Journal
Date night in Soho.
Why a hidden basement bar tends to do more for an evening than a busy restaurant ever will.
Why a hidden basement bar tends to do more for an evening than a busy restaurant ever will.
The trouble with a Soho date night is the volume. The pavements are crowded, the restaurants are loud, and by the time you've shouted your way through a starter you've barely heard each other speak. The night happens around you rather than between you.
That's the case for going downstairs. The practical version lives on our date night in Soho page, tables, Tuesdays, how to book. This is the why, and the how.
A low ceiling, soft light, a bit of distance from the street, and suddenly the conversation has somewhere to go. Couples who arrive looking a little frayed tend to soften by the second drink. Nothing magical about it. The room just gives them space to listen to each other.
We've watched a lot of first dates over the years. The ones that work tend to share three things: a quiet enough room to talk, a drink that's worth talking about, and a little bit of theatre, a place that feels picked, not defaulted to. A hidden bar gives you all of those without having to try.
Plenty of our regulars come on dates, so the cocktail list reflects that. Drinks that look as good as they taste. Spirits-forward signatures for the curious. Ten proper 0% mocktails for the not-drinking. Champagne by the glass for the moments that warrant it.
If you're not sure what to order, ask the bartender what they'd make for a first date. They've each got an answer. Couples on a second or third date sometimes book a cocktail masterclass instead, which takes the pressure off the conversation entirely.
Book a table for around 8pm. Get there ten minutes early, the entrance is a red door on Broadwick Street, downstairs, and it's worth a beat to take in the room before they sit you down. Order one drink each, talk for forty minutes, then decide together whether to order a second or move on for food.
If the second drink happens, that usually tells you something.
Anniversaries do well here too. The room flatters good clothes and quiet conversation, and we've seen a fair few rings produced over the dessert plate. If you're planning something specific, a particular table, a bottle waiting, a small surprise, drop us a note when you book and we'll set it up properly.
For the bigger occasions, our date-night page has the practical detail. For everything else, just book a table and turn up.
Book online in seconds, or get in touch for private hire and we'll come back to you.