Little Social, 5 Pollen Street, London W1S 1NE

Little Social, 5 Pollen Street, London W1S 1NE

www.littlesocial.co.uk

29/03/2013

She said: Having visited the Pollen Street Social a year ago, when we heard a little sister restaurant had opened opposite we couldn’t resist. We were one of the first diners to arrive at Little Social, which is a nostalgic, intimate bistro with lots of dark wood, scene-setting music that created a sense of days gone by, mood lighting and retro framed posters on the wall. We were greeted and served by lots of friendly and attentive staff and you could tell the whole place had that newly-opened shine. I opted for the set menu for the starter and main and chose an a la carte dessert. The food, including the complimentary breads was heavenly – rich flavours and sensible portions. My tuna starter melted in my mouth and a main of ‘roasted gurnard, saffron mash, fennel, Cornish soup, aioli’ was a joy with every bite. I couldn’t resist the ‘Hot chocolate moelleaux, sea salt and almond ice cream’ to end with a hot cup of latte which was perfection. As the time passed, the restaurant became full, including people eating at the bar and the noise resonated around the restaurant making it difficult to hear him across the table – never mind the charming music that I had been enjoying when we first came in, so this probably isn’t the place for a business lunch unless you don’t want to hear what your colleagues have to say. With the prix fixe at £21 for two courses Little Social is a delight although between the two I would favour the big sister across the road.

He said: By contrast to the pared-down modernism of the original Social across the street, Little Social is like walking into Elton John’s closet: lots of colour and texture. But, unlike Elton’s frocks, Little Social is in the best possible taste. The decorative theme here is (kind of) French bistro, except the one that you hardly ever find – the one from your imagination where everything is just about perfect. As every curmudgeon will tell you, it was always better in the past, and Little Social’s retro-contemporary style succeeds instantly in creating that halcyon vibe of always having been there. It’s clear that Little Social was always all about capturing this feeling of cosy familiarity, and so the food itself is actually British; but with Atherton’s usual winning touch, leaving you thinking: `I know all this, but I never knew it could be this good’. The kitchen brings a freshness to these dishes which highlights why some things are classics and don’t go out of style. As a punter you also feel very good about yourself for having resisted the latest thing, like sous-vide wasabi-dusted  kohlrabi consommé, or whatever. My only gripe is that the room is actually very noisy when it’s full of understandably delighted diners. We got there early, possibly first -- those were true halcyon moments.