Soif

27 Battersea Rise, London

While I love both Brawn and Terroirs, Soif is my new favourite, and not just because it’s just around the corner from the Food and Travel offices. It doesn’t have the rawness of Brawn or the trendy clientele that comes from having an east London location; instead Soif has the relaxed and friendly feel of a locals’ restaurant but with the high standards befitting of the group that gave us Terroirs. Given its name (soif means thirsty), it’s of no surprise that wine’s a big deal here. The place is full of vinious paraphenalia, from portraits of wine heroes on the walls to glasses on the chandeliers, plus a list that would force a smile from the most hardcore oenophile. But, and this is the good bit, when the excellent Basile and his team give their spiel about a said wine selection, it’s done with a genuine passion that captivates, rather than forces a glaze to cross the eyes. I would suggest wines to opt for, but I think that’s best left to Basile. As for the food, the blackboard menu is packed with rustic Anglo-French gorgeousness and changes daily. The charcuterie is as good as you’d expect from a sibling of Terroirs, squid comes with black pudding so moist and delicious it’s like a piggy brownie and the rack of lamb is probably what sheep were invented for. AM.