Social Eating House

The Social Eating House in the SoHo area of London is a Michelin star bistro that serves elegant food in a rustic setting with exposed brick walls, traditional white-washed copper ceilings and weathered leather banquette seats, complemented by key pieces of restored furniture.

We dined here for our first night in London, and was surprised to see such a buzzing atmosphere.  The atmosphere was thick with the current London vibe and the menu choices spoke to that.  Keith ordered a local lager called The Subtle Fox.  It was very light and crisp.

To start, I chose the Salt-baked Jerusalem Artichoke with Iberico de Bellota, Arlington white egg, Langres, barbucine, and Spring truffle.  The star was the beautiful soft-boiled egg in the center.  When I cut into it, the golden center contrasted with the crispy vegetables and salty ham.  The shavings of truffles only added to the decadence of this dish.

Keith started with a more refined Foie Gras with Lima beans, wild rice, and dashi.  It had lots of umami, especially with the broth.

For my main dish, I ordered the Roasted Cod with mushroom ravioli, sage, and truffle velouté.  The fish was a bit under cooked to my liking, but it was a solid meaty piece, and the ravioli was delicate.

Keith enjoyed the Braised Lamb with Haggis sauce, sweet potato puree, mashed potatoes, cream, and fried broccoli.  The meat was not as tender as expected, but it went well with the combination of all the ingredients.  Keith is not really a fan of sweet potato, but enjoyed this version.

Overall, we had a nice first meal in London. Our expectations were a bit high going in, with the Michelin rating.  However, I liked the local vibe of the restaurant, which reminded me of many of our favorite local spots back home in DC.  It offers a nice change of pace from the typical London pubs.  The menu changes very often, and there is a chef's table experience available downstairs.

Total Rating: 4.05
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 4, Accessibility: 5