The Set Menu at Noble Rot Soho is a phenomenal find for budget foodies. At a mere £24 for two courses and £28 for 3 courses plus a palatable house red, this is Luxe on Less London fine dining territory.
I am forever foraging for lunch after my Vidal Sassoon hair appointment in Greek Street. Usually, I go across the road for a pleasurable lunch at L’escargot. Therefore, it was with some trepidation that I embarked on a new but entirely worthwhile gastronomic adventure.
The set menu at Noble Rot Soho is legendary for being good value, top quality, but with no options. It’s a binary choice: the budget, gourmet set menu, or dig into your wallet and pay a la carte. So the planets need to align on the day of your visit, and you find the menu to be your idea of food heaven.
The Noble Rot Soho Ambience
The Noble Rot is on the site of the legendary Gay Hussar dining establishment at the top of Greek Street. So, with that sort of heritage, you wouldn’t be wrong to have high expectations. In interior design speak, it is best described as “dark academia”. You’d be forgiven for thinking that you stumbled into a London Museum Docklands staging of a sea captain’s dining room. The dark grey walls, scrubbed wooden tables, and display of period glass decanters lining the walls create a humble, welcoming, yet stylish atmosphere. And thoughtfully, a table had been set for one person in the window seat. Perfect for people watching and appraising the orders emanating from the kitchen. And I found the service to be friendly and easy-going. There was none of the pomp that you get from legendary luxury London establishments, and with none of the can’t-be-bothered-I-am-a-student attitude from the cheaper chains.
If you are seeking an ultra glam Soho venue with crystal chandeliers and a French vibe, check out our post on the Set Menu at Brasserie Zedel.
The Noble Rot Soho Summer Set Lunch Menu
Here’s the Noble Rot Summer Set Lunch Menu on the day of my July 2025 visit:
Starter: Broad Bean, Ricotta Salata and Baby Gem Salad
This was a salad for salad haters. The Baby Gem salad was perfectly dressed with pleasant, piquant notes. There were plentiful cheese shavings and broad beans that had been painstakingly divested of their rubbery outer skin. The surprise additions were perfectly toasted almonds and a splatter of thinly sliced courgettes.
Main Course: Roast Pork Neck and Braised Cavolo Nero
The hero of the main course was the braised Cavolo Nero with its umami richness bathed in a butter sauce. Two thin pork slices were served, which were tender and with a light caramelisation on the thin layer of fat.
Dessert: Lemon and Polenta Cake
This was a large slab of freshly baked, buttery lemon cake topped with a generous dollop of crème fraiche and a scattering of lemon zest. This was a delightful counterbalance to the rich savoury flavours of the main course.
After dessert, if you want to stretch your legs and save some money while indulging in a cultural experience, get a £2 takeaway coffee from the nearby atmospheric Algerian Coffee Stores and drink it in Soho Square.
Wine: The House Red
Noble Rot Soho is famous for its extensive wine cellar. So it’s with some embarrassment that I enquired about the house red (while praying that it wasn’t going to have the aggressive tannins of Chilean or South African cheap red). When the server proclaimed that it was a Spanish Tempranillo, I took my chance along with a bottle of tap water. The wine was a delight – fruity and palatable with soft berry notes. And the biggest surprise came on the bill to find it was only £5 a glass.
Check out our post on 110 Le Taillevant, Mayfair, if you are seeking elevated elegance and exquisitely presented French cuisine.
Summary of the Set Menu at Noble Rot Soho
This is not for picky eaters. Don’t come here expecting the bargain set menu if you are gluten free, veggie, vegan or anything else. However, of all the Set Menus that I have eaten in London, this one is absolutely the best. In the days of yore, posh diners asked to speak to the chef to congratulate them on their efforts. This would have been overkill from a solo diner who has only spent £38.13 on 3 courses plus a glass of wine. But if I ever become extremely wealthy and if the chef is ever looking for a live-in full-time assignment, cooking for an elderly grandee, he will be the person whom I hire.
Restaurant: Noble Rot Soho
Website: Noble Rot Soho
Address: 2 Greek Street, London W1D 4NB, UK
Telephone: +44 20 7183 8190
