A Top Chef’s Favourite Solo Dining Spots
Greg Funnell
Solo dining is a neglected aspect of restaurant culture. We think of restaurants as places to meet people, but a huge amount of my young life, when I first starting cooking, was about expanding my palette at different affordable restaurants. Most of my friends weren’t interested in food during our early 20s and I didn't have much time off, so it was all about finding places to drop into for a relatively cheap meal. That culture is a big part of what makes Soho such a fun and exciting neighbourhood.
There’s no greater compliment than someone wanting to dine alone at your restaurant. It suggests they feel incredibly comfortable in your place, but it’s also somewhere they want to treat themselves. I’m a counter guy as I love watching what’s going on behind the scenes. You have the benefit of being able to order lots of dishes that arrive quickly, so there’s a sense of immediacy that strips back any formality.
A Soho restaurant crawl should start at Barrafina. It revitalised Soho’s dining scene when it opened nearly 20 years ago. My first visit reminded me of eating out in Barcelona as a kid. I loved standing up and enjoying a few simple dishes at the bar, taking in the hubbub of the place. It also reminded me of going to the football and the thrill of the crowd and being surrounded by people. I choose a Catalan classic from the blackboard, which is always super fresh, especially the seafood, which is just very, very good.
Koya is another favourite. It’s another one of the places I frequented as a young chef in London. The original chef Junya Yamasaki was exceptional, but it’s now headed up by Shuko Oda who is also immensely talented. Koya has a very simple concept: handmade Japanese noodles served with different broths. There’s also a blackboard offering a unique style of Japanese cooking, with dishes that are simple and produce led. It’s well known these days but remains one of the best and most beautiful Japanese restaurants in the city.
ALEXANDER BAXTER
Finally, Bocca di Lupo has the most incredible buzz. It has a rare quality of timeless glamour while still feeling vibrant and laid-back. Sit at the bar and you’ll see a real mix of people. The restaurant kept me alive when I was young – back in the day the menu had a few pastas for £5 or £6 that you could order in between services. There was something special about going into this beautiful restaurant full of stylish people, plonking yourself at the counter, and ordering a cheap bowl of pasta. It’s the best kind of solo dining because you can people watch – both the diners and the chefs who cook the most incredible food in front of you.
And now, watch Jackson take SLMan on a restaurant crawl around his Soho haunts…
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