Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rustic specialities from all over Italy are served in this lively
modern trattoria, where it's the done thing to share, tapas-
style. It's small, but there are seats at the bar, where you
can see everything being prepared. The menu changes
almost daily, but typical dishes might include clams with
breadcrumbs, chilli and lemon zest, or broad bean purée
with nettle and dandelion. With small dishes at £2-16
costs can creep up.
Mon-Sat 12.30-3pm & 5.30-11pm,
Sun 12.30-3.15pm & 5-9pm.
Ì
Dehesa
25 Ganton St, W1
T
020 7494 4170,
W
dehesa.co.uk;
!
Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus;
map p.97.
Very classy Spanish-Italian charcuterie and tapas
bar from the always excellent
Salt Yard
stable (see p.373).
The room is modern but warm, and the rustic, robust tapas
out of this world - try deep-fried courgette flowers with
goat's cheese and honey, or salt cod croquettes, or just enjoy
a plate of
jamón Iberico
and a glass of Albariño. Tapas £5-10;
cheese or charcuterie platters £11/£12.
Mon-Fri noon-
3pm & 5-11pm, Sat noon-11pm, Sun noon-5pm.
Koya
49 Frith St, W1
W
koya.co.uk;
!
Leicester
Square; map p.100.
This low-key
udon-ya
dishes up some
of the finest
Sanuki udon
noodles this side of Japan, freshly
made each day and served three ways - hot in hot broth,
cold in hot broth or cold with a pouring/dipping sauce -
with extra toppings,
donburi
rice dishes and small plates.
It's very moreish and hugely popular, so expect a wait
before you get slurping (they don't take reservations).
Bowls from £7; small plates £2-12.
Mon-Sat noon-3pm
& 5.30-10.30pm, Sun noon-3pm & 5.30-10pm.
Mildred's
45 Lexington St, W1
T
020 7494 1634,
W
mildreds.co.uk;
!
Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus;
map p.97.
Mildred's
veggie restaurant, serving home-made
global cuisine, is an old Soho standby, as popular with
carnivores as vegetarians. It's small, and can get busy, but
takes no bookings. Mains £8-11.
Mon-Sat noon-11pm.
One Leicester Street
1 Leicester St, WC2
T
020 3301
8069,
W
oneleicesterstreet.com;
!
Leicester Square;
map p.100.
This minimalist restaurant, helmed by a
St
John
(see p.376) alumni, offers the same superb, creative
British food as its Spitalfields forerunner - snails, duck
heart and lovage, for example, or smoked cod roe with
devilled pigs' skin. There's a hotel upstairs if you're too full
to drag yourself home (see p.357), and they do breakfast.
Small mains from £7; two-/three-course lunch menus
£16/£19.
Mon-Fri 8-11am, noon-3pm & 5.30-11pm,
Sat & Sun 8-11am, 1-3.30pm & 5.30-11pm.
Polpo
41 Beak St, W1
T
020 7734 4479,
W
polpo.co.uk;
!
Piccadilly Circus; map p.97.
Polpo
's dining room,
reminiscent of a cosy Venetian wine bar, or
bacaro
, is
welcoming and warm. Food is tapas-style, with
cicheti
(bar
snacks) and small plates from £3 to £9.50 - try grilled
fennel with white anchovy,
pizzette
or any of the
polpette
(meatballs). Reservations are taken for lunch only, which
adds to the sense of triumph when you score an evening
table. There are two more
Polpo
s in Covent Garden and
Smithfield.
Mon-Sat noon-11pm, Sun noon-4pm.
Ì
Quo Vadis
26-29 Dean St, W1
T
020 7437 9585,
W
quovadissoho.co.uk;
!
Tottenham Court Road; map
p.100.
Treat yourself in this classic 1920s restaurant, in a
building where Karl Marx wrote much of
Das Kapital
; the
desirable British food is simple, gutsy and unbelievably
moreish, full of good seasonal ingredients. Typical offerings
include roast duck with potato cake and asparagus or a
mackerel, seaweed and cucumber sandwich, with more than
a nod to the current craze for sweetbreads and traditional
pies. Mains from £17; pre-theatre dinner £17.50/£20 for
two/three courses.
Mon-Fri 8-11am, noon-3pm & 5.30-
11pm, Sat noon-3pm & 5.30-11pm.
Ì
Spuntino
61 Rupert St, W1
W
spuntino.co.uk;
!
Piccadilly Circus; map p.100.
From the same team as
Polpo
,
Spuntino
presents a hip, and fun, take on American
regional food - sliders (mini burgers, or meatballs, in a
brioche), cheesy grits - in an artfully distressed space that
evokes a decaying Lower East Side warehouse. Some dishes
are seriously classy, with a Mediterranean accent - tru
ed
egg on toast, fabulously inky calamari - and all are served
on tin sharing plates. No reservations, and it only seats
around thirty at a counter and a couple of booths, so be
prepared to queue. Dishes from £5.
Mon-Sat 11am-
midnight, Sun noon-11pm.
Stockpot
18 Old Compton St, W1
T
020 7287 1066;
!
Leicester Square; map p.100.
You get (very) cheap
and cheerful comfort food at this old Soho institution. It's in
no way gourmet, but the large platters of pasta, liver and
onions, omelettes and crumble with custard keep hungry
punters happy. Mains from £5, set menus from £7.60. No
cards.
Mon & Tues 11.30am-11.30pm, Wed-Sat
11.30am-midnight, Sun noon-11.30pm.
Tonkotsu
63 Dean St, W1
T
020 7437 0071,
W
tonkotsu.co.uk;
!
Tottenham Court Road; map
p.100.
If you're craving ramen, forget the chains and head
here to slurp silky home-made noodles and rich, savoury
stocks. Ramen - the two pork options are best, but there's
one with smoked haddock and a veggie variety - from £9,
plus gyoza and sides. No reservations.
Mon-Fri noon-
3pm
24
&
5-10.30pm,
Sat
noon-10.30pm,
Sun
noon-10pm.
Yalla Yalla
1 Green's Court, W1
T
020 70287 7663,
W
yalla-yalla.co.uk;
!
Piccadilly Circus; map p.100.
The
name is Lebanese for “hurry, hurry!”, and the ambience in this
hole-in-the-wall is buzzy and fast. The Beirut street food
includes good-value veggie meze and plenty of nicely spiced
skewered meats. Meze from £3. Branches in Shoreditch and
Fitzrovia.
Mon-Fri 10am-11.30pm, Sat 11am-11pm.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
BAR ITALIA
P.369
; TRUC VERT
P.368
; PATISSERIE VALERIE SOHO
P.369
;
LEONG'S LEGEND
P.372
>
