Soho Diner

Soho Diner is the new incarnation of Bar Boheme, previously a weak point in the otherwise faultless repertoire of the Soho House gang, although to be fair it was very of its time. But times move on, and in place of mojitos we have negronis on tap (startlingly potent) and instead of a cocktail stick poking into the burger, it is speared by a massive knife. Yup.

I only tried two dishes which were some ham and cheese fingers and the burger. The fingers were a toastie cut into strips with pointless dip. Fine if you’re after such a thing, but frankly it’s a bit shit.

I love a toastie, but I don't come to Soho for one. Well, I did as you see below. But the fried chicken was sold out and I didn't know it would be so basic. Fool me once...

The burger was a surprise; as well as the steak knife, the ‘single’ came with two patties and were cooked Dirty Burger style, that is to say, medium-well but still moist. But in a steamed way, rather than richly juicy. Good value, but better to be had nearby.

These guys show continually fantastic judgement, from their clubs to the restaurants and the touches consistent across their diverse portfolio, there is a real sixth sense for what the market needs and an extremely delicate balance between the informal, the exclusive and the business friendly.

The real appeal here is the location and licensing – it’s open until 3am on weekends so you can grab a passable burger, some more rocket fuel and engage in what is still some of the best people-watching in London.