A pint of Guinness outside The Devonshire, Sri Lankan hoppers for lunch, Basque plates at Alta, Filipino dishes at Donia — all within a few minutes' walk of each other. That's the promise of Soho, the central London neighbourhood Condé Nast Traveller UK has just crowned the foodiest corner of the capital in its round-up of the 25 best restaurants worth the hype.

Soho's food credentials are centuries in the making. The area around Soho Square was originally a hunting ground for aristocracy before being developed into a residential district in the 17th century, drawing wave after wave of immigrant communities who brought their cooking with them. Since then the neighbourhood has cycled through several identities: wealthy suburb, notorious nightlife quarter with a seedy edge, and bolthole for bohemians and creatives. Its current incarnation may be the most delicious — a dining district where hungry locals, not just tourists, do the eating.

What makes Soho unusual is the sheer density and range. In a single day you could plausibly eat Turkish food at breakfast, bao buns at lunch and a perfectly pink beef wellington for dinner, without ever leaving the tangle of streets around Soho Square. The cuisine list runs from Cambodian and Thai to Japanese and French, with British gastro-pub culture holding its own in between. Venues skew small and buzzy: counter seats for solo diners, private dining rooms for groups, and bars that can carry you through to the early hours if you're in no rush to be home by nine.

For visitors, the practical appeal is obvious. Soho sits in the middle of London's theatre district and within walking distance of the West End, Chinatown and Oxford Street, so a great dinner rarely requires a taxi. The flip side: the best-known rooms book out fast, and walk-in-only spots can mean queuing. Locals tend to eat early or late; travellers who can do the same will have a far easier time getting a table. The round-up's 25 picks span big-hyped names and neighbourhood stalwarts, so it works as a shortlist whether you've got one night or a long weekend in the city.

If you're planning a London trip around eating, Soho deserves at least a full evening — pick one anchor restaurant, then leave room for a drink at a standing-room-only pub afterwards. It's a choose-your-own-adventure kind of place, and that's precisely the point.

Story via Condé Nast Traveller UK.