What happened to Naked Soho? The rise and quiet fall of London’s first sex-themed restaurant
It was bold, it was cheeky, and it certainly wasn’t subtle. Naked Soho burst onto London’s dining scene, promising a playful, provocative experience — before quietly slipping away. So what actually happened to Soho’s most risqué restaurant?
For a brief moment, Soho (never a stranger to the unconventional) was home to ‘London’s first sex-themed restaurant’.
Naked Soho with plenty of confidence, a heavy dose of innuendo, and a concept that ensured it would be impossible to ignore.
Opening in 2022, the restaurant leaned fully into its adults-only identity. Diners were greeted by genital-inspired crockery, suggestive artwork, and a menu designed to be as playful as the décor.
The idea was pitched as a celebration of body positivity and sexual openness, wrapped in a knowingly tongue-in-cheek dining experience. In a neighbourhood famed for its nightlife, theatres and colourful history, the concept felt both outrageous and oddly fitting.
Predictably, Naked Soho generated a wave of curiosity. Social media loved it. Passers-by peered through the windows. Headlines practically wrote themselves. But attention, as many hospitality ventures have learned, does not always translate into longevity.
Almost as soon as it opened, the restaurant ran into turbulence and had to temporarily close just days after its launch. Locals and Westminster City Council launched complaints about explicit displays being visible from the street, leading to early friction with local authorities and requests to shield certain elements from public view.
Those early challenges were followed by mixed customer reactions. Some visitors embraced the novelty, praising the venue as a hilarious, memorable night out. Others were less enamoured, suggesting the food and overall experience did not quite live up to the headline-grabbing premise.
Novelty may pull in first-time diners, but repeat business is the lifeblood of any restaurant, even in a high-footfall area like Soho.
Then, sometime in 2023, Naked Soho faded from the scene: no dramatic closing announcement, no theatrical farewell, simply a gradual disappearance from booking platforms and listings.
Soho remains one of London’s most gloriously unpredictable playgrounds, where alternative venues, hidden bars and nightlife institutions sit shoulder-to-shoulder behind unassuming doors. From slick speakeasies like SOMA and the theatrical opium-den glamour of Opium Cocktail Bar to the reliably buzzy energy of Simmons and Bar Soho, the neighbourhood thrives on variety and discovery.