Restaurants near Oxford Circus

Craving some pillowy Taiwanese buns near Oxford Circus? Then head down to the original Soho branch of Bao – a slick outfit that started out as a ‘gazebo with a coolbox’ before moving into the big time. The signature bao sees braised pork sprinkled with peanut powder, but also check out ‘small eats’ such trotter nuggets or smoky mapo aubergine with chi shiang rice.

It’s love at first sniff when you step inside this casual Maddox Street offshoot of swish Jamavar. There’s plenty of bustle and noisy chatter, while the fragrance and smoky aromas speak of killer Indian cooking – we love the dense goat keema with buttered buns. If you fancy a darned affordable Indian lunch, drop by for one of their tiffin box sets.

On a villagey corner of Foley Street, Bonnie Gull’s Fitzrovia cockle-warmer is a dinky beauty with jaunty decor evoking a seafood shack and a menu that whisks you away to the seaside. Come here for fastidiously fresh and ding-ding delicious small plates, grilled fish and other maritime treats from old Blighty. Close your eyes and you’re breathing in the sea air.

The Beak Street branch of Matthew Jones’s nigh-faultless bakery chain is a proper café: the kind you pop into for a midday reprieve after the mayhem of Oxford Street. Done out with Parisian marble countertops and wooden bistro chairs, it offers an impressive all-day spread ranging from quiches and croques to cinnamon buns, pain au chocolat and doughnuts overflowing with silky chocolate and salted caramel.

The flashily decorated Burger & Lobster chain does exactly what it says on the tin, so head off to its Little Portland Street branch if you fancy munching a hand-minced burger – although we reckon the best value is still the lobster part of the B&L equation (especially their banging lobster rolls). They also do oysters and other affordably luxurious hits, plus a terrific weekday lunch deal for £15.

A great escape from the West End’s shopping bedlam, calming Chisou is an unobtrusive shoo-in for aficionados of pure-bred traditional Japanese cuisine not far from Bond Street. There’s excellent sushi grazing at the counter, but izakaya-style sharing is the way to go for sociable lunching (business or otherwise) in the harmoniously neutral dining room. It’s relaxed and atmospheric, with just the right amount of bustle.

Generous tacos served with lashings of old-school hospitality is the deal at Corazón – an unassuming taqueria that’s custom-built for hungry West Enders. Head to the bar and counter for cocktails and nibbles; sit in the main space for a full-on nosh – perhaps baja fish tacos with tangy slaw or tinga chicken tostadas with queso fresca. They also do a cut-price lunchtime ‘menu rapido’ for a tenner.

It’s safe to say that Delamina will be loved by the West End ladies who lunch, although all are welcome at this ‘wholesome’ Middle Eastern/Med-accented restaurant on Marylebone Lane. Our advice? Ask for a street-level table (if you’re into people-watching), fill up on snacky small plates (deep-fried okra with tahini dip, chilli-spiked courgettes) and then skip straight to the smooth halva with date syrup.

You may have a wait on your hands at this swinging tribute to Bombay’s 1930s jazz age just off Carnaby – but you’ve just negotiated Oxford Circus, so this should be a cinch. Plus, you’ll be rewarded with a roster of commendable curries, cracking black dal and some of the best service in the capital. Stop by for brunch too – the bacon naan roll is a London legend.

On the fringes of Soho, this Berwick Street sizzler comes from the Salt Yard stable, but adds some smoky grills to its repertoire of Spanish and Italian small plates – get up close to the action by sitting near the glowing coals. We also reckon Ember Yard’s bar snacks are some of the best in the ’hood (try the smoked chorizo with saffron aïoli). Great cocktails too.

Gaucho’s testosterone-fuelled steakhouse chain has branches all over town, but its bullish Piccadilly flagship is the branch to choose if you’re starting at Oxford Circus. Spread over four floors (including a cocktail bar, terrace, vaulted cellars and a supper lounge), it serves up prime pampas-reared Argentinian beef and punchy regional wines against a clubby backdrop of black leather, cowhide, chandeliers and booming beats.

Chain chippies are two a penny around Oxford Circus, but it’s worth talking a walk towards Soho for a taste of the real thing. Golden Union looks determinedly old school, but its approach to beer-battered sustainable fish is forward-thinking for sure. Everything is perfectly cooked in a light, crispy casing with firm, fluffy chips on the side; also check out the pies and fishcakes – they’re homemade too.

