I’ve had Yasmin on my list for a while. London might not have the rooftop culture of cities blessed with reliably sunny summers, but whenever the temperature hits 30 degrees, there is something particularly satisfying about escaping street level for dinner and drinks somewhere above the chaos.
Yasmin has actually been hiding above Soho for a few years. Originally reserved for members of private members’ house 1 Warwick, the sixth-floor restaurant opened to everyone in April 2024. Downstairs you’ll find Nessa, while up top Executive Chef Tom Cenci has created a Middle Eastern menu inspired by his time living and cooking in Istanbul.
Throw in sharing plates, warm flatbreads and interesting cocktails and, realistically, Yasmin already had all the ingredients required to win me over.
A Hidden Rooftop Above Soho
Getting there still retains some of that members’ club mystique. Enter through the discreet doors of 1 Warwick, check in downstairs and you’re directed towards the lift and straight up to the sixth floor.
Inside, floor-to-ceiling windows, marble tables and soft pink seating make things feel polished without being stuffy, while outside, Yasmin’s greenery-filled terrace wraps around the building.
One thing worth knowing is that this isn’t a skyscraper rooftop. You’re roughly level with Soho’s surrounding rooftops rather than looking down over the entire London skyline, but I actually liked that. It feels removed from the streets below without losing that buzzy Central London atmosphere.
We also happened to visit on the evening of 12 August, when London experienced a spectacular partial solar eclipse with more than 90% of the sun obscured. Not bad timing for a rooftop reservation…
What To Order At Yasmin Soho
The menu is made for sharing, which is always my preferred way to eat. Even better, there’s an entire mezze section.
Start with the £28 selection of three dips, served with za’atar crisps and warm charred flatbread. We chose the pine nut and bean hummus with crispy chilli, muhammara made with roasted red pepper, pomegranate molasses and walnut, and roasted aubergine baba ganoush with parsley and confit garlic.
The baba ganoush was my favourite: creamy, smoky and beautifully seasoned. The muhammara was chunkier, with plenty of texture from the walnuts, while the crispy chilli on the hummus cut nicely through its creaminess. Whatever else you order, do not skip the dips!
We followed with chicken shish marinated in turmeric and yoghurt and an Adana lamb kebab with molasses, both arriving on flatbread. The portions are generous enough that sharing several dishes between two works really well.
Then came the manti. These Turkish dumplings were flavoured with guindilla peppers and mint, and delivered exactly the kind of comforting, savoury mouthful I had been craving.
We added the spiced carrots with yoghurt and walnuts in an attempt to introduce something vaguely virtuous. The only regret? Not ordering the chilli and garlic tavada patates, which several members of staff recommended and looked outrageously crispy every time they passed our table. Next time.
Cocktails Are A Big Deal Here
While the food is excellent, Yasmin’s drinks might be the real reason I return.
The cocktail menu genuinely feels considered, rather than existing as an afterthought. There’s an Ottoman Sunset with harissa and pomegranate, a fig and cardamom Mirage Martini and the Yasmin Spritz combining vodka, passion fruit, hibiscus-rose vermouth and soda.
I was particularly impressed by the non-alcoholic options. After stomping around London in 30-degree heat all day, I went for the Citrus Whisper, combining Crossip Citrus with house tea cordial, zero tonic and Tajín. It tasted like an actual cocktail rather than fruit juice masquerading as one, so much so that I ordered another.
Dessert was the chocolate dondurma with chilli, Midnight Chocolate and cherry liqueur: a playful take on a chocolate sundae. After several hours of salty, spicy sharing plates, it was exactly the sweet finish we needed.
Is Yasmin Soho Worth Visiting?
Absolutely, particularly for drinks and a few plates on the terrace. What I liked most was how relaxed everything felt. We stayed for around two and a half hours, different members of the team stopped by with recommendations, glasses were topped up without anyone hovering and at no point did we feel hurried towards the door.
And that feels surprisingly rare in Soho. While everyone else is battling for a patch of pavement outside a packed pub, Yasmin offers a booked table, brilliant drinks, plenty of space and warm flatbread six floors above it all.
For a long-overdue catch-up with a best friend after work, I genuinely can’t think of many better places to spend a summer evening.
Book your table here.