Every city has its hip and happening neighborhoods, streets, and entire districts where new things are happening. Whether by design or by accident, this is where you can generally find people setting new fashion trends (or following the newest ones), interesting but affordable dishes (often showcasing multicultural influences), and avant-garde entertainment.
Of course, part of the definition also means that most of these areas don’t stay hip for too long. Whether it’s Neukölln and Wedding in Berlin, Seoul’s Jongno 3-ga, Nørrebro in Copenhagen, or Andersonville in Chicago, their immense popularity tends to wane over time, although it often comes crashing back like a socio-cultural tidal wave instead. Kudos, then, to Soho for being a London hotspot for centuries now, even though it did also experience major shifts in popularity over time, and kudos to one of the newer restaurants we reviewed in the heart of The Capital of Cool: Cafe Kitty.
About Soho
I got to know Soho early on, mostly because I started tabletop roleplaying at age 9 and reading comics even earlier. At that time, there was a lack of huge SF/fantasy/horror/superhero shops in Belgium, so whenever I could, I would visit The City to stay up to date with what was happening.
The iconic Forbidden Planet was a must-stop visit for me, as were the Orcs Nest on Earlham Street (especially after my first novel got published and I became Regional Director for the Role Playing Game Network at age 15) and the Virgin Megastore (mostly to buy my metal albums and genre DVDs). My parents had a tendency to always get us hosted by the same hotel, and I didn’t mind, as it allowed me to participate in the morning martial arts classes there – although I preferred the techniques that were taught to me in my home club in Leuven. Soho was right around the corner, so I visited often, just to find out what was happening in the neighborhood.
At the time, Soho pulsed with a difficult-to-describe eclectic energy emanating from the old-and-new mix that formed the fabric of the culture, entertainment, and history tapestry so inherent to the quarter. Originally a rural area integrating popular hunting grounds in the 16th century, Soho started to transform in the 17th century after wealthy homeowners settled here. Soon, its proximity to burgeoning London began to attract a much more diverse clientele, including immigrants, merchants, and – of course – artisans.
Within two centuries, Soho had evolved into one of the world’s liveliest entertainment districts, exuding an undeniable bohemian charm through a surprisingly large number of theaters, music halls, and – later – jazz clubs.
Soho’s allure continued well into the 20th century, and I was lucky enough to watch performances by amazing bands like Lacuna Coil, Nightwish, and Megadeth in one of the city’s most iconic venues, the legendary Marquee Club, both in its original Wardour Street location and in the locations it moved to before closing down after it became clear it would never be able to recapture the same legendary status.
Over the last few years, Soho has successfully embraced modernity without losing touch with its impressively rich heritage. Here, you’ll find not just cutting-edge restaurants but also trendy boutiques, bustling bars, and avant-garde galleries, next to sex shops and noodle bars. Soho has remained true to its roots, and there is no way that Cafe Kitty could have found a better location to start out in.
Origin Story
I never visited the Boulevard Theatre before the lockdown, but apparently it had already gathered some renown in the city after its premature birth in 2019, before being rechristened ‘Underbelly Boulevard’ after COVID restrictions were lifted. The Boulevard Bar and Cafe Kitty rose up where once there was the original bar and restaurant. Cafe Kitten is the third restaurant amongst a trio of well-regarded London-based temples of cool gastronomy: Cora Pearl in Covent Garden and Kitty Fisher’s Mayfair (so-named after a famous courtesan). Obviously, this also means that Cafe Kitty has quite the bar to meet, which should always pique the interest of any culinary critic.
Interior & Reception
Underbelly Boulevard is located in Walker’s Court, a short walk from the Piccadilly Circus underground entrance, as well as from pretty much any tube station serving the Soho area. It’s vintage Soho, with lots of neon lights, several toy shops nearby, and even a sex shop next door. Still, nothing about Underbelly Boulevard screams dingy or run-down. Instead, the atmosphere is more akin to a mix of what you might find during the Roaring Twenties and the Swinging Sixties, with even the old staircase somehow whispering you’re in for a swanky, stylish experience with lots of tongue-in-cheek winks and modish references.
Although many—if not most—Soho restaurants feature cramped sitting areas and tables that stand far too close together, Cafe Kitty’s first-floor interior is pretty spacious, despite its low ceiling. It’s very cozy as well, featuring dusty pink walls, velvet banquettes, green chairs, globe-shaped lights, and even an old piano. It’s the right mélange of nouveau chic and inferred disreputableness, although the opprobrium is only suggested.
