The Best Butter Chicken in Soho
Butter chicken is the dish we are best known for, and we make it the way it deserves: slow, generous, and balanced, so the tomato, butter, and cream sit in harmony rather than competing. If you want the best butter chicken in Soho, you will find it at Saffron Soho on Old Compton Street, served from midday through to the early hours.
What Makes a Great Butter Chicken
Butter chicken lives or dies on its sauce. The foundation is a smooth tomato base, enriched with butter and cream, carried by a gentle, warming spice rather than heat.
The chicken matters just as much. It should be cooked in the tandoor first, so it carries a little smoke and char before it ever meets the sauce. That contrast, charred edges against a soft, rich gravy, is the whole point.
Balance is the hardest part to get right. Too much cream and the dish turns flat. Too much tomato and it sharpens. The version worth ordering holds the middle ground, rounded and mellow, with a quiet depth that keeps you going back for more.
How We Approach It at Saffron Soho
We treat butter chicken as a slow dish, not a quick one. The chicken is marinated and cooked in the tandoor, which gives it that smoky backbone before it is simmered into the sauce.
The sauce is built to be rich without being heavy. We lean on butter and cream for body, fresh tomato for brightness, and a measured hand with the spices so the flavour is comforting rather than fiery.
The result is mild by design. It is the curry we would happily put in front of someone trying Indian food for the first time, and equally the one a regular orders without looking at the menu.
Why It Is One of Our Signatures
Some dishes earn their place by being reliable, and butter chicken is one of ours. Alongside our Tandoori Lamb Chops and Seekh Kebab, it sits at the heart of what we do.
It travels well across the evening, too. Whether you arrive for an early dinner before the theatres or roll in close to last orders, the same care goes into every plate.
That consistency is the point. A signature dish is only worth the name if it is as good late at night as it is at half past six.
What to Eat Alongside It
Butter chicken wants something to soak up the sauce, and a few pairings do the job better than others:
- A plain or garlic naan, warm from the tandoor, for tearing and dipping
- Steamed or pilau rice to carry the gravy
- A sharper, drier dish on the side, such as a tandoori starter, to cut through the richness
If you are eating as a group, our Tandoori Lamb Chops and Seekh Kebab make natural partners. Their smoke and spice play off the mellow sweetness of the butter chicken without crowding it.
We also keep a wide vegetarian and vegan selection, clearly marked, along with gluten-free options. Butter chicken sits comfortably at the centre of a shared table, surrounded by dishes that suit everyone.
What to Drink With It
A rich, creamy curry calls for a drink that refreshes rather than competes. A cold lager is the classic choice, and for good reason: it resets the palate between mouthfuls.
From our full bar, a crisp white wine works nicely if you prefer wine, picking up the brightness in the tomato. If you would rather have a cocktail, choose something on the fresher, citrus-forward side to balance the cream.
The drink is yours to decide. The point is contrast, something clean against something rich, so each bite lands as well as the first.
Come and Try It
We serve the full menu straight through from midday, late into the night: until midnight, every night. The butter chicken is there whenever you are.
You will find us at 63 Old Compton Street, W1D 6HT, two minutes from the West End theatres and close to Leicester Square and Tottenham Court Road.
Book a table online or call us on 020 3941 9935, and come and find out why the butter chicken is the dish people come back for.
