29 Fun and Unusual Things to do in Soho, London

Soho is one of the most buzzing areas of London. It doesn’t have a lot of big sights to pull in the tourists, but it’s a must-visit if you want to try some of London’s best bars and restaurants – or, in our case, some of London’s more unusual and fun bars and restaurants.

And, if that wasn’t fun enough, tucked around those are a few unusual Soho sights to check out.

You might not book your trip to London solely for these unusual things to do in Soho (and nearby), but you will have heaps of fun if you try them while you’re there.

Updated October 2022

1. Have a Booby Cocktail

Circolo Popolare is a Sicilian restaurant run by the Parisian Big Mamma team.

It’s incredibly beautiful with leafy plants hanging from the ceiling and walls lined with over 20,000 bottles of booze – but what suddenly grabbed my attention away from the prettiness and pizzas was the sight of a pair of boobs with a straw in them being carried past our table.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links which mean I earn a small commission if you use them to book. This does not cost you any extra.

A quick look at the cocktail menu told me it was called the Look Me in The Eyes, it contains a blend of three different rums, almond hibiscus syrup, Triple Sec, lime and maracuja.

They also have a mermaid tail glass and a Little Mermaid painted glass I now need in my life. Should you wish to splash out, and have friends, 60 GBP will buy you a giant booze packed strawberry and four straws.

You’ll find the restaurant at 40-41 Rathbone Place, slightly north of Soho Square.

Technically, this means Circolo Popolare is in Fitzrovia, not Soho, but I’m not writing a post on Fitzrovia, and it’s super pretty so it’s staying in here!

2. Drink from the Snout of a Unicorn

The Wands and Wizards Exploratorium in Greek Street is going to be fun for wizarding types of all ages – upstairs you can make wands, or have a potion brewing class (which might be code for cocktail making) – but it’s downstairs that made me happiest, as, there lives this 400 year old unicorn.

Apparently, during the night she wanders Soho eating berries and leaves and this creates the yummy cocktails she then pours from her snout during the day.

You do have to be nice to her so expect to produce spells and bow before she’ll dispense any goodies. You can drink your cocktails standing in the shop, or take them away while you wander through the other delights of Soho.

See more about the opening hours and booking wand or potion classes here.

3. Get on a Beer Bike

Want to make hundreds of people stare at you while you have the time of your life? Want to multitask by sightseeing, drinking and a spot of cardio, grab yourself a six pack and jump on the Soho beer bike for a tour!

I recently gave this a try on a trip to London (see the full review and FAQs here) and had an absolute blast.

The tour I did started in Glasshouse Street Soho and wound its way around the theatre district and Wardour Street while we sipped Prosecco, G&Ts or lager and danced to all the tunes – while pedalling.

If you’re looking for something fun to do in Soho as a group – hen do, stag do, birthday you need to check this out.

But it’s also great fun for friends or a couple who want to make some seriously fun memories of during a trip to London. I went on it solo and still had a great time!!!

See more about timings and costs, or make a booking here.

4. Go See the Giant Plug

Let’s take a brief break from bars and booze, and do a bit of sightseeing – way up high on the corner of Marshall and Ganton streets is this giant plug.

I do not know how many times I must have walked around this corner and not spotted this – it’s been there for years apparently!

How? How have I not noticed it considering it’s huge and surrounded by glowing lights!

I’m also mentioning this in case you’ve tried the first three suggestions in quick succession and are now wondering if you’re seeing things when you come across the plug.

5. Nom On, erm, an Adult Waffle

I cannot put a picture of the shape of the waffles you’ll find at The Cockery in Rupert Street on this post as it’s definitely not suitable for work.

It is however suitable for much giggling as you try and work out how to eat it without looking like you’re auditioning for Pam & Tommy!

And if you can’t work things out from that, and the name of the place, then it’s probably not the waffles-shop for you!

If it is though you’ll find it at 47 Rupert Street.

See more about it here.

6. Get Some Gotham City Vibes

Park Row is an underground DC comics-themed bar – but if that makes you think you’ll be drinking with kids in spandex super hero suits think again – the idea of the bar is that it’s where the great and good of Gotham would go to drink.

So it’s a bit more sophisticated that spandex-central – and the Batman-themed touches are pretty subtle.

If you’re planning a special occasion for a grown up Batman super fan they’ll LOVE it here.

Make sure you order the Blue Boy cocktail if you want something extra special.

