Laxsa Soho image

Laxsa Soho

Restaurant Malaysian restaurant

Unfussy operation turning out classic Malaysian specialties in relaxed surrounds with a bar. People often mention laksa, good, chicken, Malaysian, tasty, delicious, ordered, rice, time, restaurant,


Address

37 Old Compton St, London W1D 5JY, United Kingdom

Website

instagram.com

Contact

+44 20 7734 6361

Rating on Google Maps

4.50 (628 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Tuesday: 12 to 10:30 PM
  • Wednesday: 12 to 10:30 PM
  • Thursday: 12 to 10:30 PM
  • Friday: (Good Friday), 12 to 10:30 PM, Hours might differ
  • Saturday: 12 to 10:30 PM
  • Sunday: 12 to 8:30 PM
  • Monday: 12 to 10:30 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: laksa (18) good (14) chicken (12) Malaysian (11) tasty (11) delicious (9) ordered (9) rice (8) time (7) restaurant (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Emily C. 2 years ago on Google
    Most delicious Malaysian food I’ve had in London so far. Go for the Laksa! Can’t go wrong! We also ordered the papaya salad and the oyster mushrooms. Everything was exceptionally flavourful. Make a reservation ahead of time for dinner! Note they also have a great happy hour, 2 cocktails for £15. Will be back!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 The Happie H. 9 months ago on Google
    Was craving Singaporean/Malaysian favorites after travelling in Europe for a while and this was a good spot for some comfort food. I was a lil confused upon entering cos it looked more like a bar than a restaurant and the music was turned up too loud for dining and the lighting was rather dim. So we decided to move upstairs to a more normal dining space. We ordered their traditional Laksa (I changed my noodles to the yellow noodles), nasi lemak, gado gado, satay, Roti Canai to share. We each had a glass of Teh Tarik. Laksa - yum! The gravy was lighter than what I’m used to but very tasty and went well with the noodles. Good amount of ingredients. Nasi Lemak - the rice (the most important part!) was fragrant with light coconut flavour Gado Gado - the sweet peanut sauce was perfect with the boiled vegetables Satay - which was ordered as part of the appetisers came abit too late (after we had finished most of our meal) was thick and chunky. It was the least impressive of the lot but maybe cos we were too full to enjoy it. Roti Canai - crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Perfect with the curry dip. Teh tarik - was surprisingly good. I asked mine to be less sweet and it was done just right. Definitely worth a visit if you have a craving!
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Vee 3 months ago on Google • 509 reviews New
    Not the best Malaysian food we have had in London, but very solid offering all the same. Hainanese chicken was done well, and very satisfying. We got breast meat when we asked and that was incredibly appreciated. It made the dish so much more enjoyable. Garlic water morning glory (kangkung) was delicious. Satay wasn't very special. It was pretty basic. I adored the nasi lemak! Where I live, it's impossible to get anything even close, so maybe my standards are low but I do miss it done well. This had every ingredient and was prepared so nicely. Even the little anchovies that many places are afraid to add, or don't want to. The flavours were varied and full. The curry chicken was buttery and spicy. Good sambal. You just get one drumstick, and a bit, so it's not a lot of chicken but the rice and accompaniments are generous. Coffee was okay. I found the ambience bland. We were one of only 2 tables dining upstairs and it's sort of like eating in an attic. Not a lot of atmosphere and you have to go up a precarious spiral iron staircase. Not accessible for those with any sort of mobility issues. Or fear of heights. Service was sort of absent mostly, but she did appear occasionally.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Yvonne L. 5 months ago on Google • 11 reviews
    As Malaysian from KL, both me and my husband agreed thar their Hokkien noodle was the best outside of Malaysia. My 6 year old doesn't even want to share the noodles with us! Husband was craving for laksa and I wanted to try thier nasi lemak. The laksa was more like KL laksa, so that was perfect for us and we truly enjoy it. Sambal for nasi lemak is a bit blend but ok. Service was fast and friendly. Will definitely be back to try other stuff on their menu.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 麵豉湯 1 year ago on Google
    Very authentic taste of Laksa noodle 🍜 , water spinach Love the drum stick in lollipop form with peanut satay sauce Freshly squeezed orange juice is a good choice when having too many spicy and fried food Staff are very nice as well My first time in the restaurant was with my colleagues having a farewell dinner with Karaoke in the basement. We had a very good time with lots of Malaysian food and sang Cantonese/Mandarin Karaoke 🎤
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Maria M. 1 year ago on Google
    Most delicious and authentic Malaysian food I've had in London. Love the ambiance in the restaurant too, small and cosy with seats upstairs too. Friendly and professional service. The Hainan Chicken and rice was out of this world. Highly recommended and I will visit again next time I'm in the west end again.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Queenie W. 1 year ago on Google
    Really delicious traditional laksa and mee goreng. Definitely coming back to try other things on the menu! Service was good too.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Jay M. 1 year ago on Google
    Genuinely love this place. It was recommended by brother in law and I have been here before with work colleagues, they loved the food here as well. Brought the family here this time, the beef Randang is to die for, plenty of flavor, spices and good portion size. Unfortunate my eyes are bigger than my stomach, I always order extra rice with this and force myself to finish it all, then need to be rolled out 😅😅. All the other dishes are very nice a well, my wife had the Nasi Lemak (traditional chicken), again, nice portion size and very very tasty. I would definitely recommend anyone fancy something different from Chinatown and try this out. It's quite a small establishment, so do book in advance. Will be back again with colleagues as they always talk about it. Nice work Laxsa!! Great place, great food. Oh, did I forget the customer service?!? Excellent and they really care!! Thank you.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Bee N. 10 months ago on Google • 139 reviews
    Slightly disappointing meal here at Laxsa, but maybe because I have high standards for Malaysian food in general! But the Kangkung (water spinach) belacan was tasty and moorish, and the Char Kuey Teow was pretty good too! Just lacking in wok hei overall.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 regina 4 months ago on Google • 63 reviews
    To be fair, its traditional laksa is really tasty, even for those who are not used to flavouring with coconut milk. I appreciated what they did with the prawns, all of them were fresh and the threads were completely removed. The soup also had bean curd, bean sprouts, fish cakes and fish balls. The thin rice noodles were very tasty and I almost finished the soup. The chicken in the soup was a bit fishy though. Similarly, the iced milk tea was great. Its price is also acceptable considering its location. However, the staff are always trying to get customers to finish their meals and leave quickly, even though they may not say so outright. But you can definitely feel the vibe. It has good food but it makes me mentally nervous. Maybe I'll come back, but never on a Saturday night.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Lee 1 year ago on Google
    I love this place! We ordered a lot tasty food here! We were recommended by a Malaysia friend. The laksa noodle is authentic and very tasty! Not very spicy for us! All the food were really good! The portion is okay. A decent place to have dinner with your friends or family!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Amilia Joan F. 2 years ago on Google
    I must say, I was pleasantly surprised on my first trip here. The food was delicious. Often in many restaurants, when you order noodles or rice dishes, there isn't much ingredients. This is not the case here. My noodles were full or chicken, vegetables and prawns. All very reasonably priced. Service was brilliant too. Well done and keep up the good work.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Hisham A. 4 months ago on Google • 227 reviews
    I had the laksa with chicken and seafood. The flavored spicy soup with coconut was spot on. Enjoyed it in this cold weather and I paid about £17 including tips

