Koya

Perched on Frith Street only moments from Soho Square is Koya, the authentic Japanese udon noodle bar that first opened in 2010 and has been serving signature bowls, donburi and small plates since.

Head chef Shuko's recipes span from breakfast to dinner across three locations: the City, Hackney and Central London. There's nothing over the top about Koya - follow the glowing red neon house sign into a restaurant boasting minimal interiors. An open kitchen allows you to see your noodles come to life and fold neatly into a steamy bowl of broth, and you can devour them counterside too under sleek, black pendant lighting. 

The Soho menu features 'English Breakfast' udon, made up of egg, bacon and shiitake, to start your day, while the lunch and dinner offerings are made up of hot broths (Atsu-Atsu) with prawn tempura, pork miso, or mushrooms with walnut miso, as well as cold. On the small plate side of things, you can expect to find a poached egg in chilled fish dashi, some braised pork belly with cider, and marinated and fried chicken alongside pickles. To wash it down, there's a selection of beer, sake and premium umeshu with ume plum. 

Hungry? Check out our guide to restaurants in the area and sign up to our newsletter for all the latest.