The Starman

You're on Heddon Street, that narrow Soho cut-through that's somehow escaped total gentrification, and The Starman feels like the pub your mates would actually want to meet you in. It's got the warmth of a proper local without the stuffiness—wood panelling, good lighting that doesn't feel like a nightclub, and the kind of crowd that ranges from after-work suits to people who've genuinely lived round here for years. The drinks list skews confident without being show-offy, and the food does exactly what it should: satisfying British classics that won't break the bank. At around £10-15 for mains, it's refreshingly honest pricing for Soho.