I love catching up with Sweeda because she always finds great places to visit with a nice atmosphere. Sweeda created a list of the best bars to visit in Soho to celebrate my birthday.
We started off the evening in China Town. Sweeda recommended a lovely restaurant called Leong’s Legend which apparently had the best dumplings in town. The restaurant was very busy which was a good sign. We started off by ordering a Dim Sum Platter which included a variety of Seafood, Prawn and Vegetable Dumplings. Next was the famous Leong’s Xiao Long Bao which was Pork Soup Dumplings. To end we ordered another portion of Leong’s Xiao Long Bao and Deep Fried Pork with Noodle Soup. We were so stuffed we were unable to finish. I can understand why it was so busy as the food was delicious and the service was quick.
The first bar on the list was Opium which was across the way from the restaurant. A scary door man told Sweeda we had to queue as we weren’t on the Guest List. We waited for 5 minutes and decided to move onto bar number two.
The next stop was Bar Swift on Old Compton Street. As soon as we stepped in there was a nice atmosphere. The staff were friendly and welcoming. As expected the bar was busy but it wasn’t crowded so you could have a conversation without shouting. We were told we can stand by the bar and then a table became available. I opted for a SGROPPINO cocktail which combined lemon sorbet and prosecco with Italicus (citrus and rose liqueur). It was so AMAZING, I had to type in CAPS and was a bargain at £8. Sweeda went for a healthy Kew Gardens mocktail made up of cucumber, basil and lime.
The last bar was the sophisticated 68 and Boston located on Greek Street. The venue is split into 2 bars: Boston – the cocktail bar on the first floor and 68 – the wine bar on the ground floor. We went to Boston as we didn’t book. The bar had a quirky typewriter light fixture and wooden furniture. I wasn’t thrilled by the selection of cocktails on the menu. In the end I went for the Hemingway’ s Coupe cocktail (£11) which included Belvedere Vodka, Champagne syrup, Crème de Pêche and Veuve Clicquot NV Brut. Sweeda asked the waiter to create a mocktail for her which was made up of a selection of juices including cranberry juice. My cocktail was nice and refreshing.
We had to end the night with dessert at Boba Jam. You can’t go wrong with cake and bubble tea. Sweeda chose the Chocolate Brownie with Charcoal Ice Cream which was unusual but didn’t have much taste. I picked the Nana Berry and a Passion Fruit Bubble Tea with Tapioca Pearls and Mango Decoco (jelly). The Nana Berry was French Brioche Toast with Chocolate Ice Cream, Whipped Cream, Strawberries, Bananas and a Chocolate Sauce. The dessert was tasty and not too sweet.
Overall, I had a great time checking out the different bars and restaurants. Soho is a great place to visit as it’s buzzing with people and delightful smells from the variety of restaurants. It’s a place that has be visited at least once.
I hope you enjoyed. Until next time.
Petrina x