You can just drink and dine in the bar, or, check out the dining experience at the onsite Monarch Theatre which is an ornate DC-themed dining experience.

Find more about both destinations here.

7. Try a Gold Eclair

Patisserie Maitre Chou stopped me in my tracks as I wandered down Old Compton Street – a pretty impressive feat in a road full of shops selling small leather shorts with studs on, but oh my goodness they are pretty.

And, even better, they are definitely not style over substance. My gold-covered stick was full of light fluffy pastry and filled with the most wonderful hazelnut cream.

At £7 each, they are pretty spendy but soooo good.

They also do savoury eclairs with toppings like feta and tomato or chicken and avocado if you’re looking for something really different to try.

The official address is 60 Dean Street which is the corner of Dean and Old Compton.

---

If gooey cakes are your thing then you’ll also want to check out our guide to Kings Cross which includes eclair shaped doughnuts!

---

8. Go on a Pub Crawl

Apparently there are 43 pubs in Soho, and if you’re not from around these parts, how do you know which are any good?

Well, you could get a feel for things by taking a pub tour.

9. Detour into St Anne’s Court

There’s not a lot of street art in Soho, but a small corner in St Anne’s Court off Wardour Street is home to a few cool pieces. There’s a blue piece by Invader, famous for his tiled work, some cool paste-ups and, a red snail shell

The snail shells are a feature of the work of street artist Dr Cream called Rollin Fool – and it’s actually not a snail itself, but a jester-like figure doing forward rolls that kind of turns into a snail shell as he does them.

Look, that’s the best way I can describe it – the video here does a better job.

You’ll find the jester all over London in a variety of different rolling poses so keep an eye out for him.

---

---

10. Check Out Some Music History

St Anne’s Court also used to be home to Trident Studios, where some of the most famous songs of all time have been recorded.

The Blue plaque on the building honours David Bowie who recorded Space Oddity here, but a typed list in the window also talks about some of the other favourites including Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and Crocodile Rock by Elton John.

Once upon a time, St Anne’s Court also used to be home to the record company of singer Marc Almond (from Soft Cell) and I spent more time than I would like to admit in my goth years hanging out in this alley waiting for my idol to appear.

You’ll also find another Bowie plaque fairly near Soho.

23 Heddon Street off Regent Street is where the cover of the album Ziggy Stardust was photographed. There’s a black plaque at the exact spot.

11. Head to the Bowie Bar

While we’re talking about the Thin White Duke, there’s a cocktail bar in Great Windmill Street called exactly that.

And, it kind of has a mild Bowie theme – cocktails are called things like Hot Tramp, Brixton Boy and Jean Ginnie.

Underneath the bar is a working recording studio so you never know who might be in there.

That also has a window dedicated to Bowie. If they’re not too busy (and no-one is recording) ask if you can take a sneak peak.

The bar is pretty small, so turn up early, or, you might want to book via their website

12. Go Dancing In the Street

Okay, that’s the last Bowie reference, I promise …

So, let’s talk musical theatre instead.

Soho is also home to London’s Theatre District and on the Soho Silent Disco Musicals Tour you can let out your inner Fantine or Macavity.

The walking tour sees you donning headphones and wandering the streets of Soho singing along to some of the world’s favourite musicals while you find their London homes.

I had this booked for my trip, but unfortunately I was there when The Queen died and so the tour was cancelled out of respect. I’m still sad about both things, it sounds like so much fun.

If you’re already warming up for a spirited rendition of I Dreamed a Dream though, then check out the details here.

The same team also do a Drag Queen Disco Diva Tour wandering about LGBT Soho.

If that sounds more your thing, then have a look at the details here.

13. Try a Dinner With Sauce

Not the peppercorn kind, the Soho kind

Naked is Soho’s newest naughty but nice restaurant.

Like The Cockery, I can’t show you any specific pictures, they’ve even had to put that sticker over the window as the neighbours complained when they opened, but let’s just say various bits of your dinner is going to come in the shape of bits of anatomy that you don’t normally get out in public!

See more and make a booking here

14. Play Buff Bingo

Soho was always the red light district of London and while that’s possibly not as overt now, on my last trip back I did notice it embracing the fun elements of its sexy reputation a bit more.

Another example of this is the Buff Bingo sessions being held at the Salsa restaurant just across from Old Compton Street.

