On a wet December night in 2016, Roberts London walked through Soho to Broadwick Street in search of one of the richest hot chocolates in London. The destination was SAID dal 1923, an Italian chocolate shop and café whose illuminated frontage carried the words Antica Fabbrica del Cioccolato Roma.

SAID traced its story to Rome in 1923. Its Soho branch brought that Italian chocolate-making identity to 41 Broadwick Street, close to Carnaby Street and Oxford Circus. In the film, the small café is already busy despite the late hour, with customers gathered around its tables and chocolate filling almost every available display.

Inside SAID dal 1923 in Soho

The interior had the character of a workshop and café combined. Dark shelves held boxes, jars and bars, while the counter displayed rows of truffles and other small chocolates. The walls and serving area were deliberately busy, reinforcing the sense that chocolate was not simply one menu item but the entire reason for the place.

SAID became especially well known in London for its hot chocolate. This was not the light cocoa drink familiar from many cafés. It was dense, glossy and intensely flavoured, closer to melted chocolate served in a cup. The takeaway version filmed here was thick enough to demand slow drinking, particularly while walking through the cold streets outside.

The café atmosphere was part of the experience. Tables were close together, the lighting was low and the chocolate displays surrounded the seating area. It felt more like a Roman chocolate shop transplanted into Soho than a polished London chain. That slightly crowded intimacy suited Broadwick Street, where restaurants, bars and independent businesses sat within a short walk of the West End’s larger shops.

A hot chocolate for a Soho night walk

Back on the pavement, the drink became the centre of the film. The first taste confirms its extraordinary richness: powerful chocolate, substantial texture and enough sweetness to work as a dessert rather than an ordinary refreshment. A small takeaway cup was more than sufficient.

The walk continues through central Soho beneath blue Christmas lights. In December 2016 the combination was particularly effective: cold air, wet streets, seasonal illumination and a cup of hot chocolate that remained warm while the surrounding West End prepared for Christmas.

A record of the original Soho café

The original SAID name is no longer present in London, making this short film more than a simple café review. It records the Broadwick Street shop while it still operated as SAID dal 1923, complete with its Roman factory lettering, chocolate counter and distinctive dark interior.

Filmed and first published on 13 December 2016, this Roberts London archive visit preserves a small part of Soho’s changing hospitality landscape—and the memory of an unusually serious cup of hot chocolate.