Bao Soho is a taiwanese restaurant in Soho, London.
Editorially verified June 5, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Classic bao, Fried Horlicks ice cream
Must order: Classic pork bao with peanut and fermented greens, plus the fried Horlicks ice cream to finish.
Tip: Walk-up only. Put your name down on the chalkboard outside; the queue moves in 20 to 40 minutes from open.
Address: 53 Lexington Street, London W1F 9AS
Jeremy Lee's Dean Street dining room in Soho London, opened 1926 and restored under chef Lee since 2012, runs a daily-changing seasonal British menu.
Signature: Smoked eel sandwich, Steamed mutton pudding
Order: The smoked eel sandwich on rye, and whatever pudding is on the chalkboard at the door.
Tip: Lunch menu is a fraction of dinner prices and just as well-staffed; book a Soho-show theatre lunch a week ahead.
Margot Henderson's daily-changing British canteen inside a converted bike shed off Arnold Circus in Shoreditch London, open since 2004 for lunch.
Signature: Crispy lamb sweetbreads, Custard tart
Order: Whatever offal opener is on the chalkboard, then the custard tart for pudding.
Tip: Open Mon-Sat for lunch and Thu-Sat dinner only. No music, no menu printed; the writeup is on the wall.
Jeremy Lee's Dean Street dining room in Soho London, opened 1926 and restored under chef Lee since 2012, runs a daily-changing seasonal British menu.
Signature: Smoked eel sandwich, Steamed mutton pudding
Order: The smoked eel sandwich on rye, and whatever pudding is on the chalkboard at the door.
Tip: Lunch menu is a fraction of dinner prices and just as well-staffed; book a Soho-show theatre lunch a week ahead.
Karam Sethi's Albemarle Street Indian dining room in Mayfair London, opened 2013 and Michelin two-starred since 2024, modelled on a colonial-club room.
Signature: Kid goat methi keema, Tandoori guinea fowl
Order: Kid goat methi keema with sesame naan, plus whatever wild-game tandoori cut is being grilled that night.
Tip: The basement bar serves the same kitchen as a la carte without the tasting menu lock-in. Book a fortnight out.
Karam Sethi's Blandford Street Indian coastal restaurant in Marylebone London, opened 2008 and Michelin-starred, focused on Konkan and Mangalorean fish.
Signature: Brown crab Goan curry, Hariyali bream
Order: Brown crab Goan curry, hariyali bream and a glass of riesling from the all-aromatic list.
Tip: The tasting menu is the best route in, but a la carte stays open at lunch and books a week ahead.
Ruth Rogers's Italian dining room on the Thames in Hammersmith London, opened 1987 by Rose Gray and Rogers, still the city's defining seasonal Italian.
Signature: Tagliatelle with white truffle, Chocolate nemesis
Order: Whatever pasta dish is on the daily-changing menu, and the chocolate nemesis for two.
Tip: Sit on the riverside terrace in summer. The lunch sitting from 12:30 is markedly cheaper than dinner with the same kitchen.
Tim Siadatan and Jordan Frieda's hand-rolled pasta counter at Borough Market in London, opened 2016, runs a daily-changing list of fresh-pasta plates.
Signature: Pici cacio e pepe, Pappardelle with eight-hour beef shin ragu
Order: Pici cacio e pepe and the pappardelle with eight-hour beef shin ragu.
Tip: Join the virtual queue at 12:00 sharp via their app for the first lunch slots; otherwise expect a 60-minute wait on Saturday.