The Hemsley sisters are spiraliser-wielding rock stars on the clean-eating stage, and their chic, sleek café is a snug fit for Selfridges’ Body Studio. Buy into the H&H brand via organic gluten-free dishes without refined sugars or hydrogenated fats and raise a glass of ‘zero-dosage’ champagne for their health-conscious vegan (and meat) cooking. It’s all about balance, after all.

A longboard outside the door points up the breezy surfing vibe at this addition to the surging poke roadshow – an airy Soho spot with a clean Asiatic look and a menu of Hawaiian-style raw fish salad bowls. Choose one of the ready-mades or build your own from the colourful pick ’n’ mix assembly line. Seating is limited, but Honi is just fine for a grab-and-go lunch or an early-evening refresher.

With a steamy charcoal grill holding centre-stage and a menu offering a mishmash of Asian creations, Inko Nito is the laidback Japanese fusion restaurant you probably need after negotiating Oxford Circus. The standout breadcrumbed fried chicken comes with yoghurt and peanut dip, and the signature nigaki is sushi’s unholy answer to the open sandwich. Don’t leave without trying the coconut soft-serve, sprinkled with Japanese granola.

The poke bandwagon trundles ever onwards at this serene little South Pacific spot serving raw fish salad bowls on Kingly Street. Lunch is the hot ticket, and the combination of ‘clean eating’ and knockout fusion flavours makes it way better than any supermarket meal deal. With its limited seating, South Pacific beach-shack vibe and heavy R&B soundtrack, this is strictly for a quick in-and-out fill-up.

Part of the Ivy’s smart-casual bandwagon, this Broadwick Street brasserie is a colourful cosmopolitan prospect, a shoo-in for business lunchers, Oxford Street shoppers, families and everyone in between. Expect an all-day menu of crowd-pleasing Ivy classics and elevated ‘dinner party’ cooking – plus just about any beverage you care to name. Great for breakfast, weekend brunch, afternoon tea and general socialising.

For edgy, exciting Thai food less than ten minutes from Oxford Circus, head to the ground floor of chef Ben Chapman’s Soho barnstormer, where a stainless-steel counter (for walk-ins only) gives terrific views of the theatrical open kitchen. Kiln’s stripped-back rustic dishes are mostly cooked on the chargrill or over coals in the ceramic charcoal burner – and the flavours are blindingly intense.

It’s all about roll-your-sleeves-up DIY at this branch of Kintan – a bargain-priced Japanese yakiniku restaurant in a basement off Oxford Circus. Smoky thick-ridged grills are built into each table (much like Korean BBQ) and the fully illustrated medley ranges from USDA kalbi short-rib to excellent pre-marinated spicy pork. Wipe-clean menus are splashed with red-sticker deals, while daily ‘happy hours’ just keep rolling on.

More wrapped-up bliss within striking distance of Oxford Circus, although Le Bab is a proper sit-down affair and its kebabs are decidedly posh. They’re also served ‘open’ and painstakingly arranged over thin, house-made flatbread – a bit like Scandinavian smørrebrød. It almost seems a pity to roll them up. Fillings change seasonally, with preserved and fermented ingredients adding to the Nordic vibe.

Forget a Big Mac: if you want a dirty dude-food burger fest close to Oxford Circus, then make a beeline for barnstorming Meat Liquor’s original branch on Welbeck Street. Expect epic queues, loud music, a hell-raising rock ’n’ roll vibe and gut-bustingly delicious food – the ‘dead hippie’ burger is a must, but it’s full-on stuff all the way from the deep-fried pickles to the wicked cocktails.

We can thank the Waney family (of Roka and Zuma fame) for this upmarket Greek restaurant on Great Titchfield Street. Meraki takes the sun-drenched flavours of the Aegean and serves them up to business folk, tourists and shoppers who want to escape Oxford Street’s bedlam. Wooden trays loaded with dips and meze are the top calls – we can’t get enough of their insanely good kopanisti (barrel-aged feta with florina peppers).

What started as a three-wheeler food van with a built-in pizza oven has spread across town faster than a sourdough starter in a heatwave, and there’s a branch of Pizza Pilgrims on Dean Street – less than ten minutes’ walk from Oxford Circus. You can either sit down in the restaurant with a slice of their Neapolitan-style wonder pizza (soft chewy base, generous on-trend toppings) or carry it out to Soho Square when it’s sunny.

