For decades, Soho has been a late-night haunt for London’s nightlife.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t find plenty to do here in the daytime, too.
In fact, this multifaceted neighbourhood has enough to keep you occupied from morning through to – well, the following morning. And while its famously seedy reputation has been scrubbed up in recent years, it’s still a fascinating part of the city to explore, where record shops, market stalls, clubs, theatres and restaurants all rub shoulders on historic, 17th century streets (keep an eye out for blue plaques while you’re walking around – Bowie, Marx and Mozart have all claimed Soho as their stomping ground over the years).
Keep an eye out, too, for the famous Seven Noses of Soho, stuck surreptitiously on buildings by Rick Buckley, an artist who – we can only assume – wanted to spite his own face.
MORNING
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If you want to make a whole day of it, you could spend the morning wandering around Covent Garden and Neal’s Yard, exploring Fitzrovia, or gallery-hopping in Mayfair before getting stuck into Soho. But for a more leisurely start to the day, begin with Eggs Benedict and a pot of English Breakfast at Dean Street Townhouse. Part of the Soho House group – but open to all – it doesn’t feel a world away from how our Georgian predecessors would have dined in this venerable old building. Here, the air is rarefied: you’ll languish on velvet tub chairs, dab ketchup daintily from your mouth with starched napkins, and season your eggs with a silver salt shaker. It is also, however, not nearly as stuffy as it sounds thanks to an upbeat soundtrack, friendly staff and a formidable menu of breakfast cocktails.
From here, take some time to stroll down Soho’s old-fashioned streets to reach the southern end of the neighbourhood, making your way into Chinatown.
Chinatown is atmosphere incarnate. The streets are packed with tourists as well as Londoners trying to get their food shopping done under a canopy of swaying red lanterns, while porters wheel trolleys laden with bulk ingredients down tiny backstreets. Centred around Gerrard Street, this has been the historic hub for London’s Chinese community since the 1970s. Like every popular tourist destination, however, it has its drawbacks: over-eager attempts to ‘place make’ by the neighbourhood’s landowner have pushed out some of the older, more traditional businesses and brought in polished snack outlets that are designed to look good on social media. However, there’s still plenty worth exploring here, from restaurants serving exquisite dim sum and legendary dumplings, to Asian supermarkets and bakeries. And look, even those newer places have gone viral for a reason.
From here, pass under one of Chinatown’s colossal, colourful paifang gates across Shaftesbury Avenue and back into Soho proper. If you haven’t already had lunch in Chinatown, make a beeline for Berwick Street. This is where you’ll find some of Soho’s most interesting shops, particularly for menswear – this was once lined with tailors and haberdashery stores. There’s also been a real revival in record shops along what was considered the Golden Mile for vinyl, and Phonica, Reckless Records, Sister Ray, Third Man Records and Sounds of the Universe are all worth dipping into for a rummage.
Most importantly, however, you’ll also find Berwick Street Market, a fiercely independent market that’s been trading here since 1778. The apples and pears trade might have dwindled since then, but you’ll now find dozens of stalls pitched up along the street offering fragrant renditions of global street food staples from jerk chicken to Mongolian udon. The churchyard at St. Anne’s on nearby Wardour Street is a leafy spot to sit and enjoy your spoils.
AFTERNOON
You’ll likely be in the market for a dessert now – and ironically, you’ll want to leave the market and head up to Chin Chin Club on Greek Street. This decadent ice cream parlour fashions its scoops with liquid nitrogen, which our in-house scientific advisor tells us eliminates any crystals of ice from forming and ruining the texture… but also looks cool AF. Flavours are equally adventurous, from tonka bean to coffee & olive oil, and while any additional gimmicks would be wholly unnecessary, they’ve gone for it anyway – order yours topped with ‘chocolate crack’ or sandwiched with frozen marshmallow and hot chocolate. Take to Soho Square on a sunny day, and enjoy.
From here, you can sneak through the backstreets to The Photographers’ Gallery, with three storeys of evolving exhibitions to explore. Since 1971, this independent gallery’s been sharing the work of photographers across the globe and the decades – you might catch some pioneering 1950s street photography, or carefully composed portraits. In the basement there’s also a highly browsable gift shop with covetable coffee table books, prints and more.
Speaking of shopping, you can’t spend a day in Soho without dipping into Liberty’s, one of London’s most iconic and longest-standing department stores. What looks like a Tudor mansion has actually stood here since the 1920s (it was actually constructed from the timbers of two ships), and inside is a warren of wood-panelled rooms, staircases and attic nooks stuffed with alluring and wildly expensive goods.
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From here, take a stroll down Carnaby Street and try to imagine this pedestrianised stretch in its swinging 60s heyday. Sure, most of the brands lining the street today can be found anywhere, but it’s still one of London’s best shopping streets if you want to pick up some new threads.
It also leads you down, rather conveniently, to Kingly Court, a triple-storey secluded courtyard heaving with places to eat and drink in the sun… which you will be eschewing in favour of the dark, moody basement below, which houses Nightjar Carnaby. Sister bar to the Old Street stalwart, this is one of London’s best bars for live music… and for cocktails, for that matter. Order yourself a Pan Y Tomate – a smoky, clarified Bloody Mary made with a mascarpone & basil fat wash – and enjoy the finest hot club jazz the city has to offer, every night from 9pm (7.30pm Sundays).
As for dinner? Well, you’re in one of the densest restaurant nuclei in the capital. Propping up Soho’s Georgian terraces are dining establishments of every persuasion: there’s candlelit French restaurants and bustling bao bars; raucous marg-swilling oyster bars and art deco brasseries. With the whole world on your doorstep, you might want to peruse our entire guide to Soho’s best restaurants, but a few particularly hearty recommendations include…
…Randall & Aubin for the freshest seafood amidst chandeliers and disco balls; Quo Vadis for its timeless brand of civilised debauchery; Bob Bob Ricard, a bucket-list Franco-Russian spot with Press For Champagne buttons; Kiln for punchy roadside Thai cooking; The Devonshire for pub dining from a Fat Duck chef; and Levantine-styled Bubala Soho for one of the best vegetarian menus in the city.
EVENING
As the night wears on, you can – and should – avail yourself of the entertainment pouring out of almost every corner of Soho. You can catch some quality stand-up and improv at 21 Soho and The Comedy Store, or check out the flawless programming of the Soho Theatre (which frequently draws in some of the biggest names in comedy).
For live music, there’s the legendary Ronnie Scott’s, a stalwart of Soho that’s been hosting incredible international jazz talent in a no-talking zone for over 60 years. Or there’s the newcomer to the area, Alfie’s, a tucked-away jazz bar with three shows a night. And since you’re right in the heart of Theatreland, there’s plenty of places to catch amazing musicals and theatre shows nearby.
You might want to tour some of Soho’s best bars, from the surprisingly reasonable and inventive cocktails downstairs at Swift to the famous negronis at Bar Termini, poured by white-jacketed barkeeps right up to the brim. And if you’re planning to dance the night away with drag superstars at G-A-Y or do the macarena in Little Italy, you’ll need to know about the Old Compton Street bastions that are Café Boheme and Cecconi’s Pizza Bar, which stay open till 3am and 2am respectively on weekends, and Balans, which stays open till 6am.
Making it possible to spend not just a day, but almost a full 24 hours in Soho…
Want to see all our recommendations in the neighbourhood? Check out our Soho area guide