Secret Soho

Secret Soho: the hidden corners of London’s most colourful neighbourhood

Buzzing, bohemian, and never boring, Soho has long been the centre of cosmopolitan life in London. A playground for history’s hedonists from Jimi Hendrix to Kate Moss, few areas lay claim to such a rich and rebellious past. A melting pot of folklore and hidden nooks waiting to be explored, from artists’ drinking dens to hallowed music venues, step into Secret Soho.


Literary Giants

Soho has always been a magnet for creative minds, with history’s most iconic literary figures finding their natural home here. From William Blake and Fanny Burney, who lived in this part of the capital when young, to others who found themselves drawn to writing and socialising in its taverns, this eclectic district is rich with storytelling.

Dylan Thomas famously misplaced his manuscript of ‘Under Milk Wood’ while out drinking in The French House on Dean Street. George Orwell celebrated ‘Animal Farm’ being selected for the American Book of the Month Club with a glass of absinthe at the Dog & Duck. And symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud found a profound sense of belonging in Old Compton Street.


A Secret Garden

A hidden green space many visitors overlook, Soho Square Gardens are tucked away from the energy of Oxford Street and bordered by Georgian townhouses. Frequented by locals for sunny picnic lunches and friendly games of ping pong among the tulips, the gardens date back to the 17th century, soon becoming a meeting place for writers, artists, and musicians.

The mock-Tudor building at the gardens’ centre may look fairytale-esque but fulfilled a more practical purpose of disguising a substation for the Charing Cross Electricity Company when it was built a century ago. Rumoured to conceal a secret tunnel leading to Buckingham Palace, in truth it serves as a shed housing gardening tools for the well-maintained borders.

A Logo and a Love Story

During the 1920s, second Duke of Westminster Hugh Grosvenor was famously infatuated with Coco Chanel. During their decade-long romance, the Duke repeatedly asked for her hand in marriage and, as a gesture of his admiration, had the iconic Chanel symbol applied to every lamppost in Westminster, including several around Soho.

Despite the Duke’s elaborate gesture, the pair never married, with the French fashion designer quoted as stating ‘There have been several Duchesses of Westminster but there is only one Chanel’. Westminster City Council has since debunked this story, claiming the entwined CC initials as its own – even so, we’re leaning towards the love story.


Rock ‘n’ Roll Landmarks

Soho witnessed some of the most memorable moments in music history. From The Rolling Stones’ debut gig at the Marquee Club – also where The Who smashed their first guitars – to Trident Studios where The Beatles recorded ‘Hey Jude’ and David Bowie immortalised ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust’, these sites are imbued with culture-defining energy.

Old Compton Street birthed British rock ‘n’ roll, punk had its heyday on Wardour Street, and jazz greats Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis made history at Ronnie Scott’s on Frith Street. Centuries earlier, Soho saw nine-year-old Wolfgang Mozart giving public recitals at 20 Frith Street. Music, inevitably, is in the DNA of this extraordinary neighbourhood.


Fresh Perspectives

Founded in 2019 by India Rose James, Soho Revue is a contemporary art gallery in the heart of Soho championing emerging artists and historically under-represented groups. Currently focussing on women artists, the gallery challenges industry standards by supporting talent through diversification programmes and providing affordable studio spaces.

This spring’s exhibition is ‘The Peace of Wild Things’ – a nod to the poem by Wendell Berry. Curated by Claudia Cheng, the show features intimate works by a group of women artists such as Anna Ortiz and Sara Bonache, whose practices are inspired by nature’s sublime stillness, exploring the connections between self and Earth.


A Haven of Diversity

A colourful, chaotic sanctuary for mavericks and the marginalised, LGBTQ+ communities have long found a kinship with Soho. This unique and resilient space – a mindset as much as a geographic location – beckoned a mix of contrasting souls, from flaneurs and barstool philosophers to bohemians and bon vivants.

Returning to Soho thirty years after his first visit in the 1970s, Swedish photographer Anders Petersen, known for his intimate depictions of life outside the mainstream, reported: ‘Everything has changed except for one thing: the feeling that these streets have a history, and a possibility – the energy and the secrets of life.’

Enjoy having Secret Soho on your doorstep with a stay at Hotel Café Royal.