Mamma Mia: Soho’s Boldest Valentine’s Dish Is a Full Bowl of Chocolate Spaghetti

If your idea of romance leans more towards carbs than candlelit clichés, Soho has just delivered the most playful Valentine’s Day curveball in London.

This February, 27 Old Compton Street is serving bucatini al cioccolato as a main course. Not a dessert. Not a tasting spoon. A full sized bowl of chocolate pasta, twirled, plated and presented exactly like a classic Italian dish.

Yes, chocolate meets pasta. And Soho is fully committed.

Chocolate, But Make It a Main

Launching on Saturday 14 February, Chocolate Bucatini will be available for one week only, exclusively at 27 Old Compton Street. Served as a proper main course, the dish features bucatini coated in a rich chocolate and mascarpone sauce, finished with basil and chilli, a combination chosen to balance indulgence with heat and freshness.

Visually, it arrives like any other bowl of pasta. The surprise lands only when forks start twirling and the table realises this is something entirely different.

It is bold. It is indulgent. And it is unapologetically fun.

A Soho Moment, Through and Through

The dish comes from Soho restaurateur and Executive Chef Nima Safaei, known for bringing warmth, theatre and personality to Italian dining across the neighbourhood. This time, he is flipping expectations with a Valentine’s creation that feels mischievous, joyful and perfectly placed on Old Compton Street.

Rather than positioning Chocolate Bucatini as a novelty dessert, the restaurant is encouraging diners to go all in. This is a dish designed to be ordered with confidence, shared with curiosity, and remembered long after the plates are cleared.

Safaei explains:“Valentine’s Day is about going all in. We wanted to create something that makes people smile the moment it arrives at the table, but also tastes incredible. Chocolate Bucatini does exactly that.”

Chocolate and pasta may sound outrageous on paper, but the execution leans into classic Italian balance. The mascarpone softens the richness, the chilli cuts through sweetness, and the basil brings an unexpected savoury lift. It is playful without being gimmicky, indulgent without tipping into excess.

More importantly, it captures what Soho does best. Dining that does not take itself too seriously, encourages conversation, and gives people something to talk about before they even leave the restaurant.

Everything You Need to Know

📍 27 Old Compton Street, Soho, London W1D

🗓 Available 14–20 February 2026

🍝 Chocolate Bucatini main course

💷 £12.50 per portion

‼️ Pre order required

Guests must pre order at least 72 hours in advance by booking a table and contacting the restaurant directly.

Valentine’s menus across London tend to blur into one another. Fixed price formulas, safe choices, predictable desserts. Chocolate Bucatini does the opposite.

It is unexpected. It is theatrical. And it feels exactly right for a city that thrives on bold ideas and late night conversations.

If love is about surprise, commitment and a little indulgence, Soho may have just plated it perfectly.