If you’re looking for a casual Yotam Ottolenghi fix within striking distance of Oxford Circus, then warm, buzzy Rovi is your go-to destination. True to form, this Fitzrovia goodie touts a breakfast/brunch menu, but its all-day offer sizzles with bright ideas on small plates – from charred tropea onions with whipped feta and ‘green gazpacho’ to skewers of baby squid and lardo with red pepper and aïoli.

Home to Spanish tapas queen Nieves Barragán Mohacho (ex-Barrafina), Sabor is a highly distinctive setup spread over two floors on Heddon Street. It’s a place of two halves: downstairs is the Counter (a no-bookings tapas joint dealing brilliant rustic-style small plates); upstairs is El Asador, a dining room dedicated to regional wood-fired feasting with bookable seats at chest-high communal tables (great for groups). Wherever you sit, the food’s all-round flawless and eating there is such fun – especially if you’re close to the action downstairs.

It may take a consummately traditional approach to Japanese cuisine, but Sakagura’s look is so sleek and modern it’s almost too cool for Mayfair. High-end choices abound, although West End aficionados wanting a user-friendly taste of things without the financial pain should share some ‘soul food’ appetisers, order the chef’s exquisitely decorated sushi selection or try a ‘gozen’ bento set.

Harry Edmeades (aka Señor Ceviche) had plenty of practice before opening his first bricks-and-mortar restaurant in Kingly Court, and it shows. There’s a touch of Lima’s boho Barranco District about the vibrant interiors – a theme that spills over into the equally colourful ceviches, anticuchos skewers, salads and beefy grills. The music’s upbeat, the staff are almost improbably good-natured, and the cocktails ooze Latin spirit.

The Kingly Court branch of Shoryu Ramen is at street level, so you won’t have to overwork those tired legs if you’ve trudged from Oxford Circus. Tonkotsu ramen is the main event, although the list of additional toppings includes some unusual options (piri-piri sauce, anyone?). However, it’s the Dracula version with extra garlic that has us slurping up every last drop.

Small but lovely, this sibling of Mayfair’s Chisou offers the best of both worlds: it feels old school, but the music’s upbeat and the blowtorch-wielding chefs are from all nations. Fish fans drool over the modish carpaccios, the magnificently silky o-toro tuna and the market-fresh ‘omakase’ sushi sets – perfect if you’re looking for a Japanese lunchtime sweetener within walking distance of Oxford Circus.

Fun-loving music, good-time vibes and smokin’ hunks of meat sizzling over the fiery coals – that’s the instantly addictive deal at this windowless basement dive on Broadwick Street. Impossibly juicy meat-and-flatbread combos keep it simple, while assorted tacos play fast and loose with their exotic fillings – we drooled over the soy-cured beef. Delirious puds, meanwhile, are guaranteed to finish you off in double-quick time.

‘Dumplings to suit every taste’ – well, that’s what they say at UD, and there’s no arguing with a menu that straddles everything from satay chicken to spinach and tofu. Vegans can even order a bespoke eight-piece platter, while other dishes such as tempura aubergine with golden syrup dressing are also worth considering. Spread over two floors just off Carnaby Street, Ugly Dumpling lives up to its cute, quirky name.

It’s all about the oysters at Wright Brothers, a charming seafood specialist neatly tucked behind Liberty’s off Regent Street. If you’ve got something to celebrate, nip in for a plate of these briny beauties with a glass of bubbles. Alternatively, pick from the line-up of seafood classics and modern ideas with a pan-Asian twist (Korean fried mussels or yellowfin tuna tartare, for example).

Cosy vibes, faultless service and terrific food lure the crowds to this modish purveyor of Beirut street food on Winsley Street. Lunchtimes are mega-busy as workers and shoppers pile in for takeaway wraps; otherwise, sit down and graze from the all-day line-up of indulgent meze, charcoal grills and sticky baklava – with some refreshing mint tea on the side. It feels like a million miles from central London.

The London outpost of Istanbul’s celebrated Yeni Lokanta, this Soho spot off Regent Street is a deliciously atmospheric delight for fans of contemporary Turkish cuisine. To eat, it’s top-drawer stuff all the way – from the signature manti dumpling (served gratis as an amuse-bouche) and succulent skate cooked in raki to crisp-edged kadajifi fritters spiked with candied orange zest. Yeni ain’t cheap, but we advise you to start saving.

Ignore the name and head straight for the outstanding vegan ice cream at this kooky Wardour Street specialist in all things dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free. The best fun is to go with some mates and lick your way through the line-up of weird and wonderful flavours – anyone for popcorn and caramel? Yorica’s dairy-free fro-yo and shakes are fine, but that’s not really the point.