Bar Bruno

"Every booth and ketchup stain at Bar Bruno, a Soho cafe and sandwich bar that’s been around for donkey’s years, has a story to tell. The old-school Italian greasy spoon is on a corner of Wardour Street and does a roaring trade in hulking chicken escalope sandwiches that will keep you going to or from hangover. Much of its business is in breakfast and lunchtime takeaways, but grabbing a booth at Bar Bruno is what the pros do. This is a spot for one-time actors, sometime musicians, builders, office workers, people who know people, and anyone who could do with a lovely fry-up first thing. It’s cash-only, obviously. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch" - Jake Missing

"Soho’s best greasy spoon belongs to a different era. Get into Bet Bruno for a slice of London that’s hard to find so centrally these days. Order eggs, chips, and beans and marvel at the wood panelling. Also, put your phone down." - Adam Coghlan

"Along with Trisha’s, Quo Vadis, Ronnie Scott’s, Bar Italia, The Toucan, L’Escargot, Maison Bertaux, The French House, I Camisa & Son and The Coach and Horses, Bar Bruno is proof that there’s actually quite a few “last bastions of old Soho” left. Still, it is the only surviving Italian caff in a neighborhood once overflowing with them, not counting Bar Italia, which doesn’t serve fry-ups. The place is the closest thing Soho has to a cafeteria these days, and although a lot of its period features have been revamped, the dining room’s gorgeous, wrap-around Chesterfield booth seating is still going strong. Bruno attracts a delightfully mixed crowd: cabbies eating omelettes and ham, egg and chips; office workers grabbing sandwiches to eat at their desk. On a first visit, try the spaghetti Napoli, which is less “trattoria” and more “red sauce joint” and features no less than one metric ton of pasta." - Isaac Rangaswami