Firebird Soho Review: Open-Fire Cooking Just Off Oxford Street

Looking for an honest Firebird Soho review? I’ve got you. Tucked just off Oxford Street, Firebird serves Mediterranean-inspired sharing plates cooked over fire alongside a very good wine list. But is it worth the visit?

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Soho has the slightly ridiculous ability to squeeze some of the best restaurants in London onto the same streets as some of the city’s worst tourist traps.

Which can make choosing somewhere to eat here a bit of a gamble.

I first visited Firebird a few years ago, tucked away on Poland Street barely five minutes from Oxford Circus, and have kept it in mind ever since whenever someone asks where to escape the tourist bustle for lunch.

Shall we?

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Snacks & Raws

A bit of background…Firebird opened in 2022 from Madina Kazhimova and Anna Dolgushina, who moved to London from St Petersburg a couple of years earlier after working in the city’s independent restaurant scene, with a menu completely made for sharing.

On that note, I’d do around one to two plates per person when you visit depending how hungry you are.

And tuck into a cocktail or two if you can, the orchard whisky sour was divine.

Whatever you do, start with the sourdough focaccia. It’s soft, airy, golden on the and pairs sinfully good when dragged through their baba ghanoush.

The latter has a nice little twist with pine nuts and orange peel soaked in smoky aubergine.

We also tried the raw beef with smoked bone marrow, new on the menu this time around.

It’s an elevated beef tartare, but richer and smokier from the marrow, the tuna tartare alongside it didn’t disappoint either, although given the two I’d probably order the beef again first.

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Onto the Fire

Then came the glazed pork belly.

It was fatty, rich and exactly as indulgent as pork belly ought to be, with crisp apple over the top that gave it a nice sharp finish.

Truffle, honey and plum with halloumi is also not a combination I ever thought I’d have, but it worked wonderfully.

And finally tried their smoky browned oyster mushrooms, which as a shameless meat eater, did give quite a convincing argument (and wouldn’t leave vegetarians feeling short-changed).

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Is Firebird Soho Worth Visiting?

I’d definitely go back. And I’d say my second visit confirmed what I liked about Firebird the first time around.

The food is taken seriously, but the restaurant itself doesn’t feel terribly serious (which in my eyes is fabulous combo).

It’s also small, relaxed and tucked just far enough off the main drag that you can quite easily forget Oxford Street is just around the corner.

I wouldn’t call it Soho’s best-kept secret because, well, other people have discovered it.

But it’s definitely one to have in your back pocket when somebody asks where they should actually eat around Soho.

And in an area with this many choices, I’ll take that.

Happy Londoning,

Candace x

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Practical Bits:

Address: 29 Poland Street, London W1F 8QR—Firebird

Nearest Tube: Oxford Circus or Tottenham Court Road

Price: ££-£££

Perfect for: Soho lunches, date nights, small plates, wine and escaping Oxford Street

Good to know: The menu changes, so dishes may differ from the ones I had. I’d work on roughly one to two plates per person and share as much as possible.