Like the Soho Beer Bike it’s going to be the perfect addition to a Hen Weekend in Soho. You’ll be playing bingo with a drag queen host – and, buff bingo boys with their tops off!!!

It’s also a bottomless brunch – but that’s just the drinks!

Check out times and dates or make a booking here.

15. Find The Seven Noses of Soho

This is definitely one of the most fun things to do in Soho.

Mystery surrounds exactly how these appeared stuck all over the centre of London but there are seven noses to be found in Soho (well, technically one is in Endell Street in Covent Garden).

For more clues on where to find them, check out my post on Hidden London.

The D’Arblay Street nose is notoriously hard to find but I did get it on this trip….I think.

16. Pay Homage to Kirsty MacColl

This British singer and songwriter was killed in a speedboat accident in Mexico in the year 2000 but her memory lives on in the form of a bench in Soho Square marked with some of her lyrics.

And if you don’t think you know who MacColl is, that probably isn’t the case. If you’re from a country that plays Xmas tunes, chances are you have sung along with her at least once….she’s the female voice, alongside Shane McGowan of The Pogues on Fairytale of New York.

If you’re interested in hearing more, head onto YouTube and check out her cover of Billy Bragg’s New England (one of my favourite karaoke songs), They Don’t Know and Terry.

On a sunny day, this is one of the nicest open spaces in Soho to hang about it – and you’ll see heaps of locals out trying to catch some sun – particularly at lunchtime.

17. Go the Harry Potter Shop

The House of Minalima is a shop dedicated to all things Harry Potter. The ground floor is souvenir central but the upper three floors contain all manner of cool artwork and props from the movies.

Find them at 157 Wardour Street

I particularly liked the fireplaces full of envelopes all addressed to a certain Mr H Potter of Privet Drive.

18. Get Your Barbie On at The Friendly Society

This has to be Soho’s most fabulous decorated bar and it was here long before many of the quirky chains like Mr Foggs.

Walk down the stairs and you’ll be greeted gnomes, disco balls, Barbies, Kens and probably a screening of the Sound of Music on the walls (sadly with the sound off!).

Hidden in tiny Tisbury Court, this is in the middle of Soho’s gay area and it is a gay bar, but, as their name suggests, they’re friendly to all…please be nice back.

19. Get Gruesome on the Murder Mile Tour

East London might be famous for Jack the Ripper, but Soho has its own cast of murderous characters – including serial killer Dennis Neilson – all of whom you’ll learn about in this two-hour Sunday walk around Soho.

It covers 18 of Soho’s murders – which include gangland killings, love stories gone wrong – and, the story of the Blackout Ripper who may even have killed more people than the infamous Jack.

Tour leader Michael is knowledgable and funny and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about the hidden history of buildings I must have walked past hundreds of times..

You’ll never look at the Golden Lion pub on Dean Street in the same way again.

See more and book the tour here.

20: Take on the Ghost Wing Challenge

Red Dog Saloon is a Texan style BBQ and Burger joint on Brewer Street in Soho, and on their menu you’ll find the The Ghost Wing challenge – which sees you trying to consume ten super hot chicken wings in 60 seconds – no drinks allowed.

If you manage it you get a discount at Red Dog, all of the kudos, and probably a side of regret a few hours later.

Or you could just attempt to eat the Devastator, which with three patties, bacon, pork, cheese – and at that point I stopped reading – is quite possibly the biggest burger I’ve ever seen. Check out the pictures here.

This is one place we’re going to need to arrive very, very hungry.

21. Head to the Bar Behind the Bookcase

The Vault is a cute little bar hidden behind the bookshop at the back of whisky bar Milroys on Greek Street.

Once underground you’ll find intimate tables and full cocktail list.

It does get busy and if you’re in a group of more than two you will have to book – we had the only table for four in the whole place and a lot of people in groups of more than two were turned away.

Even if there’s just two of you, you might want to book to make sure you get in.

Book your night here.

22. The Bar Not to Take Your Mum

Or your boss, or anyone, to be frank that you don’t know very, very well – or hope to.

I’m talking about Rooms by the Hour which is located underneath the Pix tapas bar on Bateman Street, in what used to be an old Soho cinema – if you get my drift.

Now, you can book the booths out for cocktails (for an hour at a time, hence the name), but, they’re also showing some more, erm grown up entertainment while you sip.

See, I told you Soho was embracing it’s old reputation nowadays.

