SOMA Soho Review: Is This London Cocktail Bar Worth It?

Hello everyone!

I wanted to tell you about a place in London: SOMA, in Soho.

I was in London with Greg and we were meeting his friend Paul Bungener.

So Paul works in the spirits industry, he’s Sales Director at FAIR, and he’s the one who took us for a drink at SOMA. I didn’t know the place at all before going there, a hidden place, really underground, and it’s completely the kind of place I like.

We were right in the middle of Soho, with everything I love about this neighbourhood: people everywhere, the lights, the streets still buzzing late even though it's actually 7.30 pm because the English pace is completely different from the French one. And then in the middle of all that, a door you could almost miss, and where you'd never suspect there's a bar, of course you have to book well in advance.

SOMA Soho: very easy to miss

SOMA is located on Denman Street, just a stone's throw from Piccadilly Circus.

It's dark, quite raw, with a lot of black and metal, and a large counter that takes up all the space. If you've been reading me for a while, you're probably starting to understand that I like somewhat hidden places, especially when they're right in the middle of a bustling neighbourhood.

SOMA is often described as a speakeasy, but thankfully it avoids the theatrical version of the idea. No password, no bookcase to push aside and no three-part test before you are deemed worthy of a cocktail. You simply go downstairs, take a seat and order.

What I liked about SOMA

I think it was the contrast with Soho that got me. A few minutes earlier we were outside amongst the crowds. Once downstairs, everything felt darker and almost detached from the street above.

The decor is fairly minimal, verging on chic burlesque. In this case, there aren't fifty elements fighting for your attention. The metal, the glasses, the very low lighting, the silhouettes all around... that's more than enough.

The cocktails

I wouldn't be able to give you the exact names of the cocktails we ordered. But...

What I do remember is a table filled with different drinks and a bar genuinely centred around cocktails. SOMA reworks familiar classics using flavours and ingredients inspired by the Indian subcontinent. You will recognise the foundations of a Martini, Gimlet, Whisky Sour or Ramos Fizz, but the combinations are far less predictable.

Everything remains quite simple in the presentation. And, that suits me very well.

There's no need to have a smoking glass under a glass dome to understand that a lot of work goes into it.

A place that makes me want to explore that side of London more

For some time now, I've really wanted to feature London more on the blog. I want to tell you about the places I've been, the ones I've genuinely loved, the streets I keep going back to, the cafés I stop at, the bars hidden behind a door, and the restaurants that make me want to return.

SOMA fits that description exactly. It isn't "the absolute must-visit bar in London", it's a place I discovered one evening and would very happily go back to because it matches the sorts of places and vibe that I like.

I had already written about my favourite restaurants in London and my favourite breakfast spots in Shoreditch. Right now, I want to open up another side of London on the blog: Soho in the evening, the basements, the underground bars, the slightly darker places and the addresses that you can walk past ten times without necessarily noticing them.

Would I go back to SOMA Soho?

Yes, without hesitation.

Partly because I love Soho and find it rather brilliant that you can disappear underground in the middle of it. Mostly because SOMA has exactly what I want from a bar: low lighting, a raw interior, properly made cocktails and a clear identity without trying too hard—all while London carries on just above your head.

That is probably what I remember most about the evening. We had not come to London specifically for SOMA. Paul took us there, we had a few cocktails, I took some photographs and the night continued.

If you are in Soho and prefer dark, discreet bars to enormous rooftops, have a look at the SOMA Soho website for opening times and reservations before you go.

And if you have a slightly hidden London address you genuinely love, I absolutely want to know its name. I can already tell this new corner of my London travels is going to become an obsession.