Soho probably has more restaurants than any other area of London and it can be difficult to figure out where is good to eat. It’s even harder when it’s cold and dark outside and all you really want is some comfort food to keep you going. (New Year diet’s going great huh?) Instead of feeling overwhelmed with choice and hot footing it to the nearest branch of McDonalds I’ve pulled together a list of some of the best places for hot, stodgy delights in the area that won’t break the bank.

For porridge – Quo Vadis

Apparently nothing sets you up for the day quite like a steaming bowl of porridge – or so they say. Despite being Scottish I’m not actually a huge fan of the oats but it’s said that the best can be found at Quo Vadis on Dean Street. It’s not somewhere I would usually recommend as a value for money but until 11am on weekdays they well a big hot bowl of the stuff for just £4.

For toasties – Melt Room

I’m a bit of a cheese addict, it’s one of my favourite foods especially when it’s melted and sandwiched between my other true love bread. The Melt Room is dangerously close to my office and my favourite so far has to be the carb fest that is the mac n cheese toastie. I’m still to try the Nutella and Mascarpone Melt though so I’ll keep you posted. A classic will set you back £4 while one of their limited edition concoctions is £6 or 7.

For pie and mash – Mother Mash

This one’s a little more expensive that the others but it’s totally worth it. Mother Mash specialises in, you guessed it, mashed potatoes! At Mother Mash it’s a three-step process. First choose from their 8 different kinds of potato. (No that wasn’t a typo, they actually do have 8 different types of mash.) Then decide if you want it with sausages or a pie, I recommend the chicken, leek and bacon pie. Finally decide on your gravy. Yes, you read that right they don’t just have one bog standard type of gravy you get to choose. They even cater for both veggies and gluten-free peeps too. All this for less than a tenner #winning

For hot chocolate – Said dal 1923

For me the ultimate indulgence is a decadent hot chocolate and no one does ‘em better than Said on Broadwick Street. If you haven’t seen these cups of delight all over Instagram, then you’re following the wrong people that’s all I’m saying! It’s very rich, smooth and delicious. You can choose from three different kinds of chocolate (milk, dark and gianduja) or a mix of all three, in three different sizes and you also get the option of whipped cream should you so wish. (Of course you do!)

For soup – Notes

I can’t make soup. I don’t know why, there isn’t really much to it but I just really struggle to make a tasty soup which is a shame because it’s such a good option for a quick and filling lunchtime meal. Enter Notes who do different soups each day served with bread and butter for just £3.80 takeaway or add an extra 40p on if you want to sit in – which if you can get a table I thoroughly recommend that you do, it’s a very cute place!