  • 5/5 Jason M. 2 months ago on Google • 184 reviews New
    One thing I love being in the UK is the abundance of Malaysian, Singaporean and Indonesian restaurants. If you are craving or want to try something new, the this place. You will not be disappointed. The laksa is so good and very tasty. The service is very nice as well.

  • 5/5 K L. 2 months ago on Google • 143 reviews New
    Popped in for dinner with my Malaysian friend. This place looks like a bar on the ground floor but it’s actually a restaurant with seatings on both ground and first floor. They sell a range of cocktails too. The traditional Hainanese chicken is very good. Chicken is tender and smooth, served with a few sauces and rice cooked perfectly. They also do a fried version,but the white meat was too dry yet crispy. Best ask for dark meat. It also comes with broth which was perfect for a cold night. Mee goreng is tasty and not sweet like other places. The sesame salad was my least favourite, it was bland. Service was friendly and helpful. Music wasn’t too loud upstairs so ideal for conversations.

  • 4/5 Ann K. 1 month ago on Google • 45 reviews New
    We were lured into the place... and considering we were looking for a quiet place to have a drink, it definitely served its purpose! The food was OK... I've had better, but overall, a decent place to grab a quiet drink and a few small tapas type Asian nibbles.

  • 4/5 T Y. 1 month ago on Google • 33 reviews New
    We didn’t have a booking but the staff tried their very best to get the 4 of us a table. The food is yummy and hearty which is exactly what I want for a cold rainy night in London. Rangdang beef and laksa was very good. Atmosphere isn’t the best - it has the generic Asian restaurant feel but the staff was very nice and friendly!

  • 5/5 Charlie B. 2 months ago on Google • 26 reviews New
    I came here for lunch with my partner on August 26th 2023. The food was absolutely phenomenal - legitimately some of the best food I've had in London. I took recommendations from the servers and they did not disappoint. We will be coming back again for sure. My only regret is that I didn't write down what I ordered!

  • 5/5 KCat W. 5 months ago on Google • 16 reviews
    Traditional laksa is great. We order the vegetarian Jungle laksa which is really delicious. Roti Canai (fried flat bread with curry dipping sauce) is a must-have too. I also like Malaysian three-layered tea (milk tea) and the “Laxsa lovers” cocktail which I have tried.

