Visit Soho and Chinatown in London: A complete area guide

Join the annual Chinese Lunar New Year festivities at the biggest celebrations outside of Asia, in London. Hundreds of thousands of revellers take to the streets of Soho and Chinatown every year to follow the colourful parade, watch live performances and get involved in traditional activities.

Kicking off the day, the Chinese New Year Parade sees Chinese lions and dragons snake around the West End from Trafalgar Square to Chinatown. Catch live performances, interactive workshops and cultural activities at zones and stages dotted around the area, where you can get involved in everything from calligraphy and knot making to dumpling cooking and tea etiquette.

Don’t forget to pick up food from one of the many market stalls set up on the day, or take advantage of exclusive Chinese New Year menu items and meal deals at Chinatown’s top restaurants.

If you’re visiting on a normal day, there is still plenty to explore from the iconic Chinatown Arch and Chinese supermarkets to viral street-food spots and late-night bars.

Best for: Getting involved in a huge annual cultural moment.
Good to know: Dress up in red clothing to mark the festival's key colour and learn Chinese New Year greetings to share on the day. To “climb high and gaze far” on New Year’s Day is considered good luck, so consider taking a trip on the London Eye, London Cable Car or visit The View from The Shard!

London’s West End is one of the world’s most famous shopping destinations and a must-visit during your time in the capital. Get ready to fill your bags with finds, whether you’re looking to browse the rails of flagship high-street stores along Oxford Street and Regent Street, peruse the boutique shops around Carnaby Street or head to the neighbouring shopping hotspot of Covent Garden.

Pop into big brands lining London’s famous shopping streets: H&M, Uniqlo, Zara, IKEA and Apple. And make sure you spend time exploring the area’s famous department stores, from luxury shopping at Liberty London and Hamley’s toyshop to Selfridges’ designer brands and Harrods’ high-end collections and food hall.

Trace the cobbled streets around Soho where you can find everything from concept stores and designer boutiques to record stores and independent brands. Some top picks include Alohas, Tala, Axel Arigato, A.P.C., GANNI, Le Labo, Stone Island, Stussy and Peachy Den.

Best for: Designer clothing and high-street shopping hauls.
Good to know: Many central London shops are open late but be sure to check the official website for opening hours. Check out our West End shopping itinerary to make the most of your visit.

Get involved in the annual Pride in London parade and celebrations, when visitors of all genders, sexualities, races and faiths come together to celebrate the city’s diversity.

Find a whole programme of events during the month and on the day, from temporary exhibitions and shows to pop-ups and interactive events. On the day, the festival culminates in the vibrant Pride in London Parade, where colourful floats and performers sing and dance through London’s streets, usually from Hyde Park Corner to Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.

As night falls, the celebrations continue at Soho’s LGBTQ+ pubs and bars, with exclusive Pride parties, live music shows and events.

Best for: LGBTQ+ visitors and Londoners alike.
Good to know: The Pride in London Parade is free to attend, but many of other shows and events on the day require paid-for tickets. Make sure to book these in advance as the most popular events tend to sell out quickly.

If you’re looking for an authentic Asian dining experience in the West End, look no further than Speedboat Bar, which has become something of an institution among foodies.

Inspired by the late-night canteens of Bangkok, pull up a bar stool or wooden chair and pair cold drinks with a selection of mouthwatering snacks while you browse the menu of delightful Thai and Chinese-inspired dishes. Just try not to be distracted by the assortment of quirky photos and objects that hang on the walls while you try to browse the menu.

While everything on the menu is genuinely worth trying, we recommend the crunchy chicken with green mango kerabu, prawn ceviche with seafood dressing, tom yam mama noodles with squid, pork and prawns, beef tongue and tendon curry, and the whole sea bream and makrut lime.

End on a high with either the pineapple pie with taro ice cream or mango pudding with red pomelo – or both! The cocktails are also great.

Best for: A unique no-frills Asian meal.
Good to know: The restaurant is open late, usually until 12am or 1am, but be sure to check the official opening times ahead of your visit. While walk-ins are available, we recommend booking a table in advance to avoid disappointment.

Soho is home to several restaurants pushing the boundaries with creative concepts, including a growing list that have been awarded Michelin stars or Bib Gourmands. They make up some of the area’s best restaurants, which you’d be lucky to secure a booking for during your visit to the area.

