It’s Mayfair, but not as you know it. Socca is an intimate, characterful French restaurant plonked in the middle of London’s brashest, richest area. The white tablecloths, dinky back section, low-ish lighting and half curtains all quietly scream ‘east London Hinge-bait bistro’. But look a little closer and Socca is in fact Mayfair through and through.
The first clue is the clientele, obviously. I was fascinated by a lone diner to our left, dressed in a strappy white party dress, gazing into her iced amalfi lemon dessert. Not only did she not look any of the staff in the eye at any point, she also didn’t look at the bill before paying. And the bill at Socca is no joke. That’s the second clue. Everything costs a lot. A delicious-looking roast chicken for two is 56 quid. And I don’t want to be that guy but the mark up on the wine (tasty as it was) was audacious. The third clue that you’re in Mayfair is the bracing indifference with which you’re treated when you first arrive at the restaurant. If anything, that last one does make Socca more authentically French.
Exceptional cooking married with gratifyingly down-to-earth presentation
The food was, mostly, great. Our baked Atlantic prawns, luxuriating in the kind of deep, rich tomato bedding that I enjoy, were cooked to perfection. Cornish crab tarama, featuring cured egg yolk, was salty and silky, topped with shredded meat and strands of lightning-like preserved lemon. Spooning it up with the accompanying savoury wafer things was essentially an avant-garde chips-and-dip experience. Best of all were the half-dozen snails, served snug and piping hot in a satisfying ceramic receptacle. All of these dishes delivered. Exceptional cooking married with gratifyingly down-to-earth presentation.
Mains from the grill weren’t so punchy. The beef fillet was tasty, seared nicely, but slightly overcooked inside, not able to reach the transcendental meat experience its £50 price tag suggested. Lamb chops, seasoned with ras el hanout, were better: the balance between scorch-marked exterior and medium-rare pink achieved. In fairness the pasta dishes looked tremendous, and I felt an on-brand sense of broyer du noir as a steaming bowl of crab orecchiette passed our table. A smart tarte fine aux pommes with ice cream, ended the meal on a satisfying high note.
Socca’s fancified take on Cote d’Azur cookery is ideal if you work around Mayfair and get a hankering for a Bordeaux-and-banter-filled, long lunch. For those toiling away in less rarefied climes? More le bang for le buck required.
The vibe Arty, breezy bistro from Michelin-maestro Claude Bosi. With a good line in starters.
The food Very French, very nice, very expensive.
The drink A mostly French wine list, as well as a fun cocktail menu featuring seasonal specials.
Time Out tip The menu also has a charming seasonal special section. When we were there it was all about the truffles.