The Ivy Soho Brasserie: Where the cool crowd goes to eat at London Fashion Week

Two words: Chocolate bombe

The location

Located in the hear of Soho, there’s a reason all the fashion crowd goes to the Ivy Soho Brasserie: it’s just a stone’s throw away from the main British Fashion Council Showspace on the Strand, where most of the shows are set, and it’s handily a short stroll away from Oxford street and Bond street, you know, just in case your street style look isn’t quite on point.

The setting

The Ivy Soho Brasserie is just a little bit cooler than its big sister, attracting the buzzy crowd that usually inhabits Soho, think the fashionable and creative sorts as well as in-the-know tourists. The art deco interior and abundant flowers make it lively yet quiet enough if you’re looking for a bit of calm in the fashion week madness.

What to order

If we could say everything, we would, but you might struggle to finish it all. So it really depends on when you’re dining and what mood you’re in. The menu describes itself as contemporary British food, but that doesn’t do it justice. Sure, you’ve got your reinvented classics like salmon and smoked haddock fish cakes, fish & chips and burgers, but there is also plenty of modern and unexpected fare too.

We dined on raw market salad, seared yellowfin tuna with shaved fennel and wasabi sauce, and crab linguine. If you’re just after a light bite, then the truffle arancini and spiced green olives are a must, paired with a tasty cocktail of course.

Now onto the most important bit: dessert. The toughest challenge really will be to choose between vanilla or chocolate, that is to say the classic vanilla creme brûlée or the Melting chocolate bombe with a vanilla ice cream and honeycomb centre with hot salted caramel sauce. The jury’s out on this one.