Soho’s Wildest Birthday Party Involves 100 Free Portions of Negroni Pasta

There are restaurant birthdays. And then there is this.

On 16 March, 27 Old Compton Street will celebrate turning one by giving away 100 free portions of its most divisive creation: Negroni Spaghetti. No booking link. No QR code maze. Just show up between 12 and 1:30pm and hope you’re early enough.

The dish normally sits at £19.90. For ninety minutes, it will cost nothing.

Pasta Meets Aperitivo

The Negroni Spaghetti is not subtle. It takes the holy trinity of the classic cocktail — gin, Campari and sweet vermouth — and folds them into a glossy, bittersweet sauce tossed through al dente spaghetti. Mascarpone softens the edges, bringing a velvety richness that reins in the botanicals without dulling them.

Finished with Parmesan and a slice of dried orange, it is sharp, herbal, citrus-led and just boozy enough to make you double-check what you are eating. It sounds chaotic. It tastes strangely convincing.

Chef and owner Nima Safaei, the force behind this restaurant as well as 40 Dean Street and 64 Old Compton Street, describes the idea simply: take one of the world’s most iconic aperitivos and turn it into something you can twirl on a fork.

It is the kind of logic that either ends in disaster or becomes legend. In Soho, legend tends to win.

First Come, First Served

From midday, the first 100 people through the door will receive a hot portion to take away. When the pots are empty, that is it. No substitutions. No rain checks. Follow the restaurant on Instagram and join the queue.

Expect citrus in the air. Expect raised eyebrows. Expect a line that looks more like a limited sneaker drop than a Monday lunch.

For a restaurant born from the overflow demand of 40 Dean Street, the stunt feels on brand. Handmade pasta, warm service, and seasonal moments that London talks about long after the plates are cleared.

One year in, 27 Old Compton Street is not playing it safe.

And for 100 people, lunch is on the house.