The idea is supposed to be fun rather than sleazy, which is why the movies are all from the 1970s, but even so, maybe don’t book the work Xmas party here.

See more on their website.

23. Check out the Art Loo

It’s only open to the general public on a few special days of the year but this toilet in St Anne’s Churchyard displays a mini art exhibition within its walls.

At night the railings outside turn into an art piece called The Wall of Light.

The tables and chairs in the gardens were also specially designed to encourage groups and parties into what was once a no go area in Soho.

---

If the idea of touring toilets sounds like a fun way to spend an afternoon you’re going to want to check out the London Loo Tour. See what happened when we tried it here.

---

24. Step Back in Time at Cahoots

No guide to unusual things to do in London is complete without a mention of this 1940s themed bar created to look like an underground train.

It’s immensely popular so do try and book in advance if you can – and when you get there, don’t forget to tell them that you’re there to see The Captain.

Their popularity has led to the opening of their sister venture opposite, the Ticket Hall and Control Room.

Check them both out and make a booking here.

25. Go on Cheese Tour!

Soho is home to a lot of good food – and, if you want to find the best cheese, you can now take an entire tour to find it!

The tour starts just outside Soho at Fortnum and Masons, but does take in some Soho cheese-sellers before progressing to Covent Garden – where, if it doesn’t end at the cheesey sushi train, I’d be surprised!

If all of that sounds as yummy to you as it does to me, check out the details or book the tour here.

26. See The Walking Girl

This piece of art by Julian Opie is on the corner of Broadwick Street and Carnaby Street. It’s officially known as Shaida Walking. The local business group have competitions to try and work out how far she’s walked since she arrived in 2016.

27. Treat Yourself to an Alternative Ice Cream

There’s a couple of fun ice cream shops in Soho.

Gelupo on Archer Street have a reputation for getting a bit creative with their flavours – at one point they were selling cannabis oil ice cream. Whereas Yorica at 130 Wardour Street is the place to stop if you want vegan or dairy-free ice cream blends.

28. Say Thanks To John Snow

No, not the brooding one in the furry cape, but the one who saved London from cholera.

Snow was an anesthesiologist and when cholera broke out in London he suspected that water to was to blame. Specifically, the stuff coming from this water pump on Broadwick Street. He broke off the handle, and the outbreak stopped.

The pump has moved a bit from its original location but it’s close enough… the local pub is also named after Snow which is appropriate as one reason that Snow narrowed down the source was because none of the local brewery workers who drank beer rather than water had gotten sick.

Learn More on This Soho Tour

If you’re interested in the history of Soho, this Soho Guided Walk by Babylon Tours covers the cholera outbreak and lots of more of Soho’s rich history.

Check out times and booking details here

29. Try Quirky Cocktails at the Blind Pig

This cocktail bar located above the chic Social Eating House at 58 Pollen Street has a seriously inventive cocktail list – and they like to have some fun with it.

The menu changes by season but the day I went, the quirkiest one on the menu was the tequila-based 5-A-Day complete with added jelly worms.

And yes, I know there are even more bars than normal in this post, but hey – that’s Soho.

Where to Stay in Soho

The Soho Hotel – Spendy

Staying in a hotel in the middle of Soho is never going to be cheap so why not push the boat out and stay at The Soho Hotel.

It couldn’t be better located. The bar is lovely – and every time I’ve been in there I’ve seen a celebrity.

David Mitchell from Peepshow held the door open for me once!

Okay, so it’s not Brad Pitt, but I was impressed by his manners!

Click here to check rates and availability.

Karma Sanctum Soho – Moderate

If that’s a bit too spendy, you might want to look at the Karma Sanctum Soho which just steps away from Regent Street.

I’ve been to an event on the rootop here and it’s a lovely place to chill out on a summer evening. It seems they have a hot tub up there now too.

I might also be a little bit obsessed with the sparkly underlights around the baths in some of the rooms!

Click to see those – and check rates and availability.

Sohostel – Budget

I admit I was a bit surprised to see that there’s a hostel right in the middle of Soho.

But there is and it’s smack bang in the middle of Dean Street.

They have dorm rooms – or, if you’re like me and sharing a room with anyone is just not happening, they also have private doubles for a very cheap price considering the location.

Click here to see what’s available for your dates.

---

Sharing is Caring

If you liked this list of unusual and fun things to do in Soho, please share it on social media then other people can explore the unusual side of Soho too.