Our neighbourhood
Soho is more than just a place - it's a spirit, an identity. Since Georgian times these streets have been a magnet for artists, poets, dreamers and disruptors, and Broadwick Soho channels and cherishes the cosmopolitan, bohemian and fun-loving soul of its location.
Soho Diaries with Antonio Polledri
Antonio Polledri grew up with Bar Italia as much a part of family life as Soho itself. Opened by his grandparents, Lou and Caterina, on Frith Street in 1949, it began as a meeting place for London's Italian community and has remained in the Polledri family ever since.
Antonio started helping out as a boy before joining the business in the early 1980s, eventually taking the reins alongside his brother Luigi. In this episode, Antonio looks back on a Soho that has changed enormously around a place that, deliberately, has changed very little.
From late nights spilling out of Ronnie Scott's to World Cup celebrations that took over Frith Street, he reflects on why Bar Italia has always been much more than somewhere to drink coffee.
Soho Diaries with Andrew Daniel
Andrew Daniel first arrived in Soho more than four decades ago. What began as a career in hairdressing quickly became something much bigger, as he found himself at the heart of one of the neighbourhood's most enduring institutions.
In our latest episode, Andrew reflects on the evolution of CUTS from a hairdressing salon into a place where conversations unfolded as naturally as haircuts. A space that welcomed everyone, from artists and musicians to lifelong locals and first time visitors, without ever treating anyone differently.
Through thousands of conversations across the barber chair, he shares what Soho has taught him about community, trust and why, after all these years, it still feels like the one place where people can simply be themselves.
Soho Diaries with Andrea Alinovi
Andrea Alinovi first came to Soho as a teenager, wide eyed and taking it all in, long before he knew he would one day become part of it. In this episode, he moves between those early impressions and the path that followed.
From life after university to a growing fascination with chocolate, and eventually back to London with a clear idea of what he wanted to create.
Italian Bear Chocolate now sits at the centre of that story. A small space that has quietly turned into something of a destination, known for its unapologetically thick Italian hot chocolate and a queue that rarely disappears.
