Old Compton Street
Old Compton Street
4
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The area
Neighbourhood: Soho
The go-to district for a good time in London, Soho hosts a wealth of world-class theatres and a compelling lineup of cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars, and clubs. At Soho's core is London's original Red Light District and the epicenter of the LGBT scene – and thus the city's hottest nightlife. For shopping enthusiasts, Soho is not only the home of London's greatest concentration of boutique shops, but also the most strategic place to set off on a tour of the world's most celebrated department stores. In the southern part of the neighbourhood lies Chinatown, with its multitude of delicious and affordable restaurants. Closer to the Thames, Chinatown's narrow and teeming lantern-lit lanes spill onto the expansive hub of glitzy Leicester Square.
How to get there
- Leicester Square • 4 min walk
- Tottenham Court Road • 5 min walk
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
10,000 within 5 kms
Attractions
2,384 within 10 kms
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4.0
85 reviews
Excellent
33
Very good
30
Average
18
Poor
3
Terrible
1
Michael
Windsor, UK17 contributions
Aug 2020
What I like about London in general is that you can be who you want to be, especially Old Compton Street. I do not profess to know much about the LGBT community, but I seem a lot of openness about it here, which is lovely. Nice to see people happy. Vibrant street and I had. A couple of nice coffees here and just the World pass. Loved Soho.
Written 7 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
edupolo
London, UK9 contributions
June 2012 • Friends
I really like this street because you have the option to go to many bars in a very small area. Most of them are decent, although London is not too much fun, since most people are very shy or they are just looking for fun. However, it is very safe and close to many other areas in central london.
Be aware of Compton's of Soho bar. It is an British looking pub where you normally see older types. The bartenders, especially one that seems to be a floor manager with a beard and green eyes and quite camp is a horrible person. I am not British, and I could tell that he was laughing at my English when I tried to explain to him that I was not happy with the way he treated me when serving my drink. He has no customer service and he was very rude. If it wasn't because I was trying to have a good time with friends, I would have called the police because he was borderline a xenophobe. I hope that tourist during the Olympic Games do not come here, as they will not feel welcome at all. Avoid this place at all costs, there are many more places to go.
Be aware of Compton's of Soho bar. It is an British looking pub where you normally see older types. The bartenders, especially one that seems to be a floor manager with a beard and green eyes and quite camp is a horrible person. I am not British, and I could tell that he was laughing at my English when I tried to explain to him that I was not happy with the way he treated me when serving my drink. He has no customer service and he was very rude. If it wasn't because I was trying to have a good time with friends, I would have called the police because he was borderline a xenophobe. I hope that tourist during the Olympic Games do not come here, as they will not feel welcome at all. Avoid this place at all costs, there are many more places to go.
Written 10 June 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mick C
Clapham, UK79 contributions
Oct 2019 • Couples
Lovely Pizza on Old Compton Street today. Great taste wonderful staff and amazing prices. A great little place
Written 20 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ibadanboy
Nairobi, Kenya5,997 contributions
Sept 2014 • Friends
Old Compton street is in Soho, close to Dean, Frith, Wardour & Greek streets. One of the curious things about this street is that it features several gay bars, restaurants and cafes. Go there and take a few minutes to cross this off your to-do list when visiting London.
Written 14 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard F
Swindon, UK1,617 contributions
May 2013
All the shops and restaurants you'd expect to see walking through Soho. Worth a walk through to see the best of the place.
Written 6 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Francesco C
London, England, United Kingdom312 contributions
Apr 2012 • Solo
I went to Camisa (Italian Deli, Soho) a couple of months ago as I haven't been there for sometimes. I used to go there regularly in the past then Major supermarkets started to stock good quality Italian products. Therefore I go less and less now. What a disappointment it was in terms of prices which went from being reasonable years ago to quite expensive nowadays. Another thing, which is the stronghold of Italian products "La Pasta " was very poorly represented in terms of different shapes and brands. Nowadays they seem to stock mainly Barilla, not quite the apotheosis of pasta when English supermarkets seems to stock De Cecco, (even though with limited choice of shapes). At £ 1.40 for a 500g packet of Barilla at Camisa this is no competition in spending £ 1.56 for the De Cecco one!!! It is like comparing Starbucks and Café` Vergnano in the coffee arena!!!
