100 Wardour St, Soho – tried and tasted

Cocktails, live music and Mediterranean food at the latest double-decker restaurant to occupy this address
A new stage: Downstairs at 100 Wardour Street, formerly Floridita
Ben Norum12 December 2017

The 100 Wardour St site has had an interesting history, though not an entirely fortuitous one.

In 1964 it became the home of legendary music venue The Marquee Club, but this was forced to move in 1988 after the building was discovered to be unsafe. Following its demolition and rebuilding, restaurateur supremo Sir Terence Conran bought the site and launched Mezzo in 1995 — a vast double-decker 600-cover ‘gastrodome’. Though it was initially popular, after a few years it started to struggle.

In the years that followed, the space was divvied up into numerous different restaurants and bars in the years that followed, with Floridita — a Cuban bar-club-restaurant hybrid — remaining throughout. In 2015, now run by D&D London, more bad luck struck the site as Floridita and its current joint incumbant, Indian restaurant Carom, were forced to close after being ravaged by a fire which began in one of the kitchens.

Now, around nine months after that fire, 100 Wardour St has risen from Floridita’s ashes.

Industrial-cool: The upstairs dining area

Style and surrounds

Although the space is now united under one name, it’s still split neatly in two. Upstairs is the Lounge, whereas downstairs — where Floridita was previously — is the Restaurant & Club.

Upstairs has seen a substantial overhaul, with a stylish central bar adding glamour to an otherwise hard-edged industrial-cool space. A ‘games room’ to one side, where bookcases and armchairs flank a snooker table, has something of a members’ club feel to it, while elsewhere extension cables hover bizarrely over several tables, inviting freelancers to plug in their laptops.

Comfy: Booths in the downstairs Restaurant and Club

Things are much more familiar down the iconic spiral staircase. The raised dining area to the right, long bar to the left and stage straight ahead are almost identical to in the Floridita days. On Wednesdays, when latin music occupies the stage, you'd barely notice anything had changed.

Well executed: Crispy fried squid, served upstairs

On the menu

Upstairs and downstairs have different menus, too. Upstairs is generally simpler, slightly cheaper and more geared-up for snacking, while downstairs centres around a robata grill and ups the indulgence level with seafood platters, lobster and sharing plates of grilled meat. While upstairs is open all day, downstairs begins service at 5pm and serves food until 2am.

Liam Smith-Laing, formerly of La Petite Maison in Istanbul oversees both menus, which are scattered with Mediterranean and Turkish influences. Upstairs he knows what he’s doing with a selection of flatbreads which are effectively Turkish pide, including one topped with lamb mince and served with parsley. Crispy fried squid, crunchy outside and soft within, is also a well-executed highlight.

It’s not all as successful, though. A steak tartare severely lacks in both seasoning and texture, and a dish described as baked chilli crab is a rather dismal and puny half shell of dried-out meat — perhaps early-days issues.

Melting moments: Pork belly skewers, served downstairs

Downstairs goes better. A citrus-bright tuna tartare is enlivening, skewers of robata-grilled pork belly are melt-in-the-mouth, and some well-aged Galician beef makes for richly flavoured and tender steaks.

Admittedly it feels like the kitchen is playing it safe with these dishes. But in a destination dominated by live music, cocktails and an upbeat atmosphere, and where food is served into the early hours, that's probably a good idea.

Choux-in: Profiteroles, served downstairs

Something sweet

A pleasingly gooey, wibbly-wobbly French toast available both upstairs and downstairs is a highlight worth trying, while downstairs profiteroles and an upstairs chocolate ganache with milk ice cream are also good options.

Strong stuff: The Jimmy cocktail is big on the booze

Liquid libations

Given the please-all nature of the double-decker space, you’ll be pretty well served whether you’re looking for cocktails, digestifs, wines or a coffee.

With a diverse audience once again in mind the cocktail list spans the serious and strong along with the sweet and fruity, while covering most bases in between. If you’re feeling a stronger option, try The Jimmy made with rye whiskey, vermouth, pedro ximenez sherry, orange bitters and absinthe.

The full wine list available downstairs offers around 150 bottles ranging from £19 to £625, with the 'quirky' section offering some less common good-value finds.

100 Wardour Street: The Lowdown

Final flavour: Great vibes, late service and decent food makes downstairs a great addition to Soho’s scene (even if it is still Floridita at heart). Upstairs will be appealing for freelancers and pre-party cocktail-sippers, but it needs to up its game if it's going to become a dining destination.

At what cost? Mains downstairs range from £16.50 to £28, while upstairs the majority are between £9.50 and £16. Cocktails are predominantly £10.50.

Find it: 100 Wardour Street, W1F 0TN; 100wardourst.com.

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