London is home to some fine Basque cookery, so ALTA has a lot to do to make its mark. The restaurant has found a home amid Soho’s foodie epicentre, Kingly Court, in a mighty two-story space, with cracked, cave-like walls and burnt orange sofa seats. A giant open kitchen demands attention, where chef Rob Roy Cameron leads his army of cooks. One is commanding a live fire, while another takes kitchen tweezers to fresh herbs; all move in harmony, like a well-oiled machine. Just outside, a sea of al fresco punters are guzzling pints and scoffing pizzas, but ALTA feels a world away.
The menu dances across Northern Spain, taking cues from Basque pintxos bars and the Pyrenees. Fresh cockles are a convincing start: blanched in lemon water, anointed with parsley and coriander oil, with a slither of pickled red onion providing a slight yet satisfying crunch.
Science meets tradition in a quietly dazzling squid dish. The tentacles are flash-frozen, their fibres contracting into delicate, noodle-like curls, then draped with glassy ribbons of lardo. As you stir, a deep ruby Vizcaina sauce - made from roasted red peppers - reveals itself beneath, coating the squid in a glossy, savoury warmth that ties the whole thing together.
Everything so far has been impressively intricate, but a thick slab of crispy, tortilla-like potato proves ALTA is able to wear a more rustic hat too. A cylinder of bright green mojo verde butter melts away on top, filling the air with garlic. There’s something wonderfully primal about it all - simple cooking, classic flavours, perfectly judged.
The true test of any Basque restaurant is a burnt cheesecake, and ALTA has ambitiously named theirs after ‘La Vina’ - the birthplace of the original. Remarkably, it lives up to the name, with a perfectly gooey texture, gentle wobble and pear escabeche to cut through.
From toothpick-thin wine glasses, to perfectly presented plates, ALTA rarely puts a foot wrong. It’s still early days, but this slick Spanish spot clearly knows what it’s doing.