy selection, plus a guest beer of the month). There are high calibre mixed drinks too, courtesy of über-stylish Dalston cocktail experts Bar Lotus, who have cooked up a special Chinese-inspired menu – the Burning Kiss (featuring chenpi infused gin, Umeshu, Campari, grapefruit soda) sounds particularly winning.
The vibe of the restaurant will depend on your arrival time. If you’re dropping in for lunch or a pre-theatre dinner, the ambiance will be cosy and laid-back. If you’re staggering in with your date after the Ronny Scott’s late show, the downstairs space is considerably more louche, sultry and intimate. And very, very red.
Noodle & Beer is seeking to offer something central London desperately needs – and that’s not just a masterful take on Sichuan dining featuring freshly made noodles, long-simmering broth, and home-made chilli oil made according to a closely-guarded secret recipe (although obviously that’s all great). But by offering properly high quality food and drink until ridiculous-o-clock in the morning, Noodle & Beer is casting a vote of confidence in the city’s nightlife – and helping secure its future at the same time. We’ll raise a beer, and a cocktail, and a massive bowl of mouth-numbingly-spicy noodles, to that.
NOTE: Noodle & Beer Soho is open now. You can find out more and book a table on their website.
PERK: Nudge Members +1 are getting an exclusive secret soft launch at Noodle & Beer Soho, with 50% off the food bill from 21st March – 4th April. Find out more under the ‘Secret Soft Launch’ banner above. Not a Nudge Member yet? Sign up for a free 7 day trial.
Noodle & Beer Soho | 27 Wardour Street, W1D 6PR
Like Chinese food? Check out our guide to London’s best Chinese restaurants.
