Pho Pham is a small, no-frills Vietnamese eatery tucked away on Manette Street in Soho, and while the pho and banh mi are both properly good, it’s the bun (vermicelli noodles) with pork and spring rolls that keeps us coming back.
Manette Street is the kind of narrow Soho cut-through most people walk straight past on their way between Charing Cross Road and Greek Street, and Pho Pham’s lime-green shopfront blends into it rather than shouting for attention – there’s no polished branding or queue barrier outside, just a laminated menu in the window and an open door. Inside, it’s tiny: a handful of tables, shared seating when it’s busy, paper napkins, and an open kitchen doing all the work in full view. It’s popular with people who already know it’s there, which means it fills up fast at lunch and dinner – get there early, or be ready to wait, if you want a table to yourself.
The pho and banh mi hold their own, too
It would be easy for a menu this size to spread itself thin, but the two dishes most people come in for on name recognition alone are both properly done. The pho arrives with a broth that’s clearly been given the time it needs, fragrant rather than watery, with the fresh herbs and bean sprouts served on the side so you can build the bowl exactly the way you want it. The banh mi is a good, honest version of the sandwich too: a crusty baguette that still shatters rather than going soft, packed with pickled carrot and daikon, coriander, and enough filling that it doesn’t collapse halfway through. Either would be a perfectly good reason to stop in on its own.
The bun cha gio is the order
The dish we order every single time is the bun – vermicelli noodles with grilled pork and crispy pork spring rolls (cha gio). It arrives loaded with pickled carrot, shredded lettuce and crispy shallots, silky noodles underneath all of it, with a small bowl of nuoc cham on the side for pouring over. What makes it work is the contrast: hearty, savoury grilled pork and noodles against the crunch of a properly crisp spring roll, cut through by the sharp-sweet dipping sauce. It’s a simple dish done with real care, generous rather than dainty, and it’s the reason we keep going back rather than working through the rest of the menu.
No frills, and no need for any
There’s nothing designed about Pho Pham, and that’s clearly the point. It isn’t trying to be a destination restaurant or an Instagram moment, it’s a genuinely authentic, family-run kind of spot doing a handful of dishes very well, at prices that make it an easy weekday habit rather than an occasion. Turnover is quick once you’re seated, service is friendly but no-nonsense, and nobody’s going to mind if you’re in and out inside half an hour.
The verdict: Pho Pham isn’t trying to be anything other than what it is – a small, genuinely authentic Vietnamese street food spot doing a handful of dishes very well. There’s no reservations system, no polish, and no need for either. It’s the kind of place you find once and then keep going back to, and the bun cha gio alone is worth seeking out Manette Street for.
Rating: 5/5
Need to know
- Address: 16 Manette Street, Soho, London W1D 4AR
- Nearest station: Tottenham Court Road (3-minute walk)
- Opening hours: Mon–Sat 12pm–11pm, Sun 1pm–10pm
- Price: £ (mains roughly £8–£13, cash and card accepted)
- Booking: Walk-ins only – get there early, especially at lunch and dinner peaks
“A tiny, genuinely authentic Vietnamese spot with no frills and no bookings — the bun cha gio alone is worth seeking out.”
