Bar Soba

Pan-Asian street food in a club-like environment with dedicated vegetarian and gluten-free menus.

The 2017 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

No two trips to Bar Soba are the same. Visit during quieter lunchtime periods for a chance to admire the tasteful décor (much enlivened with graffiti artwork after a summer 2017 refurb); grab a bar stool early evening and enjoy a drink while sampling the street food menu; sit downstairs in a group to get stuck into a pan-Asian feast; or pop in at the start of a night out to catch Bar Soba at peak party time. The small plates are ideal for sharing and the massaman beef curry and teriyaki noodles highlight a strong South-East Asian influence. Though there’s obvious attention to detail and some interesting flavour combinations, it’s hard not to feel like there’s a busy kitchen downstairs juggling too many dishes at once. Yet food is only half the story. Cocktails come tall, straight, shaken or by the bucket and are in keeping with the Asian theme. The Jangshi Zombie sports four different types of delicious rum and even the bartenders will tell you that two’s enough. DJs most weekends add to a lively pre-night-out buzz, but die-hard fans of pan-Asian food may conclude Bar Soba aims to be a bar haunt rather than an authentic culinary experience.

• High point: Popular with a younger crowd
• Low point: Popular with a younger crowd!
• Notable dish: Hot smoked salmon and mango Indonesian taco