For a group that built its reputation in the sky, opening at street level might seem like a step down. But the new Forza Wine in Soho is set to be a go-to hangout spot that bridges the gap between pub and restaurant in central London.
Co-founders Bash Redford and Michael Lavery have come a long way from hosting supper clubs at The Truman Brewery under the name Forza Win. Since opening their first permanent site as Forza Wine in Peckham in 2019, followed by a high-profile perch atop the National Theatre on the South Bank, they’ve established a recognisable formula: “Italian-ish” small plates, an affordable drinks list, a stellar playlist, and slick rooms designed for spending time in rather than dipping in and out.
Now Forza arrives in Soho, on a corner just off Charing Cross Road. The Manette Street site, formerly home to Italian restaurant Daroco, is its most ambitious opening yet – the culmination of a long-held ambition to open in central London. It has 100 covers inside, a basement area to follow later this year and, unusually for this part of town, a 70-cover terrace.
“It gives us a central London institution to grow the team and brand into more great spots – we have a couple of absolute bangers lined up. But in many ways it doesn’t change Forza at all,” Redford explains. “Soho gives us the opportunity to explore private hire and cultural programming. We have a big network of friends from the last 15 years and will be calling on them all to do some fun stuff.”
Following in the spirit of the original Peckham rooftop and National Theatre flagship, the always-changing 12-dish menu is designed to either pick through or order in full for a generous feast. New dishes include a warm, parmesan-laden brioche, and pane carasau (Sardinian flatbread) with gorgonzola, pork-and-fennel salami and pickled celery. These lead into comforting larger plates: cod with winter tomatoes, vinegar and hazelnuts; pork tenderloin with cabbage and mustard; and ox cheek with Genovese ragu. Some favourites – such as the cauliflower fritti with aioli and the Custardo®, a silky, drinkable crème anglaise spiked with espresso from Catalyst Coffee (which the team has proudly trademarked) – will remain on the menu, along with a concise new dessert selection of pistachio olive oil cake and vanilla saffron soft serve with marsala sponge.
The Soho opening marks the return of bar manager Justine Saurigny, who set the tone for Forza’s original wine list with an approach that favours seasonality and affordability. Cocktails follow the same ethos: one Soho special is the Forza Fiver, an English white vermouth cocktail served on the rocks, which, as the name suggests, costs £5. It works as a welcome drink or something to sip while deciding what to order.
“I’m impatient and I hate that few minutes at a restaurant where you arrive and have nothing beyond water,” Lavery says. “This tries to solve that: the floor team serves it, so a mad busy bar in summer has some of the pressure reduced.”
As for interiors, the team resisted the temptation to gut the former Daroco site. “What we inherited was an extraordinarily fancy fit-out – more Mayfair than Soho, as it looked like a Gucci circus,” says Redford. “They [spent] a very significant amount of money on all sorts of things that we just never would. As a result of this, our brief was ‘[Be] resourceful, recycle as much as you can.’”
The team has again worked with London architecture studio Gundry & Ducker, which led the Forza Wine National Theatre design. Some elements – mirrored ceilings, intricate tiled floors – remain, reframed through a Forza lens of stainless steel, timber and the brand’s signature deep green. The result walks a line between polished and playful – though less sun-drenched rooftop casual, more chic urban clubhouse.
If Peckham feels local and the National Theatre feels like a destination, Soho sits somewhere between the two. A place for lunch, pre-theatre dinners or long afternoons that stretch into evening.
“We want to make sure we pay respect to the community while bringing our energy to the place, hopefully for a long time to come,” Redford says. “Our style of hospitality isn’t trying to reinvent anything – we’re just doing things properly and not charging the earth. We’d like to think that Soho sees through things that are not genuine.”
Forza Wine
Unit 1, Ilona Rose House, Manette Street, W1D 4AL
Hours:
Daily midday–midnight (kitchen midday–10.30pm)