From the team behind Brat and Smoking Goat is Mountain, a Michelin star serving up Basque-inspired sharing plates with a focus on live-fire cooking. The team’s latest venture, Impala – also based in Soho – opened in spring 2026 and combines charcoal-grill cooking with North African and Egyptian flavours.

If you’re after something with a kick, flick through the menu of inventive Thai seafood dishes at Kiln, share a selection of bold Indian plates at Kricket or tuck into the fall-off-the-bone juicy meats and houmous towers at Persian-inspired Berenjak.

NOPI is coined “the definitive Ottolenghi restaurant” and the perfect spot to share seasonal dishes during a romantic date. Or, impress with locally sourced, plant-forward plates at Bubala.

Best for: A sought-after dinner reservation at one of London’s foodie hotspots.
Good to know: Many of these popular London restaurants fill up quickly, so be sure to book well in advance to avoid disappointment.

Take your pick from more than 20 eateries inside Kingly Court, a three-storey dining hub located just off Carnaby Street.

Walk through the entrance and be greeted by a large open-air courtyard, which is open to the sunshine during the warmer months and has a roof cover in winter. Find everything from Filipino sharing plates at Donia and mouthwatering Middle Eastern plates at Le Bab to Imad’s Syrian Kitchen, which serves up delicious, hearty dishes and boasts a Bib Gourmand.

All the ground-floor restaurants have outdoor seating in the courtyard, with a mixture of benches and tables to choose from. Other floors just have indoor spaces inside the court. While some restaurants and courtyard spaces tend to fill up faster than others, you can almost always rely on finding a table here.

If you’re looking for a drink, Cahoots is also located in the court – a vintage Tube-inspired speakeasy with live entertainment and inventive cocktails.

Best for: Central London courtyard dining.
Good to know: Kingly Court is open seven days a week from 6am to 11pm, but each venue has its own opening times, so be sure to check each retailer's official website directly.

Ronnie Scott’s is a musical institution, known as one of the world’s most celebrated jazz clubs. Since its opening in Soho in 1959, it’s welcomed countless musical legends and an endless roster of up-and-coming talent. Whether you’re a die-hard jazz fan or just keen to experience the atmosphere, this venue should be on all music lovers’ bucket lists.

What makes this venue so special? For us, it’s the size of the space, paired with the low lighting and moody atmosphere, that makes every show here feel intimate and focused on the music. Book an evening performance, settle in with a drink and wait for world-class musicians to grace the stage, just a few metres from your seat.

Best for: Live music in an iconic venue.
Good to know: Popular performances sell out quickly, so be sure to sign up for official ticket alerts and secure tickets well in advance.

It’s hard to miss Outernet London, a giant immersive art gallery and interactive space that greets all who wander past or emerge from Tottenham Court Road Station.

Split across six spaces, Outernet’s main public gallery features a four-storey-high wraparound LED screen installation with sound effects known as the Now Building, allowing passersby to interact with artwork for free. Now Trending, situated next door, has more interactive screens to enjoy, while Now Arcade features a LED tunnel that visitors can walk through to reach other parts of the venue.

Look out for events at Outernet Live (previously known as HERE at Outernet), featuring everything from live music events and performances to seasonal activities for families.

Best for: Getting immersed in art and live performance.
Good to know: The Now Building is free to access during opening between 10am and 11.30pm daily, but other events are usually ticketed and must be booked in advance.

Soho comes alive at night with its animated streets and neon lights. Cocktail bars, cosy pubs and some of the city's top restaurants fill up with the trendy crowds and LGBTQ+ visitors, offering some of the best nightlife London has to offer. 

Renowned as London’s queer hub, the neighbourhood is packed with welcoming and inclusive late-night venues, offering everything from karaoke, cabaret and drag shows to lineups packed with queer DJs. The Admiral Duncan, Village Soho and Freedom Bar Soho are some of our favourites in the area, but be sure to check out more top LGBTQ+ pubs and bars in Soho and beyond.

Beyond the LGBTQ+ scene, the area is packed with popular boozers, steeped in character and tradition. Step back in time at The French House for a slice of no-frills bohemian Soho. Follow locals to The Coach and Horses for a lively central London pint or enjoy a catch-up away from the busier streets at The Blue Posts – which also hosts live gigs upstairs. If you’re happy to brave the queues, it's worth sampling the perfect Guinness pours and gastropub plates at The Devonshire.

