Find the perfect venue in Soho

Few of London's areas are as instantly recognisable as the tightly packed square mile of bars, clubs, jazz joints, adult stores and restaurants. Originally a royal park, Soho's reputation for vice arguably began in the wake of an 1853 Cholera outbreak; as the aristocratic elite fled the district, the area transformed from an upmarket residential neighbourhood to a hotbed of salacious activities.

Whilst the heyday of Soho is identified with the mid-century Swinging Sixties, the seemingly inevitable wave of gentrification has not stripped the area completely of its edge. Whilst upmarket restaurants and chic bars occupy the old townhouses, stalwart institutions like Ronnie Scott's, Arts Theatre Club and The Windmill stubbornly continue the spirit of Soho.

You can still, to this day, get yourself a good meal, a few drinks and a few friends in the West End's famous square mile.

Soho has an international reputation for being London’s historic hub of vice, pleasure and hedonism. Whilst the years have seen Soho clean up its act and present a (slightly) more PG facade, the good times are never far from your grasp in this W1 wonderland.

So put on your best heels, grab the glitzy jacket and let HeadBox take you through the ultimate guide to booking a quintessentially Soho experience. From the jazz clubs of Frith Street to the shows of Shaftesbury Avenue, Soho offers anything to anyone and everything to everyone.

Who's asking?

Whether you’re a big corporate company or out on a hen do, Soho has the venue for your perfect experience. It's not all opulent bars and dim nightclubs (though they are plentiful). Planning any kind of event in Soho is as simple as filling out your brief and letting the best venues get back to you.

It's not all a song and dance

Whilst the main export for Soho venues is recreational, there are also a host of fantastic meeting rooms and working spaces that you can rent out. Mix sophisticated and comfort in the library of central Soho's Club 16 – you and 5 other guests can hash out ideas amongst ornate bookshelves. Got a bigger team? No problem. The Plex room at Huckletree's Soho outpost can host 10 guests and comes with contemporary audio and telecom equipment so you can meet in person, and online.

That's showbusiness, baby!

Shaftesbury Avenue, in the very heart of Soho, is home to some of the most famous and prestigious entertainment venues in the world. The world-famous Apollo Theatre, long considered to be the quintessential music hall, is still a firm favourite with leading contemporary comedians, animated musicals and nostalgic shows.

24 hours, 7 days a week...

Just pick the right one. The fact of the matter is you're going to be hard-pressed to book out an entire venue on a bustling Saturday night. That is unless you're willing to pay a lot of money for Soho's busiest and best venues. Consider moving your event to a quieter night (we say quieter, as Soho is never truly quiet) – you're more likely to find a venue with space, and the costs will be reduced significantly.

Money talks

You’re in the heart of the West End, so it’s no wonder that Soho commands a premium on its spaces. You can expect to pay between £100-£300 per head in Soho. For the best spaces in Soho, you’ll have to dig deep. Soho is, however, known for attracting a young crowd and is a perfect location for any birthday, stag or hen party.

Do the smart thing and plan out the budget you can afford before contacting the venues in Soho. That way you'll have criteria to judge the venue responses, and won't find yourself out of pocket when it comes to squaring up.

So, How do we get there?

Luckily for you, Soho is incredibly well connected by London's extensive web of transport links. The party district is flanked on its four corners by Tottenham Court Road to the North East; Leicester Square to the South-East; Picadilly Circus to the South West and Oxford Circus to the North West – take your pick. Buses are equally convenient, with regular services operating the Oxford Street artery - book and get to your Soho venue with ease.

The only downside is, predictably, the lack of easy parking. As Paul Theroux said, "The man who is tired of London is tired of looking for a parking space." He's got a point, so ditch the car (the planet will thank you) and get to your Soho venue the smart way.

Booking the smart way

When it comes to the actual booking of a venue there are a few courses of action that you can take. Booking directly with the venue is always an option – many will have a direct phone number or email address that you can find on their website. But what if you’d like to reach out to multiple venues? Calling them all up individually would be a time-consuming process – not what you want when it comes ot booking smart. Our recommendation is to let us approach the best venues - It’s free and will let you focus on the important things.