Chocolate bucatini as a main course sounds like a dare. In Soho, it’s dinner – and for one very Instagrammable week, 27 Old Compton Street is serving up a full bowl of chocolate-coated pasta that looks like date night mischief and tastes surprisingly… good?
Let’s start with the headline act: bucatini al cioccolato. Thick strands of fresh pasta arrive glossed in sweet milk chocolate and mascarpone, flecked with basil and fresh red chilli. It’s rich, it’s spicy, it’s confusing – in a good way. The savoury chew of the pasta pulls things back from full dessert territory, while the chilli gives it a gentle kick.
27 Old Compton Street’s viral chocolate pasta is surprisingly… good? Credit: The Luxe Review
Is it a true main course? Not quite. It leans more pudding than primo. But as a playful conversation-starting moment for a Valentine’s date, it absolutely delivers. Order it to share, lean in, and go with it.
That said, the real reason to book a table here isn’t this limted-time stunt. It’s what’s happening in the open kitchen as you walk in: fresh pasta being rolled, filled and cooked to order, the scent of pecorino and tomato sauce hitting before you’ve even sat down.
We started properly, with soft, warm focaccia scattered with rosemary, followed by Cacio e Pepe arancini. Crisp on the outside, oozing inside, they arrive with a creamy Parmesan sauce that is pure cheese-lover heaven. It’s the kind of starter that you’ll still be thinking about long after visiting – I know I am.
The moreish Cacio e Pepe arancini is one of the best starters in London / Credit: The Luxe Review
For mains, the Black Squid Ink Lobster Ravioli is the showstopper. Jet-black parcels filled generously with lobster meat, sitting in a rich tomato and basil sauce that tastes deeply comforting rather than fussy. Decadent, properly filled, and satisfying.
Meanwhile, the Bucatini Cacio e Pepe proves that simplicity, when done right, wins every time. Pecorino and black pepper cling silkily to the pasta, creamy, and glossy. Meanwhile, the Rustici Pesto, made with cavolo nero, pistachio and pine nuts, is earthy, nutty and lush in all the right ways.
The fresh Rustici Pesto is lush in all the right ways / Credit: The Luxe Review
Portions are generous, the flavours unapologetically authentic, and every dish feels like comfort food straight from Italia. Add Aperol spritzes all round and you’ve got the kind of Soho evening that stretches long past dessert.
The space itself here is intimate and cosy, filled with a mix of date nights and Soho regulars. Service is warm and genuinely attentive – you’re looked after, not rushed. Watching the chefs at work from your table only adds to the charm.
The chocolate pasta may be the viral hook – and yes, it’s worth trying for the novelty alone -but the real treat to fall in love with here is the fresh pasta menu available year-round. The bucatini al cioccolato is available until the 20th Febraury 2026 – but we recommend making a trip here any time.
Consider this your reminder: Soho doesn’t need gimmicks when the classics are this good. And 27 Old Compton Street? A staple we’ll be returning to again and again.
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Chocolate bucatini as a main course sounds like a dare. In Soho, it’s dinner – and for one very Instagrammable week, 27 Old Compton Street is serving up a full bowl of chocolate-coated pasta that looks like date night mischief and tastes surprisingly… good?
Let’s start with the headline act: bucatini al cioccolato. Thick strands of fresh pasta arrive glossed in sweet milk chocolate and mascarpone, flecked with basil and fresh red chilli. It’s rich, it’s spicy, it’s confusing – in a good way. The savoury chew of the pasta pulls things back from full dessert territory, while the chilli gives it a gentle kick.
Is it a true main course? Not quite. It leans more pudding than primo. But as a playful conversation-starting moment for a Valentine’s date, it absolutely delivers. Order it to share, lean in, and go with it.
That said, the real reason to book a table here isn’t this limted-time stunt. It’s what’s happening in the open kitchen as you walk in: fresh pasta being rolled, filled and cooked to order, the scent of pecorino and tomato sauce hitting before you’ve even sat down.
We started properly, with soft, warm focaccia scattered with rosemary, followed by Cacio e Pepe arancini. Crisp on the outside, oozing inside, they arrive with a creamy Parmesan sauce that is pure cheese-lover heaven. It’s the kind of starter that you’ll still be thinking about long after visiting – I know I am.
For mains, the Black Squid Ink Lobster Ravioli is the showstopper. Jet-black parcels filled generously with lobster meat, sitting in a rich tomato and basil sauce that tastes deeply comforting rather than fussy. Decadent, properly filled, and satisfying.
Meanwhile, the Bucatini Cacio e Pepe proves that simplicity, when done right, wins every time. Pecorino and black pepper cling silkily to the pasta, creamy, and glossy. Meanwhile, the Rustici Pesto, made with cavolo nero, pistachio and pine nuts, is earthy, nutty and lush in all the right ways.
Portions are generous, the flavours unapologetically authentic, and every dish feels like comfort food straight from Italia. Add Aperol spritzes all round and you’ve got the kind of Soho evening that stretches long past dessert.
The space itself here is intimate and cosy, filled with a mix of date nights and Soho regulars. Service is warm and genuinely attentive – you’re looked after, not rushed. Watching the chefs at work from your table only adds to the charm.
The chocolate pasta may be the viral hook – and yes, it’s worth trying for the novelty alone -but the real treat to fall in love with here is the fresh pasta menu available year-round. The bucatini al cioccolato is available until the 20th Febraury 2026 – but we recommend making a trip here any time.
Consider this your reminder: Soho doesn’t need gimmicks when the classics are this good. And 27 Old Compton Street? A staple we’ll be returning to again and again.
27 Old Compton St. Soho, London, W1D 5JP
www.27oldcomptonstreet.com
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