Sollip

French, Korean·
££££
·
Gold Award
·

SquareMeal Review of Sollip

Gold Award

Understated and tricky to pigeon hole, Sollip tends to fly under the radar in the talk about London's best restaurants. Some of that, perhaps, is down to the restaurant's humble nature - the exterior is unassuming, as is the pared back interior that gives nothing away. However there is a distinct sense of calm, from neutral tones to tranquil waiters gliding through the restaurant.

Dinner offers a tasting menu only, which sees seven unique courses combine the perfect level of familiarity and innovation, blending French and Korean sensibilities. The meal starts strong with a standout bite - the gamtae sandwich. A small wedge of Caerphilly cheese is pressed between two bite sized slices of brioche, fried in cultured butter and wrapped in gamtae seaweed. It’s soft, satisfying, and the seaweed gives a truffle-esque taste to incorporate more recognisable flavours. It’s an absolute triumph.

Each dish that follows is carefully considered, packed with flavour and immaculately presented; from squid tagliatelle to a barbecued squab with rhubarb, but it was the daikon tarte tatin with roast potato puree that reigned supreme. It entices you with its glossy exterior, but captures you through with it's multiple textures and subtle, distinctive flavours. The roast potato puree is as one would expect, only better. Reminiscent of a Sunday dinner, it was the perfect accompaniment to the buttery, caramelised daikon tarte.

The meal ends with a black pain perdu so dark you can barely make it out against its jet black bowl. It’s served with an ice cream made with Korean black soybeans, burnt vanilla sauce and pecan grains. Again, there's careful consideration going into every aspect of the dish, from texture to flavour, which combine to make yet another unforgettable dish.

All in all, Sollip is a remarkable restaurant. It offers a unique dining experience - something less common in London than you may think - that leaves a lasting impression. When sampled alongside the wine pairing (a collection of Europe’s finest wines), it's a real treat - perhaps one of the city's most singular food experience. This is certainly more suited to special occasions, but we can guarantee it’ll be one you won’t forget.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - Over £80
Cuisines
French, Korean
Ambience
Cool, Fine dining, Luxury, Romantic, Unique
Awards
One Michelin star
Food Occasions
Dinner
Special Features
Vegetarian options
Perfect for
Dates, Romantic, Special occasions
Food Hygiene Rating

About

This low-key Korean-European fusion restaurant in London Bridge (only a few minutes walk from The Shard) may appear minimalist and casual, with its plain plaster-washed walls and bare tables, but there are some very experienced chefs at its helm.

Sollip is a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant run by husband and wife team Woongchul Park and Bomee Ki, who both boast impressive culinary CVs. The pair met while studying at famous cookery school Le Cordon Bleu in London, with husband Woongchul going on to work at The Ledbury and Koffmann’s, while wife Bomee was a pastry chef at The Arts Club.

After a brief stint back home in Korea, the couple have returned to London to focus all of their attention on Sollip, their first solo venture (the name translates from Korean as ‘pine needle’, an ingredient used to control flames and smoke in traditional Korean cooking). In the daytime, Sollip acts as a Korean grocers selling a small selection of condiments in cutesy glass jars, with products up for grabs including various types of homemade kimchi and some seasonal Jangajji too (a medley of pickled vegetables).

In the evening, the space transforms into a restaurant where guests can enjoy both traditional and contemporary Korean dishes, with some drawing on European influences. Choose from the likes of braised beef short rib with cured cucumber, black truffle and butter rice or opt for fish instead with the catch of the day served in a white beef broth with Chinese cabbage on the side.

Sollip’s selection of puddings further reinforces its ethos of marrying European and Korean cooking, with intriguing options including ice cream made with Perilla oil and topped with Granny Smith granita or a fig leaf creme brulee. If you prefer liquid desserts however, explore Sollip’s impressive selection of wines, which reads like a love letter to the continent.


FAQs

Does the restaurant have a Michelin star?

Yes.

Helpful? 0

Who owns the restaurant?

