The best restaurants in Soho and the West End in 2026 are Kiln for fiery Thai grill cooking at the counter, Bao for Taiwanese buns, Hoppers for Sri Lankan hoppers and curries, Bocca di Lupo for regional Italian, The Palomar for modern Jerusalem cooking, Quo Vadis for British classics, Dishoom for Bombay café food, Bob Bob Ricard for glamour and The Wolseley for a grand café breakfast.
Soho has London's densest cluster of good restaurants, many of them small and counter-based, with a mix of bookable tables and walk-in seats. For the walk-in places (Kiln, Bao, Hoppers), go early — around 5.30pm — or late, and expect a short wait at peak times. If you're eating before a show, see our pre-theatre guide; for London as a whole, the London restaurants guide.
Fiery Thai grill cooking at a counter in front of the flames.
Kiln cooks Thai and northern Thai dishes over charcoal and in clay pots, served at a long counter facing the grills, with intense, smoky, chilli-hot flavours and small plates meant for sharing.
It is one of the most exciting and best-value meals in Soho.
Good to know: Mostly walk-in; arrive early and sit at the counter.
58 Brewer St, London W1F 9TL
The Taiwanese bun bar that started a London craze.
Bao began as a market stall and its tiny Soho restaurant is famous for soft steamed buns filled with braised pork, fried chicken or daikon, plus Taiwanese small plates.
Queues are part of the experience; they move quickly.
Good to know: Go at opening time to skip the queue.
53 Lexington St, London W1F 9AS
Sri Lankan hoppers, dosas and kari in a cosy room.
Hoppers serves Sri Lankan and Tamil cooking: bowl-shaped rice-and-coconut hoppers (often with an egg), dosas, rich black pork and lamb kari, and sambols.
It is lively, colourful and excellent value.
Good to know: Order an egg hopper and a kari to share.
49 Frith St, London W1D 4SG
Regional Italian cooking in small and large portions.
Bocca di Lupo serves dishes from across Italy's regions, each labelled with its origin, in small or large portions so you can try more, and its own gelateria, Gelupo, is across the street.
The counter seats by the kitchen are the best in the house.
Good to know: Finish with gelato from Gelupo opposite.
12 Archer St, London W1D 7BB
Buzzing modern Jerusalem cooking at the kitchen counter.
The Palomar serves modern Middle Eastern cooking inspired by Jerusalem, with dishes such as polenta Jerusalem-style and Yemeni bread, at a lively kitchen counter and a dining room at the back.
The counter is where the energy is.
Good to know: Sit at the bar for the theatre of the kitchen.
34 Rupert St, London W1D 6DN
Seasonal British cooking in a Soho institution.
Quo Vadis, a Soho landmark with stained-glass windows on Dean Street, serves seasonal British cooking, famous for its smoked eel sandwich and pies, in a light, elegant dining room.
It is ideal for a long lunch.
Good to know: Order the smoked eel sandwich.
26-29 Dean St, London W1D 3LL
Bombay café cooking off Carnaby Street.
Dishoom's Carnaby branch serves the chain's beloved Bombay café menu — house black daal, chicken ruby, okra fries and the bacon naan roll at breakfast — in a 1960s Bombay-inspired setting.
It is reliably good and great value.
Good to know: Book for dinner, or go for breakfast without a booking.
22 Kingly St, London W1B 5QP
Inventive modern Indian small plates and cocktails.
Kricket began in a shipping container in Brixton and its Soho restaurant serves inventive modern Indian small plates, such as Keralan fried chicken and bhel puri, with excellent cocktails.
It is a short walk from Piccadilly Circus.
Good to know: Sit at the counter and order several plates to share.
12 Denman St, London W1D 7HH
Glamorous booths with a 'press for champagne' button.
Bob Bob Ricard is a glamorous restaurant of private booths, each with a button to summon champagne, serving Russian and British dishes from beef Wellington to caviar.
It is pure fun for a celebration.
Good to know: Request a booth when you book.
1 Upper James St, London W1F 9DF
A grand European café in a former car showroom.
The Wolseley occupies a grand 1920s former car showroom on Piccadilly, serving European café dishes from breakfast through to late supper under a soaring vaulted ceiling.
Breakfast here is a London institution.
Good to know: Book breakfast; it is the most famous meal of the day here.
160 Piccadilly, London W1J 9EB
Kiln, Bao, Hoppers, Bocca di Lupo, The Palomar, Quo Vadis and Dishoom Carnaby are among the most loved, covering Thai, Taiwanese, Sri Lankan, Italian, Middle Eastern, British and Indian cooking.
Many do, but several of the best (Kiln, Bao, Hoppers) keep most seats for walk-ins. Arrive early in the evening to avoid queues.
Bao, Kiln and Hoppers are all relatively affordable for the quality, and Brasserie Zédel near Piccadilly Circus has famously cheap set menus.
Bob Bob Ricard, with its 'press for champagne' buttons, and The Wolseley, a grand café on Piccadilly, are the most glamorous.
The Wolseley on Piccadilly is London's most famous breakfast room; Dishoom's bacon naan roll is a cult favourite.