Onin.London Visits Bantof
Before Friday I had been to Soho’s modern European restaurant with a difference, Bantof(www.bantof.com) for wine but hadn’t gotten a chance to try the food or cocktails. So Friday’s sunny weather was the perfect opportunity to visit Bantof and sit outside in their beautiful terrace.
The beautiful and intimate restaurant is situated in the very heart of Soho’s bustling lanes but doesn’t feel like you’re a stones through away from Piccadilly Circus and the rest of tourist central. It really is a lovely little hidden gem in the heart of Soho.
Director, Endri Hoxha has carefully curated Bantof’s design, interior and experience to create a warm and intimate environment for its guests. It really is a beautiful bar and restaurant.
Sitting outside, we were treated to the cocktails developed by the Bantof’s talented mixologists. There’s the unique and imaginative Soho Stories cocktail menu alongside its classic cocktails. The Doublewood Old Fashioned and the Fair Mary, their take on the Bloody Mary were fab.
The Soho Stories cocktail series was created with the district’s vibrant and eclectic history in mind. Bantof teamed up with SuperNacular – an agency focusing on the future of fine drinking – to make the novel cocktail collection which showcases the richly diverse characters and personalities of Soho. Options include Viper, inspired by rock & roll legend Rare Du Val, this cocktail uses espresso coffee, fig leaf vodka, olive caramel, CBD and lemon for a highball classic with a floral, earthy twist. Alternatively, Up Market enlists the help of beurre noisette Cognac, banana skin wine, Verjus, and Lillet Blanc to create a stiff, boozy and aromatic serve inspired by the scent and flavours of Berwick Street Market.
Bantof also has an extensive wine list and it’s one of the reasons Onin.London love this place.
Moving onto the food, the all-day menu has a host of simple and sumptuous dishes and a diverse offering to match the location and clientele. The Mediterranean menu is crafted using seasonal, locally sourced produce, in line with the restaurant’s sustainability mission.
To start we enjoyed the Beef Carpaccio with parmesan dressing and celery; Octopus with fava puree, caper jam and herb oil and the deliciously simple but stunning Strawberry Salad.
Mains, we couldn’t resist the Sea Bass and Chicken Supreme. Both were delicious, fresh and full of flavour.
Now those that know me know I’m not a huge dessert fan, I’d rather more starters but we were told we’d regret not trying the Triple Chocolate Mousse… they weren’t wrong! It was delicious and if it wouldn’t have been uncouth, we would have liked our plates clean.
Overall we throughly enjoyed our experience at Bantof. It’s a great place for a business lunch, after work drinks or a pre-theatre dinner. You won’t regret popping in.
Opening Hours:
Monday – closed
Tuesday to Saturday – 10:00 am to 12:30 am
Sunday – 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Bantof
Website: https://bantof.com/
Instagram: @bantof_soho
