Old Compton Street is one of those London addresses that needs little introduction. At the centre of Soho’s LGBTQ+ village, it is busy, colourful and full of restaurants and bars competing for attention. Among them, 64 Old Compton Street has established itself as a popular neighbourhood Italian restaurant since opening in 2023.
Behind a simple café curtain, the restaurant opens into a dark-blue dining room filled with antique furniture and traditional details. It is intimate and atmospheric, with the kind of relaxed glamour that feels particularly suited to Soho.
The restaurant is gay owned and has developed a strong connection with the local LGBTQ+ community, while its Italian menu focuses on familiar dishes, homemade pasta, pizza and generous portions designed for sharing.
The Lowdown
There is something immediately appealing about 64 Old Compton Street. The restaurant feels traditional without being old-fashioned, while the compact dining room gives it a lively atmosphere without becoming overwhelming.
The dark-blue interiors, antique furnishings and low lighting create a comfortable setting for everything from a casual lunch to a date night. It is also well positioned for pre-theatre dining, with many West End venues just a short walk away.
Rather than trying to create a complicated dining experience, the restaurant keeps things straightforward. You come here for good Italian food, a bottle of wine and a relaxed evening in one of London’s busiest neighbourhoods.
The Food
The menu covers many of the Italian classics you would expect, from burrata and meatballs to pizza, pasta and traditional main courses. The starters are particularly well suited to sharing. Burrata comes with heritage tomatoes and pesto, while the meatballs are served with tomato and basil sauce. Both are straightforward dishes, but that is part of the appeal. The restaurant focuses on familiar combinations and generous portions rather than unnecessary experimentation.
There are also several fried starters and smaller plates, making it easy to build a meal around a few dishes before moving on to the main event.
Pasta is one of the main reasons to visit 64 Old Compton Street. The restaurant makes its pasta in-house, with the menu ranging from carbonara and beef ragu to lasagne, spinach ravioli and mushroom and truffle pasta. The carbonara is a natural choice for anyone looking for a classic Italian dish. It is rich, creamy and filling, while the beef ragu offers another traditional option with plenty of depth.
The menu manages to offer enough variety without becoming unnecessarily large, which means there is something for both traditionalists and diners looking for something a little more extravagant.
The pizza menu is another important part of the restaurant. Among the options is an ’nduja pizza with buffalo mozzarella, offering a combination of spicy sausage and creamy cheese.
It is the sort of pizza that works equally well as a main course or as something to share alongside pasta and a bottle of Italian wine.
For larger groups, ordering several dishes for the table makes sense. The generous portions mean there is plenty to go around, although anyone dining as a couple may find themselves making difficult decisions about which dishes to leave behind.
For those who prefer a main course to pasta or pizza, the chicken Milanese is one of the more familiar choices. Served with spaghetti, tomato and basil sauce, rocket and lemon, it combines several classic Italian elements in one generous plate. The crispy chicken works particularly well with the fresh lemon and tomato sauce, making it a reliable alternative to the restaurant’s pasta dishes.
The menu is designed around this kind of accessible Italian cooking. There are no complicated descriptions or unusual combinations to decipher, which makes choosing dinner refreshingly straightforward.
The Drinks
The drinks menu follows the same approach as the food, with an approachable selection of Italian wines alongside cocktails and classic drinks. Italian wine is an obvious match for the pasta and pizza, while the cocktail list gives the restaurant another dimension for evening visits. It is easy to imagine starting with a glass of wine before dinner and staying for another drink afterwards. The location certainly helps, with Soho’s bars and nightlife immediately outside the door.
Summary
64 Old Compton Street is not trying to reinvent Italian cuisine, and it does not need to. Its appeal comes from doing familiar things well and creating an atmosphere that suits its Soho location.
The homemade pasta is the main attraction, particularly if you are looking for a classic carbonara or something more indulgent such as the lobster linguine. The pizza and chicken Milanese provide plenty of alternatives, while the Italian wine list makes it easy to turn dinner into a longer evening.
It is a versatile restaurant, too. A casual lunch, date night, pre-theatre dinner or meal before heading out into Soho all work equally well.
For anyone looking for traditional Italian food in Soho, 64 Old Compton Street offers a combination of classic dishes, generous portions and a lively neighbourhood atmosphere. It feels comfortable in its surroundings and, after only a few years, has already developed the character of a restaurant that has been part of Old Compton Street for much longer.
Address: 64 Old Compton Street, Soho, London W1D 4UQ. Booking here
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