Hix (Closed Permanently)

Burgeoning foodie enterpeneur Mark Hix arrived in Soho in October 2009, having established his credentials the year before at his Oyster & Chop House further east in Smithfield. The black-and-gold decor of this chic Soho outlet registers a very different atmosphere to its forerunner, combining a certain late-80s decadence with a certain 21st-century sensibility. Food is English but less esoteric than St John [see entry], with sourced (and explained) oysters, big wooden platters of meats and a knowing selection of cheeses never letting you forget this is England. The downstairs bar has great after-dinner potential. Three minutes around the corner from Old Compton St, but a world away from it. By 2014 Hix has spread his seed across London (albeit with pseudonyms), from Tramshed in trendy Shoreditch to Hixter Bankside near Tate Modern. Tube station: Piccadilly Circus.