Japes Soho is a lively Soho pizza spot built around heavy, filling deep-dish pies with real fans and real detractors; go for the Chicago-style spectacle, but expect uneven service, occasional pricing surprises, and a menu that’s not especially friendly to picky eaters or vegans.
Japes Soho delivers solid neighborhood pizza appeal with strong food quality anchored by generous, indulgent deep-dish pies that inspire genuine loyalty. However, inconsistent execution—swinging between enthusiastic repeat visits and complaints about burnt crusts and uneven seasoning—prevents a higher grade. The variable service reliability and Soho pricing add friction, making this a worthwhile casual stop for groups seeking shareable comfort food rather than a destination for refined pizza dining.
Japes Soho feels like a cheerful, slightly chaotic deep-dish pizza pit stop in the middle of Soho: part fan club, part pre-theatre fuel stop, part “wow, that’s a lot of cheese.” The best reviews are genuinely enthusiastic about the big, filling pies and the friendly regulars’ vibe, while the worst ones complain about oily crusts, soggy centers, and service that can go from warm to weirdly brusque. One recurring theme is that the food is memorable even when it misses, which is both the blessing and the curse here. Culinarily, this is all about indulgent pizza rather than delicate technique. The menu leans into Chicago-style deep dish, London-style deep pan, and Detroit-style variants, so it’s more about heavy comfort, cheese pulls, and shareable excess than refinement. That means it suits groups, novelty-seekers, and anyone craving a very filling meal, but it can frustrate people who want cleaner flavors or lighter, more traditional pizza. If you like your dinner dramatic and gloriously over-the-top, this is your kind of place; if you’re after subtlety, probably not. For families, it’s workable rather than ideal. The pies are big enough to share, there’s a simple enough menu, and one reviewer even mentioned a child getting a birthday dessert, which is a good sign. But the food is rich, the vegan choices are thin, and there’s no evidence of a true kids’ menu, so picky eaters may struggle unless they’re happy with cheese pizza, pepperoni, or soft serve.
Area vibe: Lively, late-night entertainment and restaurant district with a bohemian history.
Safety: Busy and well-lit with heavy foot traffic in evenings though pickpocketing and rowdiness can occur late at night.
What's nearby: Close to theatres on Shaftesbury Avenue, Oxford Street shopping, nightlife, chain and independent restaurants and Tottenham Court Road station.