LDNGuide
Where To Eat In Soho After 11pm
photo credit: Rob Grieg
Soho is the kind of place where 8pm quickly becomes 10pm and before you know it you’re being cast out onto the cold, harsh streets of central London blubbing something along the lines of ‘I just wanted one more glass… and maybe a panna cotta’. Luckily, Soho is also the kind of place where you can comfortably sit down to eat a pizza at 1am. From a local institution that’s been making late-night tiramisu dreams come true for over 70 years to a dim sum cocktail parlour that’s perfect for that all important third date, these are the Soho spots that have got you covered when everywhere else has closed.
Please note, although we have taken every care to check the closing times for the restaurants below, opening hours are an unruly beast. To avoid 2am disappointment, be sure to double check the restaurant’s website.
The Late Night Spots
Closing time: 5am every night of the week
If you’ve lived in London for longer than 20 minutes then chances are you’ve been to Bar Italia. Sure, the memory might be foggy, given that you probably stumbled out of Simmons and dutifully followed your cannoli senses to this buzzing little old school Italian café. It’s been open for over 70 years and importantly, is also open until 5am every night. Sometimes you’ll find it packed with Italian football fans, sometimes it’s old Soho locals laughing in the face of their sleeping patterns with an 11pm espresso, and sometimes it’s packed full of lads who have abandoned a Calvin Harris tune for a decent pizza. But whoever you find here, know that this place is quintessentially Soho. An institution that’s always got your back when that 2am tiramisu craving hits.
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Closing time: Monday - Tuesday - 1am / Wednesday - 2am / Thursday - Saturday - 3am
This chic dim sum parlour is one of those rare spots where you can both start your night and finish your night. We’ve been here for a three-hour anniversary dinner over dim sum and we’ve been here for one last cocktail on a weeknight. It’s the kind of broody but sophisticated bar that works fantastically for both, and the Cantonese BBQ pork buns really don’t hurt either. A dimly-lit converted townhouse with three bar areas rolled into one, you enter through a bright blue side door on Gerrard Street and then sneak through a big red velvet curtain to get to our favourite area, the Peony bar. Basically, it’s definitely got that whole ‘secret spot’ thing going on, especially when you rock up at 1am on a Wednesday night. Be warned that the creative cocktails here can add up quick, but they come with a side of billowing smoky drama and their dim sum platters start at £15.
photo credit: Koray Firat
Closing time: 5am every night (except Sundays)
If restaurants could talk then we would pay good money to go to Balan’s explosive Ted Talk on Famous People Doing Stuff That Famous People Do. Their No. 60 venue (not to be confused with their even older No. 34 spot up the road) has been open since the early 90s and has been witness to everything from Amy Winehouse repeatedly attempting to smoke inside to this iconic lace-meets-deadly-jacket moment from Lady Gaga. These days it’s very much the go-to sophisticated LGBTQ+ date night spot and although the food can be a little hit or miss, you can’t beat it for a round of American pancakes or a big old burger at 4am on a weeknight. If a 5am curfew is too early a cut off point for you, then it’s worth knowing that their spot at No. 34 is open 24 hours a day.
Closing time: Monday - Thursday - 12am / Friday - Saturday - 3am / Sunday - 11pm
If you are currently reading this on a Friday night whilst zig-zagging your way down Dean Street after four (okay, eight) glasses of vino, then we have two pieces of advice for you. The first is, yes, you have already missed the last train, accept your £20 Uber fate and move on. The second is, it’s time to make your way to Cecconi’s Pizza Bar. A simple Italian spot on Old Compton Street that serves decent wood oven pizzas and delicious sounding things that your tipsy brain will internally shout in all-caps. Case in point, the zucchini fritti with lemon aioli. If you’re looking to keep the party going, know that they also serve £9 cocktails and casual jugs of negroni sbagliato for under £40.
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Closing time: Monday - Thursday - 12am / Friday - Saturday - 1am
Another late night spot on the legendary Soho strip that laughs in the face of Magaluf’s all-night antics, Old Compton Brasserie is a no-brainer when you’re after some oysters at midnight. Home to big leather booths and cocktails named after local legends, they’ve got an eclectic brasserie menu that covers everything from seafood linguine to vegan burgers. None of it will blow you away and the price of the mains can be steep, so swing by for some luxury snacks, make your way through their 10 classic cocktails for £10, and debate whether you too need a mural of Bjork on that exposed brick wall in your flat.
Closing time: 3.30am every day of the week
Old Town 97, our sweet knight in shining, glistening kong po pork armour. We have drunkenly cried here, we have hysterically laughed here, and we have sat here and shared a whole crispy duck with our best, best friend who we literally met in a nightclub toilet 18 minutes earlier. An entirely casual Chinatown restaurant serving Cantonese and Southeast Asian classics, their long, long menu is an absolute nightmare for anyone who’s indecisive, but trust us when we say the duck dishes should be on your table.
photo credit: Bob Bob Ricard
Closing time: 12am every night
Having a proper sleep pattern is great and all, but have you ever jabbed at a ‘press for champagne’ button whilst eating caviar at 11pm? We have and our thoughts are: it was fantastic / under-eye creams exist for a reason. If you too want to stumble out of a place that serves oysters ‘Rasputin style’ at midnight, then look no further than Bob Bob Ricard. Unlike some of the spots in this guide, Bob Bob Ricard isn’t open until 5am (imagine the scenes), but what it lacks in boozy 4am potential it makes up for in huge bougie school night class. Do not skip the lobster mac and cheese. We repeat, do not skip the lobster mac and cheese.
