Aurora

An oasis in the middle of Soho madness

Lets face it, the West end can be an utter nightmare sometimes with the gridlike lanes of Soho at the epicentre of the chaos. The buzz can be tremendous, especially in the evenings where after a hard day's work many Londoners can be found spending their pennies on some well earn't booze therapy. So entering Aurora is like taking a sip out of a bottle labelled ‘drink me’ and jumping down a a great big tunnel into a secret hideaway. An oasis of calm with one of the prettiest courtyard garden's in London.

I made my visit on a balmy summer's night. The occasion; a get together with friends. Our experience was promising from the start and Aurora kept giving and giving. From delicious and generous mains to indulgent desserts and several bottles of good wine. Staff are attentive and friendly and the whole atmosphere is one of ease. Definitely one to check out if you are in need of escaping Soho at its height.

I have eaten here a number of times over the past 2-3 years and have never been disappointed. Most recently I came with my girlfriend for a romantic birthday meal, but have also eaten in the past with a group of friends, on a first date and just having randomly walking in.

The food has always been fresh and delicious and the fact the menu changes every month means it's unlikely you'll ever have the same course twice (which can be a shame after a particularly good meal!!). I tend to avoid steak unless I'm actually eating at a steakhouse (oh such a snob) but Aurora is the exception to the rule. I have had a number of duck dishes which have all been excellent. Plenty of vegetarian/fish options available for the non meat-eaters among us too. The wine list is also excellent, though it might be nice to have a few more availabe by the glass rather than just by the bottle.

The place is really laid back (but not horizontal) and not at all pretentious which really helps build a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. The staff are attentive and professional but also up for a joke every now and then. The decor is just right and not distracting or too ‘try hard’. The courtyard in the summer really raises Aurora to another level though – who'd have thought you could sit in an ivy covered garden in the middle of Soho?

And all this at really reasonable prices!

I think Aurora needs to start a fan club with T-shirts and baseball caps and stuff.

I went to Aurora for an anniversary meal and had the most amazing experience. The decor is very romantic, service impeccable and our meal was fantastic. I had the cod and my husband had the steak, both were delicious. I will definitely go back.

We walked past this restaurant early on a Sunday morning and it looked devine: cosy and welcoming with a little courtyard at the back. As we eat out in London several times a week we are always looking for new places and booked it for the following week.
What a HUGE disappointment it turned out to be.
We were given a table in the basement – we should have been informed of this on the telephone – when the reason we had booked was because we like the look of the room from the window!
The greeting was luke warm at best, it wasn't rude but it didn't make us feel welcome or excited to be there
We waited 20 minutes to be offered a drink and when we ordered a bottle of prosecco we were then asked if we would like the wine list (Huh?).
To read the menu would make your mouth water but the actual food did not live up to its description. Insipid is probably the best description of both my starter – smoked chicken and main course plaice on an ocean of pea puree.
One dessert menu was put down in front of my husband without a word so we paid the bill and went elsewhere for coffee and cake.
Oh, and the toilets were pretty grotty too!
We had great hopes for this place – imagining summer evenings eating in the courtyard – but really, really disappointing – we won't go back!

Aurora – Lexington St, Soho, London

Sadly somewhere which was a good find for interesting modern cuisine, has lost its way.
Having dined there 5-6 times over the past year, I felt I had found a reliable and welcome place to dine with friends.
After tonights dinner I will not bother.
Firstly the woman who seated us at our table seemed obsessed with trying to drag any posessions from us, which was delivered in a rather annoying tone. When questioned over the zealous tact scorn was directed at my friend and I.

The starters came which were partially refrigirated and partly tepid in temperature, mine claimed to have Chorizo as part of its ingredients which I believe has flavour but not in this dish, instead a bland slither of coloured plastic with overly chilled beetroot, rocket & such a whisper of pear that was nearly undetected.

Main course Squid with Chilli Polenta and more ice cold rocket, sadly even more disappointing as the squid looked like it had been shown the heat for a few seconds and tasted barely above room temperature, which made me concerned and so I left it (as this can cause gastric problems) the chilli seemed to have gotten into everything rather than just in the polenta.

Our waiter did not bother to ask how the meal was at any point even when clearing the plates. However they did manage to add a large service charge to the bill-interesting that!

I like to recommend good places to eat and sadly I think Aurora is just not good in lots of ways.

Ideally I would like to direct my displeasure to the owner of Aurora interestingly their website has no email address to send such a message which I find rather telling.

My recommendation:- Spend your money elsewhere!

Recently had lunch in the garden at Aurora in July 2010 and it was delightful. A lovely little oasis in the middle of Soho with an excellent menu and a wide variety of food on offer. Starters were a lovely selection of interesting and summery salads (e.g. Greek salad with feta and watermelon, Chicken and mango salad with chili dressing) and mains included seafood, fish, steak, pork, chicken and vegetarian options all with very nice and well thought out accompaniments. Desserts were also very good including sticky toffee pub, chocolate brownie and a delicious lemon tart. Would definitely recommend this especially in the summer for a table in the garden.

Went there 29 February 2009 after reading the reviews (I was organising a restaurant for 4 of us at short notice).

It was the review on this site that clinched it for me. Very pleased I did. We had a fabulous time, good central location but away from the braying drunken mass that Soho can become on a Saturday. Food was excellent – we had steak, lamb and fish and all were very happy with our choices (even the fussy one!). Starters were all well received also.

Lots of variety on the menu it was tough to choose.

Wine was good, beers also and the service was just spot on. Really friendly, relaxed place and we all agreed it was a find, we took their card and plan to return.

Yes they have two sittings but we were in by 7 and knew we had to be out by 9 – didn't feel rushed at all. Yes its a small place but was cosy rather than cramped (and in Soho cramped can take on a meaning all of its own).

Really recommend this place, it definitely is worth it. Its not silver spoon, and the staff won't fawn over you, but they are friendly, don't hang all over you and you'll love the food (well we did)

Worth a punt.