Anyway I went there mainly to get a panino of some sort as the weather was quite nice so I could have lunch in the near Soho Square. The exchange (in Italian) between me and the shop assistant went more or less like this: SA: Can I help you?
Me: Yes, can I have a piece of focaccia with mozzarella (at this point I asked if they had a buffalo one and she replied: of course then buffalo it is!) tomato and basil. It cost £ 3.50. Fair enough with buffalo I thought. I went to sit in the square and at my first mouthful, I noticed the alien like absence of " Sapore". The flavour of buffalo mozzarella was like drinking solidified water. I cannot imagine the outcome had I chosen a normal mozzarella!!! I come from the temple of buffalo mozzarella, where a well known producer recently said no to a demand from The VATICAN to supply them regularly with BM so as not to undermine the quality of their product. The tomato and focaccia was in the same league. The only thing I could taste was the basil! Sorry but nowadays you can not get away with this when the quality of food has improved beyond recognition in the UK, especially in London - that includes eating in pubs or restaurants.
Anyway I went there mainly to get a panino of some sort as the weather was quite nice so I could have lunch in the near Soho Square. The exchange (in Italian) between me and the shop assistant went more or less like this: SA: Can I help you?
Me: Yes, can I have a piece of focaccia with mozzarella (at this point I asked if they had a buffalo one and she replied: of course then buffalo it is!) tomato and basil. It cost £ 3.50. Fair enough with buffalo I thought. I went to sit in the square and at my first mouthful, I noticed the alien like absence of " Sapore". The flavour of buffalo mozzarella was like drinking solidified water. I cannot imagine the outcome had I chosen a normal mozzarella!!! I come from the temple of buffalo mozzarella, where a well known producer recently said no to a demand from The VATICAN to supply them regularly with BM so as not to undermine the quality of their product. The tomato and focaccia was in the same league. The only thing I could taste was the basil! Sorry but nowadays you can not get away with this when the quality of food has improved beyond recognition in the UK, especially in London - that includes eating in pubs or restaurants.
Written 16 June 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vandasin
birmingham england386 contributions
May 2012 • Friends
From top to bottom this street offers a kaleidoscope of sights, eating and drinking places, as well as memorable shops for clothes, gadgets, fantasies, food and drink. Camisa's is an aladdins cave of italian food, fresh, tinned, bottled and dried including wonderful pasta, parma ham, cheeses, sausages, breads, tomatoes, truffles in season, olive oils and wines. Its friendly, knowledgeable and efficient staff will steer you through in english or italian and make you a fresh sandwich if you are hungry from breads and fillings of your choice. If you want to extend your drink purchases step acoss the road to a wine shop stacked from ceiling to floor and then there's the wonderful coffee and tea shop and so many bars and cafes to go into and watch the crowds go by and the passing people are all part of what makes this a street you have to visit when you are in London.
Written 2 May 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicholas H
London, UK20,403 contributions
Aug 2019 • Solo
Location of the Admiral Duncan anti-gay bomb outrage in less tolerant times, this street is the heart of Soho and a vibrant mix of speciality restaurants, bars and retailers. There’s also the Prince Edward Theatre. A wonderful place for some serious people watching and to indulge a hugely wide range of tastes.
Written 13 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
futtock21
London, UK17,143 contributions
June 2017 • Solo
Named after Henry Compton who raised funds for the building of nearby St. Anne's Church in 1686. Settled by French Huguenots exiled from France and given refuge by Charles II in 1681. In 19c haunt of Arthur Rimbaud and Paul Verlaine and headquarters of Wombswell Menagerie (a touring circus of strange animals). 2 Is Coffee Bar attracted popsters in the 1960s. Today home of the Prince Edward Theatre (Abba the Musical) and a wide range of eateries such as Belgo Soho (mussels, frites and an extensive Belgian beer list), Herman Ze German (for Bratwursts), Dozo Sushi, La Porchetta Pollo (chicken) bar, Tuk Tik (Thai), Leggero (gluten free or unfood).
Written 3 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
T_Hotel_Inspectors
London, UK780 contributions
Mar 2017 • Solo
One this was a mixed thoroughfare where all sides of SOHO came, a restaurant a cabaret, a adult shop and a off licence, gving non-local a states depending which direction they head
Not any longer, it feels quite drab as SOHO migrate to the tech sector
Not any longer, it feels quite drab as SOHO migrate to the tech sector
Written 24 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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