Carnaby Street Eat turned a shortcut through Soho into an unexpected lunch stop. I was heading towards Oxford Circus when I found live music, outdoor food stalls and a dining table that seemed to run the length of Carnaby Street. This July 2016 film follows a quick look around the festival, a bacon cheeseburger from The Diner and a visit to Kingly Court.
From the Roberts London archive: Street Eat took place on 23 July 2016, and the original video was published on 27 July. The event details and prices below belong to that visit.
Finding Carnaby Street Eat by accident
The film opens with a performance outside the Cahoots stall. A small crowd has gathered around the singers, with flags and a green canopy framing the scene. It is a lively introduction to an event I had not planned to visit.
I had chosen Carnaby Street to avoid Regent Street on my way to Oxford Circus. Instead, I walked straight into a food festival. I had already filmed two vlogs that day and the camera battery was running low, but lunch was a good reason to stay a little longer.
Food stalls on Ganton Street
The original event description announced more than 30 food stalls and trucks, with over 20 cuisines represented by local restaurants, bars and cafés. Street Eat ran from noon until 5pm, with free entry and £5 tasting dishes. Those are the 2016 event details, rather than present-day prices or opening times.
On this walk, I turn towards Ganton Street to see what is cooking. Restaurants have set up stalls outside, while shops are taking part with food offers and pop-ups. The familiar hanging light bulbs above the street provide another landmark as I look for lunch.
A bacon cheeseburger from The Diner
My choice is straightforward: a bacon cheeseburger from The Diner. The cooks are preparing food at the outdoor stall, and the camera catches the busy counter before I take my burger away in a paper tray.
I eat it standing outside, with the restaurant sign behind me. Service is quick because the team is already cooking batches for the festival crowd. It is a brief lunch stop that fits the spontaneous nature of the visit: choose something that looks good, eat, then carry on exploring.
Long tables and street performances
Back on Carnaby Street, the shared dining tables are one of the most striking parts of the event. People sit shoulder to shoulder along the street while others walk between the stalls, shops and performances. The festival makes the outdoor space feel like one long dining room.
There is more to see than food. Performers draw small crowds near the Kingly Court entrance, and music accompanies the walk. The film pauses to watch before continuing through the neighbourhood.
Inside Kingly Court
I also step into Kingly Court. From the street, its entrance gives little away; inside, restaurants and bars occupy three levels around the courtyard. Looking upwards, the camera takes in balconies, greenery and open summer sky.
This is a short look around, rather than a second meal. For a longer visit from the same year, including tea, gyoza and ramen, see my Carnaby Street and Shoryu Ramen archive. You can also follow another summer outing in the Regent Street Garden Party film.
Watch the original Street Eat film
The eight-and-a-half-minute film captures this unplanned detour, from the opening performance to lunch and Kingly Court. By the end, I am back where the diversion began, with more activity still taking place beneath the Carnaby Street sign.
