LDNReview
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Soma Soho
Included In
It’s 12.27am on a weeknight and we have absolutely no desire to leave Soma. Zero, zilch, nada. We will not move. Find us a pillow and we’ll happily commit to sipping a champagne and green chilli medley until dawn. Come morning, we’ll leave our partners for a life dedicated to banana rum, set fire to any of our clothes that don’t match this bar’s cool, minimalist aesthetic, and alert Royal Mail that our permanent address is now 14 Denman Street, Soho. We live here now and you’re going to want to join us.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
This is the ultimate late-night bar for grown-ups. It’s a sleek safe space for anyone who has abandoned Sean Paul-imposed tinnitus in the pursuit of greater thrills, like thoughtfully sipping an old fashioned with toasted coconut. There is a single leather booth in the cove by the door perfect for flirtatious dates, some dark low lounge-style seating ideal for dissecting life with your best friend, and then the boozing epicenter—the long circular metal bar. It's so achingly moody that having an affair with a secret agent just feels like a good idea. Couples sit knee-to-knee on the stools, the servers shake up one of London’s most lethally sippable martinis, and then you’ll catch someone’s eye and experience a moment of shared unity. They know what you know. Soma is home to some of the very best cocktails in London.
The bar is from the people behind cool and casual Indian mini-chain, Kricket, and all it takes is a fleeting glance at the concise drinks menu to see the connection. The cocktails offer classics by way of Mumbai. The quintessential citrus slap of a martini combined with coriander vermouth, a smoky mezcal margarita with a kumquat zing, and a rich dose of coconut milk in your cosmo. Each sip is a surprise and although the staff here are clearly serious about quality booze, the mood is still set to playful.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Just be warned that this isn’t the kind of bar you waste on a first Hinge date or large rowdy groups. Bring your favourite person, let the smooth operator service point you in the direction of the best creative cocktail to kick things off, and if you’re feeling bold, bring a pillow. Because even at 1am on a weeknight, Soma is a bar you’re never going to want to leave.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch