SOMA Soho

SOMA hides behind an unmarked door at 14 Denman Street, a minute from Piccadilly Circus, and the descent into the basement is the whole point. Rik Campbell and Will Bowlby, the duo behind the Kricket restaurants, opened it as the drinks expression of their modern Indian cooking.

The room is a modern, minimalist take on the speakeasy, stripped back rather than dressed up, anchored by a nine metre stainless steel bar that runs nearly the length of the space. The Nudge calls it an Indian accented Soho speakeasy and that compression is accurate.

The drinks rework classics through the Indian subcontinent's larder, makrut lime leaf, galangal and spice infusions folded into recognisable builds. Shortly after opening, SOMA was voted Best Bar at the 2022 GQ Food and Drink Awards, and the 2025 Pinnacle Guide gave it a PIN.

Cocktails land around 15 pounds per the listings, standard for serious Soho rooms, and the late licence matters. Tuesday through Thursday runs to 1am and Fridays and Saturdays push to 3am, which makes SOMA one of central London's better last stops.

Descend late, order a spiced twist on a drink you know, and stay past the point you planned. For more nearby, see our London cocktail bars guide, the best cocktail bars in London, and the London hidden gems list.

Early doors at 6pm gets the steel bar seats and a quiet word with the bartenders before the theatre crowds spill in after 8pm.

The 3am licence on Fridays and Saturdays makes the after midnight hours the signature visit, when most of Soho has already closed.