THE SECRETS OF SOHO
The artists, eccentrics, and rule-breakers behind London's edgiest neighbourhood

What do Casanova, Mozart, Canaletto, Karl Marx, the King of Corsica, the Sex Pistols, Queen, and David Bowie have in common? They are just a few of the restless spirits who have lived, worked, performed, painted, drunk, argued, recorded, and changed the world right here in Soho.

For more than 300 years, this small London neighbourhood has refused to behave. Aristocrats came here chasing pleasure. Immigrants arrived looking for a foothold. Artists sought patrons. Radicals chased revolutions. Musicians discovered new sounds. Fashion tore up the rulebook. And Soho, barely a square mile in size, somehow made room for them all.

Our quest meanders through its dense weave of alleys, courts, squares, pubs, clubs, and cafés, tracing Soho’s journey from royal hunting park to bohemian playground to the white-hot centre of rock ’n’ roll and Swinging Sixties style.

Along the way, you’ll meet the famous, the forgotten, the brilliant, and the badly behaved…all brought vividly to life with more than 100 full-screen images. Scavenger-hunt clues help you look closer and see more. And Best Bites point you towards some of Soho’s most famous flavours.

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