Trying out 40 Dean Street, an old-school Italian great in Soho

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Inside 40 Dean Street where you'll always get a warm welcome.

What can you tell us about 40 Dean Street?

It's part of a trio of Soho restaurants from independent restaurateur and chef Nima Safei (he also runs 64 and 27 Old Compton Street). Now open for over 20 years (in itself a rarity in ever-changing Soho), this has become something of a Soho institution. It's got a reputation for serving up classic Italian food, and the portions are particularly generous too. 

Where is it?

As with Nima's other restaurants, the name rather gives it away. Right in the heart of Soho, you'll find it just a few doors up from The Groucho Club. There's a small terrace outside (and it's well worth grabbing a seat there for top Soho people-watching on a good day), while inside you'll find a homely classic Soho restaurant with a warm welcome. It's also worth knowing that when the weather heats up, the aircon is blissful in here. 

That blue awning is what you're looking for, and on a sunny day, the terrace seats are a must. 

What can we expect from the food?

This is where Nima's mini Soho empire started, and much like the other restaurants (all of which have different menus), there's a broad take on Italian cuisine in evidence. Being in Soho for over 20 years means they are a strong part of the community, and they make sure to support it by sourcing from local businesses. For instance, their bread comes from local bakery Casima and the coffee from Algerian Coffee Stores.

We roamed the menu a fair bit on our recent visit, and we can absolutely recommend the following:

Aubergine parmigiana (£10.70) - this is actually the smaller version, which shows just how big the portions are here. 

Pan-fried tiger prawns with shellfish and brandy sauce (£15.50)

Tempura courgette flower filled with ricotta, truffle paste and a honey drizzle (£12.75) - we find it very hard to resist a stuffed courgette flower, and this is a fantastic example. 

Extremely rich (in a very good way) ravioli lobster, filled with fresh lobster meat in a shellfish bisque sauce (£29.50)

A classic spaghetti vongole with clams, chilli and white wine sauce with a liberal helping of Parmesan (£25)

Chicken milanese spaghetti pomodoro, which is an absolutely enormous rosemary breadcrumbed chicken breast (it stretches over the entire plate) covered with spaghetti in a tomato and basil sauce (£23). It's from the "oven" section, but it showcases how great their pasta is too. 

Anything else to highlight?

We've also seen their bone marrow pasta in the past, and if that's on, it's a must. You'll also find 28-day-aged ribeye (£30) and slow-cooked pork belly on the list.

What about dessert after all that?

If you're a regular Hot Dinners reader, you'll know there's always room for dessert. We have previously had the pistachio tiramisu here and if you're a first-time 40 Dean Street diner, that's definitely one to go for. However, we'd also strongly recommend the following:

Salted caramel cheesecake with pistachio ice cream (£7)

Profiteroles filled with cream, almonds and chocolate sauce (£7) and yes, these profiteroles are absolutely massive. 

What about drink?

The wine list focuses on European wines, with bottles starting at £27 for a bottle of Trebbiano, with a large part of the list under £35 and nearly everything is under £50, so it's an extremely well-priced list. On the low/no alcohol front, they have Peroni Libera, plenty of softs and a selection of non-alcoholic cocktails. 

And speaking of cocktails, you really should start a meal at 40 Dean Street with one. They're all priced at £13 which is a steal for the West End. We've previously had the excellent blood orange martini, and this is also a great choice:

Dean Street Picante - Infused Tequila, Cointreau, Lime Juice, Honey (£13)

Overall thoughts

We've dined at 40 Dean Street a few times now, and it's always been an absolute pleasure. It feels like a proper slice of old-school Soho - great food, well-priced and lovely, friendly service. We'd happily recommend this place to anyone and if you haven't already been, it's well worth a visit.