London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [97]
SPOTLIGHT ON SOHO AND COVENT GARDEN
Soho and Covent Garden are the city's playground, an all-day, all-night jostling wonderland of glitz, glamour, grit, and greasepaint.
This area is London's cultural heart, with old and new media companies, late-night bars, popular musicals, and highbrow theater and opera productions. In the last decade, high rents have forced out many of Soho’s seedy businesses and ushered in top-notch restaurants, including Yauatcha and high-quality Spanish tapas bar Barrafina, a haven for creative modern Iberian food. Because of its popularity with visitors, Soho prices can be absurdly steep: £13 cocktails and £32 main courses are not unheard of. For a quick bite without breaking the bank, head to Chinatown's cobbled streets. The roast duck is world-class and made to a secret recipe at the Four Seasons, or try Indian street food like a lamb tikka roomali roll and spiced chai tea at nearby Dishoom, a cute take on a Bombay Persian-run Irani café.
BARS AND PUBS
Café Boheme (13 Old Compton St., Soho | W1 | 020/7734–0623 ) has an atmospheric zinc bar, curbside tables, and is popular with models, photographers, and the fashion crowd. It's open until 3 am Monday–Saturday. The snazzy basement hangout Mark’s Bar (66–70 Brewer St., Soho | W1 | 020/7292–3518 | www.hixsoho.co.uk) below Hix restaurant has old-fashioned bar billiards and English heritage cocktails. One of the best places for a romantic date is the elegant champagne bar at Brasserie Max inside the Covent Garden Hotel (10 Monmouth St., Covent Garden | WC2 | 020/7806–1000 ).
MEAL DEALS AND STEALS
Pre- and Post-theater Dining
For a £19.50 romantic French meal in a covered indoor courtyard, head to Clos Maggiore (33 King St., Covent Garden | WC2 | 020/7379–9696 | www.closmaggiore.com), off the Covent Garden piazza. Meander through French artisan charcuterie and biodynamic or unfiltered natural terroirs-based wines at Terroirs (5 William IV St., Covent Garden | WC2 | 020/7036–0660 | www.terroirswinebar.com). Or try inventive modern European dishes (squid burger, anyone?) at Arbutus (63–64 Frith St., Soho | W1 | 020/7734–4545 | www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk), where three courses before 7 pm cost £18.95. Dehesa (25 Ganton St., Soho | W1 | 020/7494–4170 | www.dehesa.co.uk) near Carnaby Street mixes Italian and Spanish tapas to dazzling effect. The A-list and opening–night theater and film stars file into J Sheekey (28–32 St. Martin's Ct., Covent Garden | WC2 | 020/7240–2565 | www.j-sheekey.co.uk) for seafood dishes in a low-lighted chic salon and raised-counter oyster bar.
Budget Eats
European: Regular tweets from the restaurant about their exceptional European stews, soups, and cheese and cured meat baguettes help pull in the punters at Fernandez & Wells (43 Lexington St., Soho | W1 | 020/7734–1546 | www.fernandezandwells.com). And there is always a crush at the no-bookings vegetarian Mildred's (45 Lexington St., Soho | W1 | 020/7494–1634 | www.mildreds.co.uk) canteen, where all mains are less than £9.50.
Pan-Asian: There’s rated Japanese udon noodles with mackerel and green leaves for £9.50 at no-reservations Koya (49 Frith St., Soho | W1 | 020/7434–4463 | www.koya.co.uk), or those who prefer authentic Thai, there's always Busaba Eathai (106–110 Wardour St., Soho | W1 | 020/7255–8686 | www.busaba.com), a wildly popular Thai canteen with wooden bench seats and shared tables.
STREET EATS
Head to Mooli’s (50 Frith St., Soho | W1 | 020/7494–9075 | www.moolis.com),