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A Strokes song, a happy-happy drug that pacifies the people in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and now, a late night boozer in Soho, SOMA is Rik Campbell and Will Bowlby of Indian-inspired mini chain Kricket’s first foray into the bar world.
Set to open in September under Kricket’s original Denman Street location, SOMA will have a tasty 3am licence, which makes sense seeing as it’s named after the Hindu god of the moon. With an epic nine metre-long hand-finished stainless steel bar – perfect for either draping yourself over or getting your all important 2.55am last orders in – SOMA is actually quite small, but perfectly formed, with space for 23 people.
Drinks will be inspired by the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring countries, meaning a cocktail menu that’s more than basic martinis and margs. Instead we’ve got twists on the classics, including a gooseberry chaat margarita, a savoury pickled mooli martini and a coconut and jaggery old fashioned. We'll have all three, thanks, but please be aware that you'll have to help us up the stairs after. There’ll also be a small menu of Indian influenced snacks, with crackers made using leftover rice from the kitchen upstairs served with yummy yogurt dip.
Open Tuesday to Sunday, SOMA will mostly rely on walk-ins, but groups of six or more will be able to book a space in this special subterranean spot.
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