The restaurant at Cafe Kitty
What can you tell us about Café Kitty?
As the name hints at, Café Kitty is the latest restaurant from the people behind Kitty Fisher's in Mayfair (as well as Cora Pearl in Covent Garden). It's all part of Underbelly Boulevard which is a revamp of the relatively new Boulevard theatre in Soho into a cabaret-style affair (which happens to be from the same people behind the recent Cabaret stage revival).
Where is it?
You'll find Underbelly Boulevard in Walker's Court, which runs between Rupert Street and Berwick Street, which is pretty much peak Soho in that there's an old-school sex shop next door. The theatre launched back in 2019 as Boulevard Theatre with a restaurant included, but the new Underbelly owners have completely revamped things, bringing in Café Kitty to take over the dining space after something of a refurb.
If you're getting here by tube, Piccadilly Circus is nearest, but pretty much any of the tubes on the outskirts of Soho will do.
Part of the bar at Cafe Kitty
Where should we go for a drink first?
As ever with any Soho restaurant, there's a LOT to choose from. Looking purely at places relatively close, it's less than a five-minute walk to The Devonshire and that's perfect if it's not too heaving. Otherwise, the bar downstairs at El Pastor is worth a look (though you may have to book on busy nights as we couldn't get in) and Swift Soho if you're coming from the Charing Cross direction.
There is a bar here at Café Kitty too, that's part of the main Underbelly Boulevard. As long as you're not getting there just before a show starts (or at the interval) when it gets much busier, this is well worth a look. The cocktails are decent (also created by Café Kitty) and if you can, aim for this table that overlooks Soho (see below). It's the perfect place to watch the world go by and is somehow even better on a rainy night.
If you can nab it, this is the seat you'll want in the bar.
Orange blossom negroni (gin, Campari, Umeshu plum, dry vermouth, £12) and a Stone Margarita (tequila, peach, apricot, lime Cointreau, £12)
So what can we expect from the food?
As you can imagine, it's not too dissimilar to what you might see at Kitty Fisher's and Cora Pearl. Indeed the menu here has actually been created as a joint venture by the head chefs of both those restaurants, Charles Shaw and Fabrizio Pusceddu.
It's a simple combo of small and large plates, and you will see some dishes that have made the journey from Kitty Fisher's, like their crispy potatoes. If you've been to the original restaurant, the menu will feel similar but different. Here's a taste of what to expect.
Crab Cakes & Kohlrabi Tartare Sauce (£14)
Steak tartare, shoestring fries and Pecorino (£15) - a veritable mountain of steak and chips, tartare-style
Glenarm Estate lamb cutlets, creamed cavalo nero and black garlic gremolata (£32) - that creamy veg in particular was wonderful
Crown prince squash, stilton and amaretto crumb risotto (£19) - Autumn in a dish right there.
Crispy Potatoes (£6.50) - confit-style affairs that are a big hit at Kitty Fisher's
Pear & Ginger Bread Cheesecake Mousse (£8) featuring perfectly poached pears.
Anything else to highlight?
As with the original, a big sharing steak is on the menu too. On our visit, it was a Hannan's salt-aged sirloin to share with crispy potatoes and salad. That comes in 500g or 750g servings (£62 or £90). Plus, given that it is indeed a theatre restaurant, there is a set menu too - two courses for £26, and three for £30 (the risotto above was an option on that when we visited).
What about the wine list?
Bottles start at £35 for an Australian "Samurai Chardonnay" which is pretty good value for Soho, and outside of that, it's a predominantly European list.
Overall thoughts
Good theatre restaurants have become a thing in 2023. We've already had Lasdun and Forza Wine, and now there's Cafe Kitty to add to the list. Very much a mini version of Kitty Fisher's, it sees the food of that restaurant transplanted to Soho and was busy even after the cabaret started. The dishes are inventive, cocktails are on point and there's a strong wine list - well worth a look.
More about Cafe Kitty
Where is it? 6 Walker's Ct, Soho, London W1F 0BT
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @cafekittysoho.
Hot Dinners ate as guests of Café Kitty. Prices are correct at the time of writing.
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