Soiree serves a mix of popular dishes in salon-like interior
I knew from experience that on Monday nights restaurants are usually quite empty, and therefore when planning to visit one of them there is no need whatsoever to make a reservation. However, the moment we entered Soiree I realized I couldn’t be more wrong – the place was alive with conversation and most of the tables looked taken. I had already started to fear we might have to leave with nothing when the hostess did manage to seat us – at a small table squeezed into the small space between two walls – we were seated side by side, facing the wall with the window to our right. Someone claustrophobic might not stay there long, besides with every other passerby throwing glances at us through the glass we felt like fish in an aquarium. Still, the general coziness of the place probably worked positively on me, as I soon felt quite comfortable.
Soiree appeared to be something of a lounge restaurant, and probably best suited as a pre- or after-party place – it’s open 24 hours for a reason. The restaurant was designed like a salon or a fashionable living room, its Frenchness enhanced by numerous photographs on the brick walls depicting the Eiffel Tower, old Parisian landscapes, antique buses and machines. The ceiling was an ancient map of Paris, with a big neon-green chandelier hanging in the middle, providing just enough lighting to create a real evening-like atmosphere. Low arm-chairs and couches completed its relaxing ambience.
The menu at Soiree indeed proved it was a restaurant and not a cafe, which it might appear to be. In an attempt to suit everyone, the menu presents an optimal set of dishes – from Ukrainian zrazy and red borscht to foie gras and frogs’ legs. There is a decent selection of soups, grilled fish, a collection of cheeses, a page dedicated to vegetarian dishes, plus separate sushi and breakfast menus. At last we made our choices, and while sipping on aperitifs – my friend got a glass of champagne, while I was having mulled wine (Hr 32) – we leaned back in our armchairs and tried to relax after a tiresome working day, which Monday always is. One drawback that I could immediately observe was that tables for the most part stood really close together, and perhaps it went in line with the salon style of Soiree, but could be fine only if your neighbor’s behavior wasn’t disturbing. Unfortunately, the neighbor we had was just the opposite – whenever my friend and I stopped talking, and even if we were, there was no way to drown out the voice of the lady seated to my left. Though I didn’t wish it at all, in half an hour I already knew all the harsh truth about her personal life, which she was loudly confiding to her companion. If I was a psychologist I already had enough material to advise her how to turn her life around. Though the only major advice I could give her at the time would be to take it easy and shut up, but no hope – she was there when we came and continued babbling away as we left two hours later.
Still nothing could distract you better than good food, especially if you were hungry, and when our entrees arrived at the table, I was anxious to start. I was having spinach cream-soup (Hr 32) and it really looked like one – very green with red caviar on toast floating in the middle (it actually said “toasts” on the menu, but oh well…). A proper vegetarian serving, it tasted just as it looked – very green, hot and creamy. My friend was having a salad of mixed lettuce and cherry tomatoes with goose fillet, seasoned with wine sauce (Hr 52). The dish was included in the “Big Salads” section of the menu and was indeed considerably sized. My friend complained that it lacked salt, and used the salt shaker to improve things, while I, upon trying it, thought it wasn’t necessary – after all goose fillet went perfectly with sweet sauces.
I had just finished my soup and my friend was still coping with her big salad, when the second courses were served – this wasn’t exactly suitable, especially in my friend’s case, but I noticed that at many restaurants waiters don’t seem to follow the etiquette of serving courses accurately, so it wasn’t uncommon.
My ossobuco (Hr 85) was served under some sauce which had nothing extraordinary about it and the meat itself tasted like nicely stewed veal, while the mashed potatoes served with it (Hr 15) were of the most common kind. My friend, on the other hand, obviously made a much better choice – at least for my taste – with her fish enveloped in pastry (Hr 65). Bits of salmon baked with tomatoes and cheese in layered pasty was a quite simple and delicious dish – a wonderful fish pie.
After the plates were cleared we sat awhile, talking, and finally ventured to order a cheesecake (Hr 20) to share – not because we were hungry, but because we didn’t want to miss a chance to contribute to our search for the best cheesecake in town. The one we were served at Soiree was basically a baked cottage cheese pudding generously sauced with strawberry jam. A bit disappointed we still ate most of it and hurried away – it was around 11 p.m. and perhaps the night was still young at Soiree, but we both had work the following day.
Soiree (11 Artema, 272-1079). Open 24 hours
English menu: Yes
English-speaking staff: Yes
Average meal: Hr 150
