CITY INSIDER: London, Soho

How to experience Soho, London Fashion Week-style

This year’s London Fashion Week brought all the buzz and excitement we hoped for, filling the capital with models, stylists, buyers and clients gathered here to see the brands who view London as their creative home.

And London’s famous Soho district is LFW’s spiritual home, with the bulk of the catwalk shows and events held in here. It’s an intense experience as the ‘fashion crowd’ hop from show to show, so unsurprisingly, in their downtime they only want the best, hottest and most exclusive experiences, from beauty to bars. So if you want a quick guide to Soho LFW-style, read on…

EATING

Café Monico 

Soho House and the Groucho Club are filled to bursting during LFW, but they’re members only. If you fancy the vibe but aren’t a member, check out Nick Jones’ Café Monico which is open to all. It serves a French-Italian menu in a clubby room: all sage green leather chairs, marble bar, funky lighting and vibrant atmosphere. In fact, it epitomises the Soho House ethos: very casual and very cool with excellent service.

39-45 Shaftesbury Avenue, W1D 6LA

T: 020 3727 6161

Chotto Matte
The name means ‘please wait’ or ‘hold on’ and you’ll certainly be arrested by the insouciant, Tokyo graffiti vibe inside this excellent Peruvian-Japanese restaurant. That’s right: Peruvian-Japanese, also known as Nikkei (there’s a huge Japanese diaspora in South America). This super-tasty, fresh and fabulous food (think gyoza dumplings made with pork, prawn and cassava) plus the grungy attitude makes it a hot spot for the younger LFW crowd.
11-13 Frith Street, W1D 4RB
T: 020 7042 7171

The Palomar 
Style magazine Tatler’s Restaurant of the Year in 2015, The Palomar is simply fabulous. It’s not just the food, which is wonderful: Middle East meets Mediterranean with a heavy Jerusalem slant (think tortellini filed with labneh, for example). It’s also the hip bar stools and neon vibe, and the fact that the staff are so invested in enjoying their work that they sing, turn up the music and even share a drink with the customers. It’s hard to get a reservation but very much worth the effort. 
34 Rupert Street, W1D 6DN
T: 020 7439 8777

RELAXATION

Akasha Holistic Wellbeing Centre 
How they managed to fit an 18-metre-long pool, hammam, sauna and Jacuzzi as well as London’s first Watsu pool (for tailored hydro-treatments and guided meditation) in a building right in the centre of London is beyond us, but this very high-end spa is a byword for exhausted models – Neelam Gill of Burberry-fame is a fan. You’ll find it enclosed in the show-stopping Hotel Café Royal, but the spa itself is very peaceful and stays open until late.
Hotel Café Royal, 50 Regent Street, W1B 5AS
T: 020 7406 3360

Margaret Dabbs Sole Spa
After a hard day seeing the shows, the only place to be is Margaret Dabbs at Liberty. Margaret and her team of podiatrists offer an extensive list of treatments including the renowned medical pedicure with Oxygen Therapy, as well as polishing and shaping manicures and pedicures. Other treatments on offer include Halo Therapy, Reflexology and Foot Detox Baths.
Liberty, Great Marlborough Street, W1B 5AH
T: 020 7494 4492

ENTERTAINMENT

Toy Room Club

This luxury boutique club with dollar-bill wallpaper and model portraits has room for only 180 and is unabashed about its door policy: if you look the part, you get in, and it’s best to pre-apply for the guest list. And once inside, the excellent hip hop and R&B keeps the people coming back. This is the place to see and be seen.

The London Paladium, 8-9 Argyll Street, W1F 7TF
T: 020 7734 6066

68 & Boston
This cool, dual-purpose space has a late night 1940s gin joint feel to it: all dark wood, sultry lighting, waiters in whites tuxes and a cool retro style. Downstairs it’s a wine bar (68), upstairs cocktail guru Luca Cordiglieri, (president of the UK Bartenders' Guild), reigns supreme with some truly startling drinks. Cleverly, every wine is priced at £20, so relax and try an unusual bottle, or head on up for a squid ink martini (yes, really). It’s very cool without being pretentious, and well worth a visit.

5 Greek Street, W1D 4DD
T: 020 7287 3713

Bar Termini

This tiny bar does only two things: coffee and cocktails. But wow, how it does them. The coffees are overseen by Marco Arrigo, head of quality for iconic Italian __brand Illy, so it doesn’t get much better than this. The cocktails are nearly all versions of a negroni and they’re from the legendary Tony Conigliaro (Zetter Townhouse, among others). The place to be seen for a coffee or an early evening tipple.

7 Old Compton Street, W1D 5JE

T: 07860 945018

CULTURE

The Photographers’ Gallery 

Fresh from a multi-million pound refit and with a board consisting of the rich and good, The Photographers Gallery is the largest public gallery in London dedicated to photography. It features anything from the latest emerging talent to historical archives and established artists.

16-18 Ramillies Street, W1F 7LW
T: 020 7087 9300 

Sister Ray 
There’s been a huge surge in people buying vinyl, and anyone who’s anyone (or wants to be) in the music and fashion world is into it. Soho's iconic Sister Ray, which buys and sells rare, vintage and modern vinyl only, is the best place in Britain to get that ultra-rare 70s funk track.
34 Berwick Street, W1F 8RP
T: 020 7734 3297

London Fashion Week Festival

Most of the LFW events are private and very hard to get into, but the festival, running 23-26 February, distills the Week into three days of shows, talks and shopping which are open to the general public. See the A/W 17 collections, update your wardrobe with cutting edge style from 150 brands, and meet fashion experts.

The Store Studios, 180 Strand, WC2R 1EA
www.londonfashionweekfestival.com