Soho

Soho sits at the centre of London's West End — a dense grid of streets known for theatre, restaurants, independent record shops and one of the city's oldest LGBTQ+ nightlife scenes. It's small enough to explore entirely on foot in an afternoon, and busy well into the night.

Food & Restaurants

Soho has one of London's highest concentrations of restaurants per square metre, spanning everything from cheap, fast Chinese and Japanese spots to some of the city's best-known chef-led openings. It's a reliable area to wander into somewhere good without a reservation, particularly for weekday lunch.

Theatre & Chinatown

Soho borders the West End theatre district and London's Chinatown, centred on Gerrard Street — good for a pre-theatre meal or a wander through the ornate gates and lantern-strung streets regardless of what's on stage that night.

Nightlife

Old Compton Street is the heart of Soho's LGBTQ+ scene, lined with bars that spill onto the pavement on warm evenings. Beyond that, Soho holds a dense mix of cocktail bars, pubs and late-license venues — it's one of the busiest parts of London after dark.

Getting There

Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road stations all sit at Soho's edges — you're never more than a few minutes' walk from a Tube station here.

Tips for Visiting

• Weekday lunch is the easiest time to get into a good restaurant without booking.
• Combine with a show — Soho borders the West End theatre district directly.
• Chinatown on Gerrard Street is worth a walk-through even outside mealtimes.
• It gets loud and crowded on weekend nights — a weekday evening is calmer if that's not what you're after.