  • 4/5 Seong-Ho K. 1 month ago on Google • 16 reviews New
    The rotis we ordered were a decent size and tasted great, and the Hainanese chicken rice was flavourful too. The staff were very welcoming and attentive. Would definitely go back!

  • 4/5 Inna C. 4 months ago on Google • 7 reviews
    Very authentic place. We were recommended to visit this restaurant. There were a lot of locals who just came to enjoy food, Portions are really huge, so you can share one with a friend. Quite spicy and well made.

  • 3/5 Maria Thea C. 7 months ago on Google
    4 sticks of the chicken satay was not worth it. Serving was small in my opinion. The staff was good. Not much vegetarian options since they use fish sauce which is understandable. Overall 3/5.

  • 4/5 Danina L. 1 year ago on Google
    Been there yesterday for the first time. The staff is really friendly but unfortunately we had to wait quite long for our starter. To be exact it arrived when we've been halfway through our main. I asked for less spicey but I think they must have forgotten about it. Therefore my friends food was not spiced at all. The place is nice but also not the cleanest, you notice that on your way to the upstairs seating area. Prices are average for soho.

  • 5/5 Jordanne 4 months ago on Google
    Absolutely delicious laksa. I got the Jungle laksa (tofu and vegetable laksa) and would definitely recommend. My companion got the traditional laksa and also said it was delicious. The restaurant had a fun vibe too.

  • 5/5 Honor S. 1 year ago on Google
    We had the sesame salad, roti canai and the jungle lasksa. All were absolutely delicious. The sesame salad wasn't like anything we'd tried before and it was really tasty. Cold mushrooms, tofu and edamame with salad leaves in a sesame dressing. There aren't many vegetarian dishes marked on the menu so I wouldn't recommend it for vegetarians. I believe the roti and the laksa we had contained fish. We got there at about 7.30pm and it just in time because shortly after there was a queue and people starting have to wait up to 15 mins. Would definitely go back and try the assam laksa!

  • 5/5 E U. 1 year ago on Google
    We only had the curry chicken and nasi lemak . I can rate 5 stars by these 2 dishes. Service is great. The Malay lady can speak Cantonese . Effective service and very sincere . Price is reasonable with such big portion and considering in soho . Saw the snacks from other table and I rather would like their main dishes more.

  • 5/5 Crispin G. 1 month ago on Google • 7 reviews New
    When you enter the place it's as generic as it can get, nothing really screams Malaysian food to you until they bring out those plates of classic goodness. The bar area is always full, the servers smiling and pleasant, the dining area busy especially during the weekends. You'd want to book a table, trust. I would come back here just for their traditional Laksa. in fact even if it's all they served, I'd be alright with it - simply that tasty and rich! Because we had had a couple of stops before landing on Laxsa, my stomach was already quite heavy with drinks. That's the only reason their heavy portions beat me. We even wanted to get some Chelo but we're so full we had to promise to ourselves to come back and try the famous Malay dessert out. The others had the Nasi Lemak and the Nasi Goreng Kamping which were also delectable. Overall, amazing food! You won't even care that the place is so small or busy or can get noisy. You'll be so immersed in your food, it's all worth it!

  • 2/5 Nikko 2 years ago on Google
    We did not enjoy our meal. We ordered 3 laksas as we were told they were mild we ordered for 2 to be spicy as a proper laksa. We got 3 mild bowls. When we said we had ordered for spicy ones another server said they are all the same: mild. We added some chili but it was obviously not the same. The chicken dumplings were nothing special, quite bland. The roti was the best dish by bar. Delicious!


Call +44 20 7734 6361 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Beer
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Hard liquor
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Late-night food
    • ✓️ Happy hour drinks
    • ✓️ Free water refills
  • Accessibility
    • ✗ Wheelchair accessible entrance
    • ✗ Wheelchair accessible parking lot
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Takeout
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating

Trends



Last updated:

Similar Restaurants nearby

Sky Garden image
1
Sky Garden
Scenic spot
Known as the walkie talkie due to its unique shape, this skyscraper features a top-floor restaurant.
4.60 (58.6K reviews)
Dishoom Shoreditch image
2
Dishoom Shoreditch
Indian restaurant
Buzzy destination for Indian street food in Bombay-style digs with vintage decor & upscale touches.
$$ $$
4.80 (23.2K reviews)
Royal Nawaab Perivale image
3
Royal Nawaab Perivale
Pakistani restaurant
Elegant, modern restaurant serving sophisticated Indian & Pakistani halal dishes.
$$ $$
4.40 (20.4K reviews)
Liberty London image
4
Liberty London
Department store
Tudor-revival building filled with high-end fashion and luxury homeware, with its own fabric line.
$$$$
4.50 (19.4K reviews)
Gloria image
5
Gloria
Italian restaurant
Italian fare in an elevated dining room with a marble bar, mirrored ceiling, & rich, eclectic decor.
$$ $$
4.80 (14.1K reviews)
Last updated:
()