How often do diners – especially seasoned sceptics such as your reviewer – come out of restaurants truly wowed by a novel experience? It’s interesting that SOLA shares much in common with KOL (recently visited and similarly loved). Beyond both having short and memorable names – in the case of this venue’s, it is an abbreviated portmanteau of Soho and Los Angeles – each marries successfully high-end dining in an informal setting. Whereas KOL brings proper Mexican food to London for arguably the first time, SOLA does similar with Californian cuisine.
The background to the chef/patron at SOLA is a diverse one, but tells the story of what the venue is trying to achieve. Victor Garvey has spent time in the US, Spain, Japan and Denmark, working in some of the world’s top restaurants. SOLA is his second venture, after the successful tapas bar, Rambla, previously located on the same site. Whereas Rambla spoke strongly of Spain, the Californian ethos delivered at SOLA is quite explicitly one of fusion. The cooking embraces both Asian and Hispanic influences. It pushes boundaries successfully and SOLA’s offerings are all delivered with genuinely passionate enthusiasm. The dishes change three to four times a year depending on what’s seasonal and diners choose a set menu of either 4 or 8 courses.
Fish was the theme when my comrades and I dined. We were informed that the SOLA experience typically lasts around two hours, although some committed diners draw it out to comprise four. There would be every reason to relax in this venue with the mellow minimalist décor (think light wood and white) accompanied by some cool lighting and lots of greenery. There’s an open-kitchen at the back to watch the preparation in action for those interested. Onto the food and the story is all about impact: doing inventive things with all things pescine from both a taste and visual perspective. A trio labelled as ‘scombridae’ (blue fin fish such as mackerel or tuna) with which we all began was a hint of what was to come. Each offering was uniquely different; raw, cured and smoked. All were excellent. A tomato and caviar dish which followed next was somewhat more lacklustre, but more than offset by, arguably, the main event. Two of our group of three opted for the langoustine main. It is brought to the table, doused in alcohol, and then - like a Christmas pudding - set alight. The accompanying smoked quail egg was an inspired foil. Puddings deserve a mention too, particularly since none of our group has an especially sweet tooth. Both the current options – a take on lemon meringue or a chocolate, coffee and cream combination – were absolutely superb and left us wanting more.
We were also impressed with the wine list, which comprised almost exclusively American options. Even if it was not Californian, our Elk Cove Pinot Gris from Oregon was a great food match and not unreasonably priced either. Diners can though expect to see their wallets quite considerably lightened at SOLA (the cheaper of the two set menus costs £89), but it is worth almost every penny.