The Pride in London parade is back in full force on 1st July, and like last year (which was the 50th anniversary of the first Pride in London parade), it’s retracing the original route from Hyde Park Corner to Whitehall Place, passing by locations key to the LGBT+ movement in this country. If you’re heading out to catch it, here are the best places to eat and drink along the parade route.
BiBi – BiBi is an exciting Indian spot from the same group (JKS) that brought us BAO, Gymkhana, Hoppers and Berenjak, among others. It’s headed up by chef Chet Sharma, whose Michelin-starred resume includes Moor Hall and L’Enclume, with a menu of clever hits divided between the categories of snacks, chaat, sigree, sides and desserts.
Kol – This fine dining restaurant goes by the tagline ‘Mexican soul, British ingredients’, summing up the menu of inventive dishes that draw on Mexican tradition and are pulled off using the best in local ingredients. Kol also serves up a list of biodynamic wine, mezcals, tequila and some lesser-known Mexican spirits.
Fallow – With sustainability at its heart, Fallow cooks up a modern British menu that’s far from the ordinary – think parfait made with mushrooms from the restaurant’s basement and sourdough soft serve made with surplus bread.
Kiln – As the name suggests, a large portion of Kiln’s rustic Thai food is cooked over an open fire. The menu showcases authentic techniques and full-throttle flavours and is consistently award-winning.
Duke of Wellington – The Duke of Wellington serves as a Soho local to the LGBTQ+ community, a classic British pub – so you know what you’re getting – that’s super friendly and welcoming. The historic Admiral Duncan, one of Soho’s oldest gay pubs, is also worth dropping into.
She Soho – Soho’s only exclusive lesbian bar, She is a modern venue for women, non-binary folk and their male guests. With regular club nights, comedy, cabaret and drag king performances, you can rest assured that this will be a solid after-Pride party spot.
Tandoor Chop House – One of our favourite Indian restaurants in London, Tandoor Chop House takes high-quality meats and British ingredients, combined with traditional Indian techniques and flavours for one helluva menu.
Thunderbird – If you’re after something quick and delicious post-parade, head to Thunderbird for some of their award-winning Chipuffalo wings (a mix of buffalo, chipotle, coriander and pickled celery with blue cheese dip), salted caramel wings, Thunderbun chicken burgers, and loaded fries.
Panton Yokocho – If you find yourself at the end of the day needing ramen and needing it now, you won’t be too far away from killer ramen bar Panton Yokocho. Go for the huge menu of ramen, hirata buns, gyoza, sushi and cocktails; stay for the retro vibes, neon signs and Japanese pop soundtrack.
