London The West End

Mô Café, 23-25 Heddon St. (020 7434 4040 ;www.momoresto.com) When juxtaposed with the absurd decadence of nearby Absolut Icebar (yes, that is a bar..made of ice), the Mô Café's own absurd conceit feels a little less ridiculous. With waiters wearing bright red shirts and black pants, chandeliers that are draped in tassels and strings and bronze table tops surrounded by low chairs, the Mô Café looks like it's trying too hard. However, try the hummus or the mint tea (made with tea imported from Morocco, obviously), and you'll feel your skull tingle where your fez once was. The restaurant is a true experience, especially when the other patrons are enjoying £18 hookah in your general vicinity. That's right, hookah. Only in Soho would that just as easily be a mispronunciation of another commonly purchased service. Piccadilly Circus. Turn left onto Regent St. and left onto Heddon St. Cold mezze £4.50-4.75. Hot mezze £5.50-5.80. M-Sa noon-1am, Su noon-11pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Has internet.

Fernandez and Wells Cafe, 73 Beak St. (020 7287 8124; www.fernandezandwells.com) Yuppified to the max, Fernandez and Wells knows its crowd and it serves them well. A bright space with simple wood and thin counters for eating, the restaurant prides itself on its coffee and gives out a map to all the good coffee spots in London, serving the yuppy desire to be "cool" and "in-the-know." Providing ready-made, delicious sandwiches with well-prepared ingredients, Fernandez and Wells is a good spot for a fast and easy lunch. Piccadilly Circus. Turn right down Shaftesbury Ave. and left onto Lexington St., left onto Beak St. Croissaints £1.65-1.80. Chelsea bun £2.45. Coffee £2.20-2.50. Sandwiches £4.25-5.50. Open M-F 7:30am-6pm, Sa 9am-6pm, Su 9am-5pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access.

Koya, 49 Frith St. ( 020 7434 4463 ; www.koya.co.uk) Unlike many Japanese restaurants, where Chinese or British cooks pretend to make authentic Japanese dishes, Koya is the real deal. Through the cloth that guards the front door lies a dining room where only the most authentic and delicious hiya-atsu and atsu-atsu (cold and hot udon) is served. This place is good, and Soho knows it, so try to come sometime other than 6:30pm, as they don't take reservations, it gets crowded, and the starving people you'll stand outside with may or may not be very pleasant. Tottenham Court Rd. Turn down Oxford St. with your back to Tottenham Court Rd and then left onto Soho St. Go around Soho Sq to the left and turn left onto Frith. Udon is around £8.50-9. Open M-Sa noon-3pm and 5:30-10:30pm. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access.

Bar Italia, 22 Frith St. (020 7437 4520; baritaliasoho.co.uk) Bar Italia is about as close as you'll get to what would've happened if Ed Hopper had painted the Nighthawks in Soho. Its simple, unassuming decor is as authentic as the coffee is strong, and photos of its storied past (replete with coffee drinkers of yore) line the walls. On a nice day, many sit outside and watch the parade of altered life that is Soho. The clientele runs the gamut—hip or unhip, it matters not: they belly up to the same counter for Bar Italia's classic coffee. Tottenham Court Rd. Turn down Oxford St. with your back to Tottenham Court Rd and then left onto Soho St. Go around Soho Sq. to the left and turn left onto Frith. Espresso £2.50-3.80. Cappuccino is £2.80-3.80. Caffe latte £3-4. Pizzas around £11.50. Panini £6.20-6.80. Takes credit cards.

Sofra, 18 Shepherd St. (020 7493 3320; www.sofra.co.uk) Sofra has a brightly lit, wide open dining room that somehow feels like it's sitting on the edge of a Mediterranean beach where men in three-button-undone shirts seduce women in red dresses. Is that just us? Well, either way, this pleasant dining space provides fairly high-priced Mediterranean classics like Lamb Tagine, kebabs, and salmon stew. Hyde Park Corner. Go down Piccadilly Arcade staying to the left of the Wellington Arch with your back to Hyde Park. Turn left onto White Horse St. Entrees around £11.95, but there's a wide range. Open daily 8am-11pm. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.