Polpo
Photo: courtesy of the restaurant
Soho is one of the few areas of London where restaurants can survive by relying on passing trade, so perhaps it's not surprising that hot new Polpo has ditched its dinner reservation policy, following the likes of Barrafina, Busaba Eathai and Randall & Aubin. The man behind the bacaro eatery, Russell Norman (former operations director of Caprice Holdings Group and general manager at Zuma), made the change after deciding that Soho locals should be able to pop in casually for dinner without having to book in advance (020-7734-4479).
– Roger Clarke