The Ultimate BBQ and Grill Guide to Soho

Soho packs more fire and smoke into a few streets than almost anywhere in London. Within a ten-minute walk you can go from an American smokehouse piling up ribs and brisket, to a Basque asador cooking aged beef over coals, a British chophouse, a Japanese robata counter and a Thai kitchen working a wood fire. The trouble is that most listings just throw the names at you. This guide does the opposite: it tells you what each place actually does best, what to order, and, at the end, exactly where to go depending on who you are with and what you are in the mood for.

American Barbecue and Smokehouse

For low-and-slow, Soho has two proper specialists. Bodean's BBQ on Poland Street is the neighbourhood stalwart, a Kansas-City-style pit turning out baby back ribs, pulled pork, burnt ends and brisket, with sport on the screens downstairs and generous, unfussy plates that suit a hungry group. Red Dog Saloon leans into the loud, Deep-South end of things, with hot wings, sharing platters, big cocktails and the kind of eating challenge you take on for the story rather than the sensible dinner; we cover it in full in our honest Red Dog Saloon review. Go to either hungry, and plan to share.

Live-Fire and Whole-Animal Cooking

If you want to watch the cooking happen, Temper on Broadwick Street built its name on barbecuing whole animals over open fire in the middle of the room, then serving the results as tacos and sharing plates; sit at the counter and watch the pit team work. ALTA in Kingly Court brings a Basque accent to the flames, cooking aged txuleta beef chops and seafood over coals with the confident, ingredient-led simplicity of a San Sebastian asador. For something more grazing and drawn-out, Ember Yard on Berwick Street sends charcoal-grilled small plates out steadily, from Iberico pork to smoky grilled prawns, so it suits a long evening with a few glasses of wine.

Chops, Steaks and the British Grill

Few places do value like Blacklock Soho, a basement chophouse on Great Windmill Street whose famous 'all in' sends out a towering pile of skinny lamb, beef and pork chops slapped onto flatbread; save room, and come back on a Sunday for one of the best-value roasts in central London. Flat Iron on Beak Street keeps it beautifully simple with one very good flat-iron steak at a keen price, free popcorn while you wait and a little salted-caramel cone on the way out, which makes it a reliable cheap treat. For a more classic steakhouse night there is KoD Steakhouse with its dry-aged cuts and tableside theatre, the all-day Sophie's Steakhouse & Bar, and the old-school, tourist-friendly Angus Steakhouse. To see how these sit among the area's best tables, our guide to Soho's best restaurants is a good companion read.

Grills from Around the World

Soho's fire cooking is not all brisket and chops. Robata on Old Compton Street works the Japanese robatayaki tradition, grilling skewers, fish and vegetables over binchotan charcoal and passing them across the counter on a long paddle. Kiln on Brewer Street cooks fierce, wood-fired Thai food from a tiny open kitchen, and its clay-pot and grill dishes, from the baked glass noodles to the skewers, are the ones locals queue for. Both prove that a great grill in Soho can mean far more than a slab of beef.

Where to Go for What

To save you the agonising, here is the short version:

• Best value: Flat Iron and Blacklock, especially at lunch and for the Sunday roast.
• Best for a big, loud group: Red Dog Saloon and Bodean's BBQ.
• Best for a date or a special dinner: ALTA and Temper.
• Best American barbecue: Bodean's for the classics, Red Dog for the spectacle.
• Best British chops and steak: Blacklock and Flat Iron.
• Best fire theatre: Temper and ALTA.
• Best grill with a twist: Robata for Japanese charcoal, Kiln for wood-fired Thai.

Booking, Timing and Tips

A few things worth knowing before you go. The sit-down grills fill up fast at weekends, so book ahead for Temper, ALTA and Ember Yard, while Blacklock and Flat Iron are friendlier to walk-ins if you arrive early or eat off-peak. Portions at the American and British spots are built for sharing, so order fewer plates than you think and add more, and lunchtime almost always gives you the same food for less. If value is the whole point of the trip, pair this with our budget-friendly eateries guide, and you can browse the full spread of options any time in our Soho restaurants directory. However you like your fire and smoke, Soho has a grill with your name on it.