It is owned by husband and wife duo, Woongchul Park and Bomee Ki. The pair moved from South Korea to London in 2020 to open their own restaurant after both studying at Le Cordon Bleu London.

Helpful? 0

Can you book a table?

Yes, the restaurant takes reservations in advance and we'd recommend securing your table early as it can get booked up well ahead of time.

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Sollip is featured in

Location

Unit 1, 8 Melior Street, London Bridge, London, SE1 3QP

020 7378 1742 020 7378 1742

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed Closed
Thu Closed
Fri 12:00-15:00
Sat 12:00-15:00
Sun Closed
Dinner
Mon Closed
Tue Closed
Wed 18:00-23:00
Thu 18:00-23:00
Fri 18:00-23:30
Sat 18:00-23:30
Sun Closed

Reviews

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1 Review 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Alex G

16 October 2020  
Food & Drink 4
Service 3
Atmosphere 3
Value 2
Labouring in Lilliput

Sollip promised so much on paper. Sadly the reality was markedly different. At least our experience was memorable. In eight years of regularly writing on restaurants, Sollip achieved something no other venue had previously done: straight after his meal, your reviewer went to another restaurant for a second dinner – for he had been left wanting by Sollip, in every sense of the term. The feeling was mutual, shared also by Gourmand Gunno’s two comrades for the evening.

Begin at the beginning though. The husband and wife duo behind Sollip trained together at the Cordon Bleu cookery school and can count many impressive venues on their CVs including the Ledbury and the Arts Club. Sollip is their first solo venture, set on a back street close to London Bridge Station and on the edge of trendy Bermondsey. The angle is a good one too: take classic French dishes – from gougeres to tarte tatin via beef tartare – and pimp them up with Korean ingredients, the country from which the couple originally hail. So far so good, but on entering the venue, my misgivings began.

Sollip takes minimalism to an extreme, with not a single distinguishing feature adorning their walls. It felt almost clinical, lacking in either emotion or joie de vivre. Perhaps the optimist might assume that the cooking would (have to) speak for itself in such austere surroundings. Then consider the menu. It’s at least mercifully brief with three appetisers, eight mains and three desserts. However, it was somewhat bewildering to decipher. While I could explain to my comrades what both daikon and gochujang were (respectively a white radish and a fermented chilli bean paste – in case you were wondering, or if you’re uninitiated in all things Korean and culinary), we were all stumped by the sea trumpet. Our server seemed markedly reluctant to engage in anything more than perfunctory conversation and made little effort to clarify or indeed enthuse us about any of the options. We were recommended to have “about two to three dishes each” and so dutifully ordered seven to share among our group.

First up was the ‘Gamtae sandwich’, comprising the much vaunted sea trumpet (a type of seaweed, I subsequently learned when researching online) and some Caerphilly cheese. Size-wise it was akin to what might be found on an afternoon tea platter; in other words, a four-inch by one-inch crustless pair of bread slices with some filling daintily placed inside. Surely given there were three of us, it may have made sense for our server to suggest one sandwich each? Our tiny mouthful was sufficiently unremarkable for it to provide no compensation, given the challenge attached to dividing it. At £4 for such an offering, the turn of phrase, ‘you’re having a laugh’ sprung to mind. And so it went on. The food at least improved. The taste sensations embedded within the carrot salad, beef tartare and short ribs were nothing short of exquisite, but – oh my gosh – how small were the portions! We were not sure whether to laugh or cry when the black truffle buttered rice that accompanied our rib finale comprised just a teaspoon each of starch. Further, what Sollip’s dishes gained in terms of taste, they lost in terms of presentation, where the minimalist vibe persisted and in extemis.

We felt like visitors to Lilliput. Akin to poor Gulliver, we were confounded by dishes so tiny and unadorned that we barely knew what to do with them. What I do remember is forking out close on £50 a person (cum drinks and service) and leaving terribly, terribly disappointed. Sollip is a brave effort but one destined to fail unless it implements some drastic changes. The old school curry – give me some sizzling prawns and a lamb chop any day – we had around the corner for half the price was infinitely more satisfying and joyful.

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020 7378 1742 020 7378 1742

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