Soho is a small multicultural area in the West End of London, which is home to a wide selection of bars and clubs.
As a result, Soho hotels are very popular with visitors looking to experience the best London nightlife.
What's Good About Soho?
A vibrant nightspot, the area is regarded as one of the coolest in the city, with various media organisations basing
themselves there and frequenting the surrounding drinking establishments. Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club continues to
enjoy iconic status despite the death of its eponymous founder in 1996, while Chinatown is a vibrant and
entertaining corner of London. The area also enjoys a place in London's fashion history, with Carnaby Street one of
the most fashionable roads you could find in the 1960s.
In recent times, Soho has managed to shake off its past image as a somewhat seedy area of the city, and whilst it
still retains some of the more risqué establishments it is now a much more welcoming place to visit and enjoy
a stay in a Soho hotel.
Getting to Soho
To get closest to the heart of Soho, the quickest way is to take the
tube. The closest stations are Tottenham Court Road on the Northern and Central Line, and Leicester Square on the Northern and Piccadilly Line. From here, it is only a short walk into central Soho. If you are visiting Soho for the evening and staying elsewhere in London, be aware that the last tube services leave at around half past midnight.
The Birth of the Television in Soho
Today, 22 Frith Street is occupied by
Bar Italia. While this is an
excellent haunt in its own right, it is the blue plaque on the wall that reveals the most noteworthy thing about
this building. In 1926, inventor John Logie Baird first demonstrated his television in the room above the bar area.
One of the most important inventions in cultural history was born.
Chinatown
London's first Chinese immigrants stayed in Limehouse near the Thames and worked in the shipping trade. However,
after heavy bombing during the war and a gradual decline in the shipping industry, they needed a new home. With
Chinese food growing ever mroe popular, many chose to head for the West End to set up a restaurant. By the 1960s,
Soho was indisputably the home of
London's Chinese community
Soho Pubs and Bars
Clearly, as somewhere with a reputation for nightlife, Soho is blessed with a wide variety of fantastic venues to
enjoy a drink.
Bar Rumba is the place to go if you are looking for
creative cocktails and shooters, while a range of music tempts you towards the dance floor.
Ain't Nothin' But is a wonderful blues bar, with live blues music
featuring every night. Visitors can enjoy the show until 1am during the week, and 2:30am on Friday and Saturday. Of
course, for all the choice available, some people will always prefer a nice, quiet, traditional pub for a chat and a
pint. If this is you, then
The Angel is
Soho's best offering.
Soho Restaurants
Once again, any Soho visitor will be able to choose from a fine array of eateries to settle down in for a sumptuous
evening feast. Soho is home to one of London's finest seafood restaurants,
Wright Brothers, most notable for
its oyster dishes. For a tasty Thai banquet, try
Patara, while
Criterion serves up fabulous modern European dishes presented with
flair and elegance.
Soho Parking
There are eight
NCP car parks in and
around the Soho area, ranging from £6 to £8.50 per hour, ideal for anyone looking for somewhere to secure leave
their car.