Who wouldn't rather be in Nice than in grey old London? Happily Socca aims to transport you there, through food and design.
What do we need to know about Socca?
This is the much-anticipated new French bistro from Claude Bosi and Samyukta Nair. Bosi you'll know from his two Michelin-starred restaurant Bibendum. Nair is responsible for some of the buzziest restaurants in town at the moment including Koyn, MiMi MeiFair and Jamavar. If you find yourself in town, pining for the sunnier climes of the French Riviera, then lunch or dinner here should put you in mind of that part of the world.
Where is it?
You'll find it in a sunny corner spot on the intersection of South Audley Street and Adam's Row, one junction up from the other super hot Mayfair opening Mount St. Restaurant. The site used to be a Richoux back in the day and before that a bank which is probably why it has such fabulously high ceilings - it's quite a lovely space. As for getting there, it's probably closest to Bond Street tube.
Where's good to meet for a drink first?
Two easy recommendations around here would be either The Audley on the next corner or nip down the road to any one of The Connaught's superb drinking holes.
This is the Marguerite De La Riviera (Codigo blanco tequila, Farigoule liqueur de thym, pink grapefruit, lime, pink peppercorn agave nectar, £17) - a drink that will make you think it's summer already.
Where's the best place to sit?
The large booths to the right of the dining room as you go in are definitely the best (see the photo below - but we also liked the tables for two by the window too. If you're after a bit of privacy ask for a seat in the smaller dining room at the back.
Those booths to the right are your go-to spot.
So what kind of food is it?
Bosi and Nair firmly set out their stall as being a culinary love story to the food you'll find in the coastal towns of Marseilles, Cannes and Nice. It's a surprisingly extensive menu - there are three elements; raw, hors d'oeuvres and starters before you get to the pasta/rice and main sections. Plus there's a selection of 'Claude's Favourites' and some seasonal sides.
Here's what we had to give you a flavour of what to expect:
Langoustines with lemon and sunflower (£29) - quite the nicest raw fish dish we've had in ages. Deceptively simple but oh-so-delicious.
Socca (£9) - obviously we had to have the titular dish. These chickpea galettes are served with a very moreish aubergine tartinade.
Tarama topped with Cornish crab and cured egg yolk (£19.50) - swoonsome tarama, our only gripe would be it needed something (bread, crackers) to specifically go with it. You can ask for some focaccia or sourdough that does the rounds in the room, though.
Scottish lobster gnocchetti (£48) - there's no getting around the fact that this is a very spendy plate of pasta, but when the lobster is this good and the sauce this intense, it feels a bit churlish to gripe.
Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with Nicoise sauce (£79) - one of the most popular dishes being sent out on the day we popped in for lunch, this serves up to four people easily. Expect fall-off-the-bone meat and loads of amazing sauce.
As an aside, if you want to go full-on French then Claude's section is probably the part of the menu to focus on with dishes including tripe and cuttlefish gratin and Pied Paquets Marseillaise (that's sheep's feet to save you heading to Google Translate).
Room for dessert?
You should be wearing forgiving, stretchy clothing to ensure you can make it this far. The dessert menu is a fine one with everything from sweet chard pie to warm chocolate coulant on there. All are £12.
Here's what we went for:
Orange blossom madeleines with olive oil ice-cream - the one to order, as these are pitch-perfect madeleines.
Rhum Baba with Tropezienne cream and Yorkshire rhubarb - one of the booziest babas we've had recently and that is no bad thing.
Iced Menton lemon - a very, very posh version of the desserts you get in beachfront cafes.
What about drink?
This is where a relatively expensive meal is going to get even spendier. Sorry. But when it includes such delights as the Chablis 1er cru, Montmains, Domaine Jean Collet et Fils (£88) maybe it is worth pushing the boat out a bit. If you are wanting to keep things in check, there's a large selection of wines by the glass, starting at £10 for a glass of Gruner or Chianti.
Overall thoughts:
As we came out of Socca, one of the first places we passed was a shop selling multi-million pounds yachts - you are firmly in Mayfair here and the prices will reflect that. But when you can pop in to Socca for a glass of wine and a plate of amazing pasta for under £30 it can be done on a budget. Much better though to save up or go on someone else's expenses so you can properly enjoy the experience because the food here is spectacular and it's one of the loveliest-looking dining rooms to open in London in an age.
We're very jealous of the lucky W1 residents who'll quickly be making this their neighbourhood diner.
More about Socca
Where is it? 41 S Audley St, London W1K 2PS
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @soccabistro
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Socca. Prices are correct at the time of publication.
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