Soho Diner is the latest addition to the ever expanding list of restaurants by the Soho House Group who already own Pizza East, Chicken Shop and Dirty Burger. After their success with Electric Diner in Notting Hill they’ve decided to open another American inspired diner with exactly the same feel in the heart of Soho.
It’s a pretty restaurant with a bar and open plan kitchen in the centre giving the place a buzzy bustling atmosphere. We were seated at a table by the large windows at the front overlooking Old Compton Street which was perfect for people watching – a favourite pastime of mine!
At 12:30 on a Saturday, only the brunch menu was available which we found a bit limiting so we decided to share a few dishes which seemed the best option. We started with the honey fried chicken wings (£5). They certainly hadn’t scrimped on the honey; the sauce they were drenched in was seriously sweet. They were tasty enough but nothing special – and they could have been juicier as they were a touch dry.
The mac & cheese (£9) was served in a copper pot and although not being quite as unctuous as the one on offer at Spuntino round the corner, it was a close second. It was a proper gooey cheese-fest and the breadcrumb topping had the winning crisp and crunch factor. I just could have done with a bit more of it.
We went for the double cheeseburger (£10) which was served with a steak knife stuck in the middle. It was in fact three beef patties making it a big old bugger. They were very thin however and slightly overcooked for my liking but they were full of meaty flavour. The bacon (no extra charge) was a thick slab of sweet and fatty bacon which I absolutely adored. Very tasty indeed.
For pudding, we went with our waiter’s suggestion of the waffle with strawberries and vanilla ice cream (£5). It sounded better than it tasted as the waffle was totally devoid of flavour – even the strawberries and chocolate sauce didn’t seem to provide any either which was rather bizarre.
Our lunch, or should I say brunch, at Soho Diner was far from faultless but it wasn’t wholly unpleasant. I would have hoped however, with such a small menu, that the dishes would have been perfect. But the staff were friendly and it has a great location so I’m sure Soho Diner will do just fine. I would say it’s a great and not too expensive place to meet friends for a quick bite to eat.
7/10
