Kingly Court

What is it?

Blink and you’ll walk straight past it. Tucked behind Carnaby Street, Kingly Court is a three-storey courtyard stacked with around 20 restaurants and bars, and it’s one of the easiest ways to feed a group in Soho without anyone sulking. Downstairs, tables spill out into the open-air courtyard, and the floors above are lined with everything from Hakata ramen at Shoryu to Peruvian ceviche and pisco sours at Señor Ceviche.

The line-up has had a bit of a shake-up in recent years. Goldies, from the people behind much-loved Blanchette, does French-inspired cooking over a wood grill on the ground floor, while ALTA brings live-fire cooking inspired by Navarra in northern Spain, made with seasonal British produce. Donia serves Filipino sharing plates with a view into the open kitchen, and Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, from chef and refugee Imad Alarnab, is the place for colourful mezze. Old favourites are still going strong too, including Le Bab’s posh kebabs, Pizza Pilgrims and the fiery Chongqing noodles at Liu Xiaomian.

Why go?

Because it takes the stress out of choosing. Ramen, croquetas, kebabs, cupcakes, a rare whisky to finish. It’s all a few steps apart, and nobody has to compromise.

Don’t miss

Cahoots, a cocktail bar dressed up as a disused 1940s Tube station, complete with subway tiles, old Underground memorabilia and an actual vintage train carriage inside. If you’d rather something moodier, Two Floors is a sign-free bar inspired by Japanese listening rooms, with DJs and a tiki basement.

When to visit

Summer evenings, when the courtyard is rammed and the whole place hums. That said, the outdoor seating is covered through winter, so it works all year round. Weekday lunch is your best bet for walking straight into a table.

Time Out tip

The Carnaby Street entrance next to Dr Martens is easy to miss. If you’re struggling, there’s another way in on Kingly Street by Pizza Pilgrims, and a third on Beak Street by GRIND. Bringing the dog? The courtyard seating is dog friendly.