Soho

Here's a fact that not many people know: the word Soho was hunting cry used when this small area of London was used by Henry VIII to go stag hunting. For some reason the name stuck and today Soho is a wonderfully vibrant section of London, between Regent's Street and Charing Cross Road.

In the 1960s though Soho was a byword for seediness, with its sex shops and prostitutes. By the 1980s though, things started to change and now the sexshops have been by and large sidelined by cool Manhattan style restaurant, bars and the offices for TV companies. Yes you will still see the occasional sign for a Model (ie Prostitute) but your more likely to find a good bar first.


There are plenty of places worth checking out in Soho. The most famous right now is The Box which is a regular stop of point for celebrities. But the smaller venues are a lot of fun too. Try The Soho Arts Theatre Club, a small friendly bar modeled on a New York speakeasy that will let you dance until 2am. If you want something more civilized you could try L'Escargot, the restaurant which introduced the French delicacy of snails to England and which used to farm them in it's basement. You can still try their traditional dish today and it is delicious.

Lastly, if you're into music then you may have heard of Ronnie Scotts, one of London's great jazz venues. It can be tough to get in so here's an alternative: The 100 Club. Located on Oxford Street you'll be hard pushed to find a band that's not played this intimate venue. Listing can be found here on the websites:

Ronnie Scotts

The 100 Club

And if you want to experience a great walk around Soho to take in its history, you can listen to our StrollOn Soho Walk. If you've got any tips don't forget to leave them below!