Nessa

Sitting proudly on the corner of Brewer Street and Warwick Street, Nessa has nabbed a prime bit of Soho real estate. Al fresco pavement tables under striped green awnings will be in high demand when warmer months come around, but that’s just one aspect of Nessa’s multifaceted appeal, which also includes a stylish bar and restaurant, with all the food looked after by one-time Duck & Waffle head chef Tom Cenci.

It’s clear that a good amount of money has been spent doing up the whole place, and design-wise they’ve done a bang-up job. Nessa has a smooth, understated art deco charm about it - the bar is decked out in woodland tones of forest green and dark timber, whilst comfy armchairs provide a place to slump with a cocktail and a snack. Make your way around the bar and you’ll find the dining room, where brushed oak and Carrara marble interweave around the fixtures and furnishings of the restaurant.

It’s a great vibe - intimate but easy-going - and Cenci’s elegant but unfussy food settles perfectly within that atmosphere. Take for example the black pudding brioche, which is fast becoming a Nessa signature; a thick, burnished slice of brioche toast comes with a central core of black pudding, swimming in a puddle of brown butter. And that’s it, really - there’s a confidence in the dish that requires no embellishment, and it’s absolutely delicious.

We can wax lyrical about more of the menu, whether it’s the celeriac carbonara with golden confit egg yolk, dainty parcels of spiced bulgur wheat wrapped in savoy cabbage leaves, or soft leek hearts, cooked over coals and dressed over creamy almond ricotta. The cocktail list is compact but excellent, and dare we say, the food is actually surprisingly good value too. Staff are perhaps a little green and over-eager to remove plates, but with a little more time Nessa looks firmly on track to become one of Soho’s most reliable all-day spots.

After making a name for himself at Duck & Waffle, and then the excellent Loyal Tavern on Bermondsey Street, Tom Cenci is back cooking in London at Nessa - a British bistro on the ground floor of Soho members' club 1 Warwick. Cenci's cooking has been typically modern British in the past - it was his contemporary style that helped to make Duck & Waffle a household name in its early days - and Nessa champions the same seasonal British sensibilities. Nessa's menu combines seasonal British produce with international inspiration to create dishes that present British cuisine in an inventive, modern light.

Meanwhile, Nessa itself is relaxed and informal, despite it's members' club location, and it sits on the corner of Brewer Street and Warwick Street, making this a perfect spot to enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat and watch Soho life go by. The restaurant itself - and indeed the members club above - take lots of inspiration from the history of Soho itself, with decor and artwork that draws on the work of Bohemian artists and influence also taken from the eclectic Soho establishments of years gone by.

As for the building itself, this renovated 1910 neo-baroque townhouse is one of Soho's most impressive. Edwardian architecture meets mid-century modern vintage furniture, art and textural fabrics in the bar, whilst the dining room is a little more refined - think brushed oak and marble fixtures and plush banquette seating. And of course, there's some outdoor seating on Brewer Street and Warwick Street too; outside tables are nicely shaded thanks to awnings, making this a prime spot for al fresco wining and dining in Soho.