Soif
French
27 Battersea Rise, London SW11 1HG
£££
Soif labels itself as “a neighbourhood bar and bistro, bursting with character and atmosphere.” It definitely has a neighbourhood feel about it, much like La Bonne Heure on Abbeville Road before it closed down, however, there wasn’t any atmosphere on our arrival at 6:30pm on a Wednesday - we were the only ones there. Staff were friendly, and the place soon filled up, with a number of tables being filled every time I turned around, until around 8pm, when the restaurant was practically full.
I was pretty shocked by the wine list prices, the cheapest coming in at £31 for a 2018 Malbec. Soif only stocks organic and small wine producers, which is a nice touch, however, if some of the bigger dogs were offered for a slightly cheaper price then I’m sure it would be appreciated by a number of their diners. What I wasn’t aware of before we dined was that there is a BYOB policy, although the corkage fee is an astonishing £20 per bottle and they ask you to abide by their rules of small/natural/biodynamic producers. The Malbec we had arrived far too cold for a red and was incredibly bitter and dry. It levelled out during the course of the meal once it has got some air, but I still didn’t really like it - it was the closest I've ever been to sending a bottle back.
We decided to focus on the small plates and not get any mains. We went for the Duck Rillettes, Burrata, Venison Pate, Tenderstem Broccoli with Anchovies, and a kind of Black Pudding Tortilla (all ranging from £9-£12). My favourite dish was surprisingly the Tenderstem Broccoli: a fresh and tart contrast to its incredibly rich counterparts, laced with super salty anchovies and sprinkled with chilli – just lovely. Burrata is always delicious, and this one was served with cime de rapa, chilli and lemon which was a combination I hadn't tried before. We had some tasty sourdough on the side, which came with the Duck, and served us well also to mop up the creamy deliciousness of the cheese.
The other dishes were a bit disappointing. The duck rillettes were too heavy for my liking, and arrived first which didn’t set us up in the best way for the rest of the meal. The venison pate was of a similar nature, but was preferable to the duck and if I could choose again I would have got this alone. Honestly, the tortilla was overly greasy and lacking in any distinctive flavour, which was surprising given that black pudding is usually a pretty bold choice. We finished the meal with a simple crème brulee, which had a really dense sugar crust and thick and sticky interior. It didn’t taste or feel like it was freshly made, instead felt as though it had been sitting in a fridge for a while.
Overall, Soif has a nice and intimate feel to it, despite being positioned on a pretty main road. The wine in my opinion is a little overpriced, but pretty essential with a French meal so is a necessary evil. The small plates I ate were seriously rich, so I would advise going for the original options which pair traditional dishes with unusual flavours, and to maybe try out the mains which seem a little more balanced. Will I be back? Probably not. This place isn't a patch on the legacy La Bonne Heure left for French dining in the Clapham area.
OVERLL RATING: ***
https://www.soif.co/