If you're looking to impress, grab a seat at dimly lit Swift Soho or Disrepute – both of which boast expert mixologists, plush interiors and an atmosphere worth dressing up for. 

Best for: Some of the best pubs in London and LGBTQ+ venues.
Good to know: Most Soho pubs have limited seating and fill up very quickly, so people tend to spill out onto the streets. Be prepared to stand in designated areas – especially during the summer months.

Venture inside the mind of contemporary artists at The Photographers' Gallery, the first exhibition space dedicated to photography in the UK. Situated just off Oxford Street, this independent gallery showcases a plethora of works from artists of the craft – featuring everything from documentary film photography and photojournalism to experimental contemporary work.

Take your time to reflect on the regularly changing exhibitions, that each demand visitors consider the world around them through a different lens. If you're in Soho, this is a great quieter cultural stop to add to your itinerary.

Check out more photography exhibitions and galleries in London. 

Best for: A niche pocket of culture and artistic inspiration. 

Good to know: The programme changes regularly, so be sure to check the exhibitions in advance. We advise you allow around an hour to visit.

Turn the West End streets of Soho and Chinatown into your very own stage on the Disco Diva Walking Tour. Put on your wireless headphones and get ready to sing and dance your way past famous landmarks and notable areas – including the very place Cher once ended up after a dodgy kebab – led and narrated by your tour guide.

Each experience has its own soundtrack, route and host: the Soho tour is hosted by a drag queen and features iconic pop hits from the likes of Madonna, Cher, Lady Gaga and more. Embark on a dancing tour of this musical London neighbourhood that turns a normal sightseeing journey into an upbeat dance party.

Best for: Combining song and dance with a drag queen-themed tour of the neighbourhood.

Good to know: Wireless headphones are provided. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes for dancing, with some colour or glitter if you can! 

Many parks and green spaces can be found across London, they make up 47% of the city, in fact! And tucked just behind the bustle of Oxford Street is one of our favourites: Soho Square Gardens. Join locals who sit on benches for their lunch breaks and visitors who spill across the lawns for a pause between sightseeing at this peaceful little oasis.

A distinctive mock-Tudor building stands in the centre of the garden, which once concealed an underground electricity substation, served as an air-raid shelter in World War II, and today stores tools for the park's gardeners. 

Look out for the statue of Charles II, and make use of the free-to-use table tennis tables – just be aware that you have to bring your own bats and balls!

Best for: A quiet break and people-watching in central London.

Good to know: The gates to the park are locked around dusk. While the park attracts many visitors every day, weekday mornings are generally the quietest times to visit.

Stay at one of the city's grandest addresses at Hotel Cafe Royal. Once a legendary meeting place for artists, writers and cultural figures including the likes of David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Andy Warhol and more, this hotel blends historic glamour with contemporary luxury.

Situated between Soho and Piccadilly, this luxury hotel is well placed for exploring the local area's of Soho and Chinatown, as well as nearby Mayfair, Covent Garden and beyond. Book a room or suite with views onto Regent Street for a memorable stay, and make sure to experience the hotel's atmospheric bars and restaurants. 

Best for: A centrally located luxury stay filled with character.

Good to know: Because of its central location, expect a lively atmosphere, especially on weekends.

A London institution since 1908, The Waldorf Hilton brings grandeur to The Strand – just beyond the western edge of Soho and Chinatown. Admire the ornate interiors, high ceilings and famous Palm Court that give it a unique character compared to the area's many boutique hotels.

Book a room here to be located among the West End's top theatres, with Soho, Chinatown and Covent Garden on its doorstep. It's bespoke "family experience" offering makes it perfect for families, with special welcome treats for children, kid's menus and room options including connecting rooms and spacious suites. 

Best for: Families looking for a West End doorstep. 

Good to know: Ask about rooms overlooking the courtyard if you want a little more peace and quiet, as the central location stays lively into the night.

Tucked away on a quieter corner of Soho, The Resident Soho feels more like a London townhouse than a conventional hotel. Rooms are compact but thoughtfully designed, with kitchenettes that make it ideal for longer stays. 

Step outside and you're just moments away from the area's bustling restaurants, bars and theatres, while Oxford Street and Covent Garden are both within easy walking distance. It's a great choice if you want to stay in the heart of the action without staying somewhere overly grand. 

Best for: A great value hotel with an excellent location. 

Good to know: Pick up ingredients or treats from nearby Chinatown and make use of the in-house kitchenettes during your stay!