As a rule, the best bars and restaurants serve what their teams actually want to eat and drink – which is exactly why the founders of Sova decided to hand the reins over to the staff to dream up a space they’d enjoy hanging out in. Sova (which opens for bookings officially on April 8, but now accepts walk-ins) occupies the space off Portobello Road formerly occupied by Zima, a contemporary Slavic restaurant by the same owners.
“We realised that something a little bit more low-key, less formal is what we needed,” creative director Nika Galkina tells Broadsheet. “Most of the Zima team is from Eastern Europe and existing in Notting Hill. There's a tonne of wine bars, but there's a bit of a lack of specifically natural, organic, biodynamic places.”
Part living room, part bar, the long, organic green space is lined with pale walnut-coloured shelves stacked with trinkets, books and an eclectic jumble of the staff’s personal vinyl, designed to be spun throughout the day, and mixed by local DJs over the weekends. The bar takes its name from the word for owl in a multitude of Slavic languages, and keen-eyed patrons will notice nods to the mascot everywhere they look.
Nevertheless, it’s the 86-bottle wine list, curated by sommelier Cristian Vega (ex-Wilton’s, Pollini at Ladbroke Hall, Le Boudin Blanc), that’s the star of the show. Split into accessible, digestible sections detailing colour, flavour and body, the menu features bottles from Ukraine, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Georgia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovakia.
There is also a clutch of champagne, and a couple of French, Spanish and Italian favourites, such as Daniel-Etienne Defaix chablis and Macán 2019 rioja. “Sometimes people do want the classics, but we also want people to experiment and try something new,” says Galkina.
A small rotating selection is available by the glass, including Ukrainian pet nat, rich Hungarian riesling, and crisp, dry Romanian aligoté.
The cocktail list, meanwhile, focuses on serving the classics with a Slavic twist. “We’re adding in elements from the countries where we source our wine from and the countries that we're inspired by,” Galkina continues. The Georgian-wine infused “Amber Martini” and a Saperavi-spiked New York sour are already firm favourites.
Similarly, Moldovan chef Denis Calmis is whipping up his take on well-known dishes, set to change every two to three weeks. “We wanted the menu to have recognisable, ingredient focussed modern European dishes that people would know, but with a bit of a Slavic, Eastern European twist,” says Galkina. “So, for example, we have beef tartare, but it's on borodinsky rye bread toast, and we have tuna tartare, but made with adjika, a Georgian spice.”
Plus, Sova’s chocolate mousse, made with sea buckthorn, is practically a health food, Galkina jokes. “It’s a small orange berry that has the highest concentration of vitamin C, so I guess it's healthy, too.”
Those considering stopping by can see if they like the Sova team’s vinyl collection via a playlist on the bar’s website. Considering it features everything from Outcast to D’Angelo and the Sugababes, there’s surely something for everyone.
Sova
9 Blenheim Crescent, W11 2EE
Hours:
Wed & Thu 4pm–11pm
Fri & Sat midday–3pm, 4pm–11pm
Sun midday–9pm
