“The West End” are three words that are uttered with disdain by most Londoners, or with shrill delight by those who only know of it from postcards. For the Londoner, spending a day wading through the West End is about as incongruous an idea as the statue of Eros positioned amidst the neon signs advertising Sanyo and Coca Cola. Oxford Circus is best avoided unless a specific purchase from Selfridges is needed, while Regent’s Street, with its upmarket high street (another incongruity?) feels a teeny bit less like squeezing into a single bed with two others, but not by much. Interestingly, John Nash – responsible for the development of much of the West End – designed Regent’s Street as a way of dividing snooty Mayfair from the more down-at-heel Soho; little did 19th century London know that Soho would end up being by far the more fashionable section of the West End.
Hell is a place in W1
It can be infernal, as anyone trying to get somewhere in a hurry via Oxford Street or Leicester Square will certify. Going to the cinema is prohibitively expensive, costing between £10 to £15 for a ticket, and the nightlife leaves a lot to be desired, unless you’re 16 and enjoy the flavour of alcopops and Walkabout. The legendary music venues are still there, (Ronnie Scott’s and the 12 Bar Blues Club to name a couple), but they’re in the minority amidst the numerous glitzy bars/pick up joints that play the music of Katy Perry and Rihanna.
It’s also extremely crowded - imagine being stuck on the tube at rush hour but with pint glasses. Finding somewhere to sit in a bar on Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening is almost as likely as winning the Euromillions jackpot, so you’re relegated to getting a chill outside or squeezing yourself between bar stools while screaming to make yourself heard over the music. If you’ve ever wondered why your work colleague comes in with a hoarse voice after a night out it’s not because they’ve smoked too many Marlboros, it’s because they spent the evening trying to have a conversation at Bar Soho.
\n\nBut it’s not all bad, there’s foodie Soho
Soho has always had a distinct character compared to its more commercially-friendly neighbours, and though it was temporarily threatened when the Bella Pastas moved in (and just how many Angus Steak Houses are there in the area?) it stood its ground, and a plethora of small independent eateries have opened in the last year. In fact, the area is slowly becoming foodie heaven, with cheap, cheerful and delicious options such as Japanese udon restaurant Koya, Lebanese street food eatery Yalla Yalla, Italian bakery-style Princi and the Korean Bi Bim Bap, specialising in the national dish of the same name, and that’s before we get to the longer established Barrafinas and Bar Shus of the area.
There’s no excuse for inebriated-impulse-junk-food-buys either, next time you’re feeling tempted by the countless displays of soggy pizza on Charing Cross Road bear in mind that just two minutes away on Greek Street is Adagio, a pizza outlet where they take their dough-making very seriously and their toppings even more so; baked aubergine, feta and garlic have never been so good together.
\n\nThere’s more to see than the Trocadero, thank God
Mention Leicester Square to most out-of-towners and they’ll say “movie premiere” right after “Burger King”. While the square itself is home to the towering Odeon, Empire and Vue cinemas which do indeed host opening nights (however if you’re expecting to spot a celeb you better start queuing two days in advance) the uber cheap, super cosy Prince Charles Theatre is just a few metres away, screening mostly art movies and with matinee showings costing as little as £1.50.
Alternatively there’s the swish Curzon Soho if you really want to impress your date. Shop-wise, some of the bookshops on Charing Cross Road are well worth a look in, with entire basements dedicated to antique volumes that whilst not exactly cheap, are certainly a better gift than the I Love London key rings being sold on the other side of the road. As touristy as Chinatown seems thanks to its plastic fantastic appearance, there are a few genuinely good supermarkets on Gerrard Street where you will find Korean red pepper paste, dried galangal and anything else you might need for your Oriental feast. For drinking, Soho is your best bet - basically steer clear of anywhere with a Pizza Hut in its vicinity and you’ll be pretty safe.
From old fashioned boozers to strip clubs, cocktail bars to late night gay bars, you’ll find them all on Dean, Greek and Frith Streets, and they’ll even let you in with trainers. It may be down-at-heel, but it’s still got a seductive nightlife.
