Soif

The people who brought us the terrific Terroirs and brilliant Brawn restaurants continue their quest to promote natural wines with the opening of a third venture, Soif, in Battersea. Sister restaurant Soif, opened on Monday 21st November 2011, follows the same food philosophy as the original two restuarants set up by Ed Wilson and Oli Barker who specialise in "great food and great wine sourced with an eager eye for provenance". The focus is on hearty, simple and seasonal French food and wine which is natural, free of additives and bio-dynamic. As a result the menu at Soif changes daily depending on what's available at market that day. Typical dishes include charcuterie, beetroots with baked ricotta, scallops with lardo di colonnata and jugged hare, followed by bitter chocolate ganache with hazelnut cream. The wine list, a feature in itself, contains roughly 150 bins with up to 18 available by the glass. While Ed Wilson is the executive chef it is Colin Westal, formerly Rowley Leigh's head chef at Le Café Anglais who runs the Soif kitchen on a day-to-day basis. If the legion fans of Terroirs and Brawn are anything to go by, the 70-seater Soif is set to thrive on the busy Battersea Rise, south of the river.