Sola
Soho, London
*Sola has re-opened following a period of refurbishment. New features include more covers in the main restaurant and a lounge/private dining room downstairs. Watch for a new review coming soon.*
The low-key, plain glass frontage to this small Soho restaurant – not to mention its bland interior – offers little clue to the bright and startling things going on in the open-to-view kitchen. Central to the operation is a nine-course tasting menu (a truncated version is offered at lunch), with dishes built around an inventory of modish and/or luxury ingredients: foie gras, girolles, dashi and truffles, as well as more prosaic beetroot and avocado. Victor Garvey’s cooking has a Californian tilt, executed with a light touch and an eye for detail. There's a seductive, discreet richness to the flurry of canapés (a tiny, friable tartlet filled with foie gras and loaded with finely grated truffle; a mini taco of beef tartare topped with beluga caviar), while a pair of raw langoustines, theatrically served and flamed at table, alongside a wild mushroom and foie gras dumpling in a ginger dashi broth is a very grown-up combination. And then there’s the textural pleasure of delicate tuna tartare served beside a small square of the raw loin, offset by silky avocado ice cream and a burnt leek and tapioca broth flavoured with furikake (a salty Japanese seasoning). Chocolate seems to be a kitchen favourite: it provided a spectacular finale at the next table during our visit, but we loved the ever-so-light blood orange/citrus riff incorporating olive oil, sake kasu and honey. The final tally is almost unavoidably high – and the brilliant all-American wine list has something to do with it. We drank an exceptional Oregon Pinot Noir and there are good examples from New York State, but the list is a model of composition for its Californian choices – although prices quickly tower skywards.
Dining Information:
Dog friendly, Credit card required
020 3730 7883
