Hazlitt's

Right opposite Hazlitt's hotel is a very good restaurant called Arbutus. We had pre-booked at Le Café du Jardin before the ballet and a two-course meal was £13 a head – excellent value.

Hazlitt's is a little gem, reasonably priced for London and in an amazing position, just down the road from Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club at 47 Frith Street (+44 (0)20 7439 0747). The hotel is very rustic, with crooked floors and walls, due to its 300 years. It's clean and the staff are friendly but if you want all the mod cons, you may prefer to stay somewhere else. If it's a pleasant, quiet, reasonably priced night's stay in the heart of Soho that you're after, this could be the hotel for you. Had fab drinks in Cafe Boheme at 13-17 Old Compton Street (+44 (0)20 7734 0623) and a great meal at Mildreds Vegetarian Restaurant at 45 Lexington Street (+44 (0)20 7494 1634).

Literally just opposite the hotel in Frith Street is Arbutus, one of our very favourite restaurants - great food, top wine list (with the very clever idea of serving wine in small carafs so that you can try lots of different ones without having to order full bottles), good vibe and great value set-menu. They also do a theatre menu. And then you only have to stumble across the street into the wonderful Hazlitt's to sleep away your excesses!

We stayed at the Hazlitt's hotel for one night but wished we were staying longer! The room was very quirky and spotlessly clean; however, the best thing about this hotel was the fantastic location and faultless service. We shall definitely be returning!

Arbutus is a fantastic restaurant – the food was exceptional and the service also superb. Location-wise, it's bang opposite Hazlitt's, so you can just crawl across the street to bed with a full tum, or as we had to, go for a wee stroll around the block to digest!

This hotel hits the spot in so many ways. It is very comfortable, expertly manged and staffed as per the the Smiths' report. What makes it a winner is its postion. Being at the top of Frith Street just before Soho Square makes it ideal for Theatreland and Oxford Street without feeling too central. Returning from a performance of Peter Grimes at the Coliseum, I was filled with a touch of trepidation that the boisterous streetwalking of Soho's lower streets would make sleeping difficult, but Hazlitt's is just that little bit distant from the general hubbub and the cocktail bar across the street shuts at a friendly time for anyone staying in the front bedrooms – ours was Jonathan Swift. If I have one gripe it is the fact that breakfast is served in your bedroom, which is fine, but you have to make your choice the night before, and one person's midnight bacon ciabatta thoughts could easily turn to kedgeree by the morning. Across the road is a great restaurant, Arbutus, which does an excellent three-course pre- and post-theatre menu for £17.50 a head and the wines are sold by glass, carafe or bottle which is also an excellent idea if you dont want to get too soporific before you yawn at another musical trying its earnest best.

Simply the perfect location to explore the best of Soho, Covent Garden and the West End. Everything is within easy walking distance. Too many tips to mention but here's a very small sample:

Arbutus: Michelin-starred restaurant directly opposite Hazlitt's – five paces from the front door! Very reasonably priced – especially the pre-theatre dinner rates. Ideal to book in for dinner here then walk off the calories on the way to the theatre. As close to your room as any in-hotel restaurant would be, probably cheaper than many, and Michelin-starred!

Café Boheme: Two-minute walk from the hotel. Lovely relaxed post-theatre drinks venue. Busy, but if you can get yourself a perch at the bar next to the window you can chat to the bar staff, never queue for a drink, and watch the world go by outside as the theatre goers wander home, making way for the late night party people. Also for those who tend to drink up a hunger this bar does a late-night menu from midnight to around 2–3am. I had the steak and Roquefort baguette avec frites. Over-indulgent, not exactly sophisticated, but cooked to perfection and I've not come across anything else like it at 1am in the morning. Just what the doctor ordered.

Balans: The hotel recommends Balans as a great brunch venue – and it is. But note there are two, both on Old Compton Street. Go for the larger one which is west of Frith street, not the smaller, closer one which is east off Frith Street. The decor and atmosphere are much better in the larger one, and it has a more extensive menu too. The choice of food for brunch is fantastic, the quality of the food is great, and they serve late. It's also another great venue for people watching (so try to get a table at the edge with a seat facing inwards). We saw a few famous faces.

Just a couple of things to be aware of about this hotel:

Room service is limited to a selection of baguettes, which from what I can tell are made by whoever happens to be on reception at the time you order. I ordered the smoked salmon, caviar and crème fraîche baguette which arrived with about half a pound of crème fraîche in it, making it almost inedible!

No shower in our bathroom – just a big deep bath. Very nice but not so practical and might not suit everyone. I'm not sure what the bathrooms are like in other rooms so might be worth asking when you book.

Overall this was just a great experience. The hotel is as quirky as it's described and the location is better than you could imagine. Only once you get out and about do you fully appreciate how close everything is. I've lived in London and been out around the West End/Soho/Covent Garden many times, but staying here for a couple of days was a truly unique experience which allowed me to explore and appreciate this area of London more than I'd done in all previous visits put together.