I moved to Soho from Mayfair in June 2022 because we were opening our pub, The Devonshire, on Denman Street and I felt it was important to understand the area, meet the people who live there and become part of the neighbourhood.
The surprising thing for me when I moved here is how alive it is with families and ordinary people going about their stuff. Also there’s loads of dog-walkers, which seems odd but there are lots of people with dogs in Soho, too.
Soho is unique, it’s a square of madness. People who have boring lives, when they come to Soho they change completely because it’s got so much character and flavour and culture and fun and drinking and food and intensity, that you can’t but join in the whole party side of it. It’s a wonderful place to live.
Eating and Drinking
My favourite pub is probably the Coach & Horses on the corner of Greek Street and Romilly Street. It’s full of creatives, it’s always fun, the beer’s good, it’s good craic.
I also use the French House on Dean Street, which is full of artists and musicians and old West End heroes and it’s very convivial. After hours Soho’s got a really great buzzing heart from G-A-Y on Old Compton Street to Gerry’s on Dean Street and all the clubs.
Soho’s probably one of the most exciting places in the world to eat. You’ve got Koya on Frith Street, the Dean Street Townhouse and My Place on Berwick Street. For a fine-dining experience you’ve got Mountain now on Beak Street, Andrew Edmunds, which is a classic, on Lexington Street and L’Escargot on Greek Street.
On the casual end it’s almost limitless — you’ve got Japanese with Tonkotsu on Dean Street and Eat Tokyo on Old Compton Street, which is also where you’ll find Poppies Fish and Chips. Kiln on Brewer Street is one of the best places in the world. And then you’ve got limitless cafes and little walk-in places and takeaways. It’s very hard to cook in Soho because there’s so many places you can just nip into and get brilliant food.
Where I work out
There are plenty of gyms round the place. I like to swim and I use Marshall Street pool, which is an old Victorian pool. It’s absolutely beautiful. I also run down to the Serpentine and swim there.
For a culture fix
I think the whole place is defined by its culture. You have it at every level from the gay scene to theatre. You’ve got Ronnie Scott’s on Frith Street, Ain’t Nothing But the Blues Bar on Kingly Street, loads of live music. There are a lot of art galleries, too. Lots of the pubs have art up.
To commune with nature
Soho’s famously un-green. Soho Square and Golden Square are places for hanging about and having some fun, but they’re not really green. If I really want to go for a run in the green I’ll go down to Green Park, St James’s Park and Hyde Park. Or alternatively it’s a 10-minute run to Regent’s Park.
Grocery shopping
My shopping usually consists of having a bottle of Lucozade, some butter, bread and some ham in the fridge. We do have Whole Foods on Glasshouse Street, Tesco on Dean Street and the Co-op on Berwick Street, or I’ll venture in to Chinatown to one of the supermarkets.
Getting around
Soho has been opened up by the Dean Street entrance to Tottenham Court Road station for the Elizabeth line. I’ve got lots of friends who live here, too, and there’s a snobbery about not ever leaving because everything’s here.
I do need to get out of the intensity of it. My family home is in Richmond and I’ll go and walk the dog at weekends just to get away. It’s really easy to travel out and in to Soho. I walk everywhere but I use a lot of Santander or Lime bikes to go further.
Dream street
My friend Paddy has a two-storey apartment in one of the beautiful old houses on Meard Street, which was developed in the 1730s by John Meard Jr, who worked with Christopher Wren on St Paul’s. It’s a bit quieter than the rest of Soho, the houses are beautiful and there are lovely neighbours there as well.
Something you only see in Soho
One of my favourite things is getting up early for a run. I’ll go to Bar Bruno and it’s cool to see the juxtaposition of people on their way to work having a coffee and people who’ve just fallen out of Gerry’s trying to get a bacon sandwich down them. You get that crossover between walks of shame and walks of purpose.
What’s the catch?
The intensity of everything. We don’t have birdsong, we have bottle bins being smashed into each other.
In three words
Colourful, magical, boisterous.
Oisin Rogers runs The Devonshire pub on Denman Street in Soho
Schools
Soho Parish CofE Primary School is the only school within the boundary of Soho. It is a small mixed school rated good by Ofsted.
What it costs
Buying in Soho
Average flat price: £826,920
Average house price: N/A
Renting in Soho
Average flat price: £3,300 pcm
Average house price: £5,000 pcm
