Ducksoup
JUST FABULOUS, DAAHLING
We’re tourists for the day in Soho, for a matinee performance of A Little Life. It’s for my wife’s Christmas present… two tickets to a play of her choice. She’s a regular theatre goer—often without me—so I’m very clear; she doesn’t have to take me, although I do come with train tickets and dinner thrown in too.
I’ve been torn between trying somewhere new or just booking somewhere we know and love i.e. those pinned on Soho classics… Bocca di Lupo or Barrafina. But after a bit of research, I’m confident giving this place the nod, with its daily changing, Italian influenced menu making all the right noises and all the evidence to back it up on Instagram.
Ducksoup main bar
The only option was bar seating at 5.30 which is perfect for us, although on arrival, there are just two other diners occupying one of three tables and empty seating for sixteen around the bar. There are three blackboards with extensive lists covering bottles of white, red, rose and sparkling with about ten wines available by the glass. It’s got the feel as much of a wine bar that does food as it does the other way around.
Ducksoup menu 27/04/23
It’s recommended to go for a sharing plates approach and advice is three small and one large between us. We’re struggling to get anywhere near narrowing down our options, changing our minds one way then the next. Our waiter remains good humoured and demonstrates more patience than a dementia nurse, although he’s largely to blame as it’s his enthusiastic explanations of each dish that force the rethink of our original selections.
Bread & butter
We finally commit our choices at the third attempt, to which we add a side of bread, having seen it being sliced right in front of us… generous slabs of open crust wholemeal with blackened crust, served with a few big scrapes of room temperature butter. Then, just as he leaves but still within earshot, I commit to a further side of deep-fried Cornish mids with aioli. I know I would never forgive myself if I didn’t, even if that means doubling up on the carbs.
Ducksoup - ground floor
By six o’clock, the atmosphere in the room is fully charged with all seats now occupied. A vinyl record deck spins the George Michael ‘Faith’ album—customers can select what’s playing if they so wish—and it feels like the evening is in full swing and already much later than it is.
La Boheme ,Melon de Bourgogne, Loire
I’ve eased in with a sublime white vermouth—Chinati Vergano—with a twist of zest and we’re now into a bottle of 'La Bohème' Melon de Bourgogne. I’m not always convinced by natural, low-intervention, biodynamic wines but this is as fabulous a Muscadet as I’ve ever tasted, with fruit and texture in abundance.
Spring vegetable fritters, isot chilli yoghurt & preserved lemon
Spring vegetable fritters feature green beans, spring greens and huge chunks of courgette clumped and held together by a fabulous brittle, crunchy batter. Strips of preserved lemon provide both tart acidity and salty tanginess and a dollop of yoghurt topped with a dusting of isot chilli provides a lick of smoky spiciness. I really couldn’t be more grateful to anyone than I am, right now, to our waiter for suggesting we try this.
Courgette agrodolce, burrata, golden raisins & hazelnut
Next up is burrata, although the dish’s real star is the slow roasted, yellow courgette with an agrodolce sauce, supported by plump golden raisins and chopped hazelnut. The bread gets a hammering with the creamy burrata innards combining with the sweet and sour sauce, more isot chilli dust and a drizzle of grassy, peppery oil.
Spelt fettucine, pork ragu bianco & parmesan
Freshly made fettucine with a pork ragù bianco is a pure laser guided hit on my pleasure receptors. Under a heavy coating of Parmesan are slow cooked nuggets of mince with lemon and fennel in the mix. The bread gets a further hammering and my vigorous mopping threatens to take the enamel off the plate.
The plates have been perfectly paced, so we’re eating one at a time, but we’re out of booze, so I order a couple of reds by the glass to see us through to the end. Already full after three generously portioned ‘small plates’, the arrival of our ‘large plate’ of rare lamb neck fillet looks terrifyingly huge, as indeed does the bowl of deep-fried Cornish mids, which lands at the same time.
Rare lamb, lentils, olives & asparagus
The lamb neck fillet has been flash grilled and is pretty much just seared, so it’s gorgeously pink and tender, with its juices running into the bed of creamy lentils with perfect bite. Delicately sweet and grassy, early season asparagus and salinity from olives pushes it forward as dish of the day with or without the crispy skinned Cornish mids and their ‘flesh’ that’s the texture of butter with a perfectly timed dollop of aioli.
Deep fried Cornish mids & aioli
The only disappointment is realising an hour and a half has already passed and the window of opportunity to think about dessert is now a straight forward yes or no decision. Despite having already pushed myself to my explosion point, I know if I look at the menu I’ll order something and there’ll be little time to savour it… besides we still have a mini pile of leftovers that will take some effort to finish in the remaining fifteen minutes.
By the time we’re brought the bill, the entrance is filling with the next wave of diners and it feels like there’s a collective reluctance to leave, such is the magic of the place. When I look at the bill (£165.94) I find myself nodding approvingly (£76.50 drinks / £71 food / £18.44 12.5% service charge).
It's the second year of the theatre ticket present and it already feels like a nascent tradition. Ducksoup has also joined Bocca di Lupo and Barrafina on the all time Soho favourites list.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 10/10
41 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 4PY
