Wingmans — Restaurant in London

I had seen a number of reviews of the place and as a chicken wing connoisseur, I felt obliged to see what the fuss was about.

The reviews and records spoke for themselves, and thankfully they were taking walk-ins (as they take reservations and are booked in advance). I didn’t have to wait long and the establishment was adhering to social distancing and hygiene standards, which was great.

Now for juicy part: the award-winning wings I opted for were the buffalo sauce with blue cheese and bang coq (which is a Thai infusion). It was 8 wings per serving and as I’d had breakfast earlier, I went for the buffalo first. The wings were crispy, juicy, saucy and packed with the tang associated with the buffalo recipe. They were delicious and complimented well by the blue cheese. I felt I had some room for a few more wings so went for the bang coq, which essentially had a mix of honey, lime and sriracha. Again, the wings were super fresh, tasty and flavoursome, with the combinations working well. The wings were surprisingly light and had I not had breakfast, I could’ve devoured another 8 or 16.

I got some lemon and peach iced tea on the side, which was refreshing, light and nice. The staff were super friendly, approachable and attentive. I think that’s an underrated feature of customer service and they radiated wonderfully.

If you’re around London and fancy wings in particular, I would advise you check out Wingmans for the most supreme wings in town. They’ve plenty of other items on the menu and variations of wings, too, so I’ll be returning at some point (and to determine consistency). 9/10.

Update: went again - wings are great, but the burgers were really bad; flavour was excessive salt, the crunch was too firm and slashed the insides of my mouth, the meat:coating felt disproportionate, sauces were excessive and too much was happening. The burgers were a 3/10 and I would advise people to avoid them and focus on the wings (which was the speciality and outstanding items...

Wingmans Soho has great food, a nice relaxed atmosphere, and service that started off well but unfortunately, the experience ended on a very sour note.

Towards the end of our meal, a staff member accidentally knocked over an espresso martini, completely soaking my jeans. Accidents happen, but the handling was poor: there was no immediate apology, no real concern shown, and no replacement drink offered. The staff member simply disappeared and later returned with a small tissue and a late apology, which felt half-hearted.

When we asked for the manager, instead of addressing the situation properly, the waiter brought the bill and card machine. Eventually, a manager came over and offered £60 off a £150 bill. I explained that the situation was more serious than just a minor inconvenience as it wasn’t water, it was a sticky cocktail all over my clothes, meaning I'd have to deal with dry cleaning costs and a ruined Saturday night.

Rather than showing genuine empathy, the manager became defensive and said offering a bigger discount would come out of the staff’s salary, something that felt completely inappropriate to mention to a customer. When I suggested either comping the whole meal or at least offering 50% off to reflect the situation, he became aggressive, insisting the staff member would personally cover the difference from his own salary and it would not be fair. But it was fair for me to deal with sticky clothing for the night.

At no point did anyone properly own the mistake or offer a sincere apology. Instead, the focus was on minimizing the situation and rushing to settle the bill. Ultimately, the other diners with me, tired of the back and forth, paid under the reduced bill just to get out of there but it left a bad taste.

It wasn’t about the money it was about the way the whole incident was handled, which showed a real lack of care for their guests. A shame, because the food and atmosphere...

So I finally checked out Wingmen on Sunday — and as a true wing enthusiast, I was excited. The place was packed, but luckily we had a booking. The location in Soho is ideal, with outdoor seating that’s perfect for people-watching (prime London activity, let’s be real).

The menu is straightforward, which I appreciated — easy to scan, easy to order. For starters, we got the shrimp and tater tots. The tots were perfectly seasoned and crispy, and the shrimp? Delicious. But the real star was the lime chili sauce that came with it — honestly, I could have sipped it from a glass. So good.

Sadly, the drinks were underwhelming. I got one of the coolers, and it was a bit meh. Refreshing, sure, but definitely didn’t wow me.

Now for the wings — I had the Bangkok wings, which I was excited for, but they just weren’t it. Way too sweet and no spice whatsoever. I like a bit of heat with my wings, so this flavour wasn’t my match. But to be fair, the place was super busy and clearly loved, so I’m guessing I just didn’t pick the right one for me. I’d definitely go back to try a different flavour (I have my eye on the Buffalo next).

One odd thing — our bill came out really quickly, before we even asked for it, which made us feel a bit rushed. We were actually thinking of getting dessert or another drink, so that was a little disappointing. Maybe they had more bookings and needed the table, but still.

Would I go again? Perhaps. Would I try different wings? Absolutely. Would I order a pint and post up outside in the sun for some premium Soho people-watching? In a heartbeat.

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