Sofra so good

Shepherd’s Market in Mayfair is one of the most charming places in the capital.  It’s totally unique.

By contrast, Turkish resto Sofra, has a number of branches across London.  My myopic view of restaurant chains is that they totally lack flair and employ cooks rather than chefs to dish out someone else’s imagination…poorly.

So when invited to Sofra (Mayfair) I attended with some trepidation, that turned out to be totally unwarranted.

First glance was at the wine list where I was only partially shocked to see the ubiquitous (my God! I really do see it on every other wine list!) Sancerre Les Collinettes, albeit at a fairly reasonable (for Mayfair) £28.50.  I plumped for the Chilean Casa la Joya 2006 Sauvignon Blanc at a reasonable £10.75 for a half bottle.  This typical South American Sauvignon went perfectly with the food and did not overpower it.

The real star of the show was not the wine.  I ordered the “Healthy Meal” set menu at £8.95 (£10.95 in the evening) and was presented with a cacophony of gorgeous flavours.  Tabbouleh, Kofte, skewered lamb and chicken, Falafel, Kisir, Imam Bayildi to name just a few dishes.  I am no expert on Turkish food but if this is healthy eating bring it on!

At a total lunchtime price of £54 for 3 people including service I don’t think you will find better value in Mayfair.

Sofra, 18 Shepherd Street, Mayfair, London W1Y 7HU.  +44 (0) 20 7493 3320.  www.sofra.co.uk/SofraMayfairIndex.html

2 Responses to “Sofra so good”

  1. Ms. Q Says:

    Am I missing something? I am sure I’m missing something here since you filed this under “South Africa” and I’m not seeing what’s South African here…I realize that as an American, I’m supposed to be bad at geography (I am) but I really am lost here…

    I’m asking because I’m a big fan of South Africa (well, the Western Cape) as well as the wines there so I had to check out your posts on South Africa!

  2. Alastair Bathgate Says:

    D’Oh! Should have been South America. Hey I’m entitled to an odd mistake being an amateur, and a wino to boot.
    I’ll change it now.

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