It’s exactly the right vibe for this kind of setting, similar to what we experienced at Brasserie des Prés in Paris (but with, as we will later see, even better food). We can’t help but think of the French cabarets we’ve visited over the past couple of decades—this is nostalgia at its best, but updated for a more fashion-conscious, cool crowd.
We’re greeted almost immediately and taken to our table. The service is immaculate, fun, and swift, and we get the rare sense that the people working here genuinely like the place as well as the cocktails and dishes served, without needing to resort to misdirection and professionalism to convince us of the great food we’ll be tasting. Off to an amazing start, then.
The Menu
Cafe Kitty seems to pride itself on its cocktails, so we start off our visit with two. There’s a signature cocktail called ‘Bad Kitty,’ but we choose the Picante and the pink-colored Cherry Paloma. The Picante is made from tequila, a Verdita house mix, agave, and lemon. Verdita blends usually include ingredients like pineapple, cilantro, and jalapeño, but there’s also a fresh chili pepper inside our glass for some very welcome extra spicy notes. The salted rim also helps balance the sweet agave and citrusy tang. The tequila serves as a strong, smooth base, allowing for a delicate, complex cocktail.
The Cherry Paloma is very different, even though it’s based on hibiscus mezcal, which is also derived from the agave plant. Our main ingredient’s distinctive smokiness is definitely there, but instead of accentuating this earthy aspect of the cocktail or making it spicier, the added hibiscus imparts sweeter, more floral notes. These are elevated by the sweet herbal notes of maraschino cherries, while the lemon adds a bright, citrusy counterpoint and some necessary acidity. The result does overshadow the smoky mezcal, and true lovers of that drink might find this Cherry Paloma a tad too fruity for their tastes.
After an amazing, mildly spicy sweet potato croquette amuse-bouche (a nice choice, since sweet potato has a lower glycemic index than regular potato and is a lot healthier) with cheese (Roquefort, we believe), we kick off the actual menu with fluffy gnocchi, wild garlic, and broad beans. Although not exactly a light dish, the gnocchi has an airy, melt-in-the-mouth quality, while the aromatic wild garlic adds a lot of flavor and brightens up the plate with its vibrant green hues. The beans also bring a different, almost chewy texture to the dumplings. Nice!
We also get great-tasting cured trout with a buttermilk/cucumber/dill sauce and more greens. By now, it seems obvious that the chef emphasizes not just the main ingredient on every platter but also doesn’t neglect to make the vegetables co-stars of the show. With the trout, he manages to hit the mark yet again. The added veggie crunchiness makes the fish more accessible, while the white-and-green sauce enhances the flavor with a touch of added fats as well as freshness.
Next is a serving of leeks with sour cream, fresh dill, and herb oil. The leeks are soft but still retain much of their crunchiness and are thankfully only lightly charred. This adds depth due to their smokiness, but without overpowering the entire dish. The grated cheese is just what’s needed to make this feel like a complete dish in and of itself, although it does add its share of calories as well.
More fish comes to our table with some excellent mackerel and smoked chili. The fish retains its trademark oily texture and flavor, but the addition of smoked chili makes for an even more interesting, well-balanced dish with added depth.
The Buffalo chicken pieces with Stilton cheese dressing are extra crunchy (we believe they are fried twice), while the spiciness of the Buffalo sauce is complemented well by another umami-rich flavor, which we think is most probably nam pla (a Thai fish sauce). The strong blue Stilton cheese adds more sharp contrasts and creaminess to the dish.
We are told that the side serving of hashbrown-style crispy potatoes has quickly become a huge hit among the hip Soho crowd, and we can understand why: they’re fried three times and retain their fluffy center—excellent! The choice of salt (thyme salt, we believe) adds a lot to the flavor profile as well.
Our menu comes to a close with two desserts. One of them is the Boozy Knickerbocker Glory, a modern twist on the 1920s or 1930s classic that adds a dash of alcohol to the layers of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and red fruit (there’s a single cherry on top and an unnecessary cookie as well). Very, very fluffy, although you may want to avoid this one if you’re on a diet.
The second dessert is a fairly dense Basque cheesecake with strawberry coulis, and if not for all the cheesecakes we just tasted during our Ibiza press trip, it might have been catapulted straight into our top 5 cake list. Excellent!
More info: www.cafekitty.co.uk
Text: Dirk Vandereyken
Pictures: David Robyn & Dirk Vandereyken
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