It’s all change at Ember Yard, which, after a super slick refurb, has reopened, complete with a new menu courtesy of brand new Head Chef, Christian Parisi.
This is from the same group who’ve bought us Opera Tavern, Salt Yard and Dehesa and follows a similar Spanish-Italian style menu found at the others. At Ember Yard though, they hone in on wood-fire grilling and barbecuing methods associated with the Basque region in Spain, showcased across small and large plates designed to share.
Perfectly located slap bang in the middle of Soho, the new space has a buzzy vibe which we can totally see ourselves popping into late into the night (in true European style!). There’s also a new basement bar for cocktails.
The menu is split up into meat, fish and vegetable sections, as well as having an excellent range of Spanish and Italian charcuterie and regional cheeses.
We’d recommend kicking off with their insanely good lightly charred flatbread, slathered with thyme and smoked butter. Save some to scoop up burrata, served here on top of a smoky dried tomato and oregano paste. Famous for their croquettes they are unsurprisingly excellent. We’d highly recommend both the jamon, leek and manchego and also the smoked haddock with cornichon aioli. Add a glass of wine and you could happily stop here as a post-work catch up with friends.
However if you have more time, the rest of the menu is just as excellent. On and on the dishes came with not a dud note between them. From the huge juicy char-grilled prawns in a rich garlic and chilli-flecked oil, complete with romesco bruschetta on the side, to the marinated chicken thighs, paired with celeriac, dates and truffled mascarpone. You can’t come to Ember Yard and not try one of their legendary courgette flowers, swirled with blossom honey and stuffed with goats cheese, but even the risotto, has been excellently executed, shaped into an oblong with pickled chestnut and pesto, it’s a super modern take on a classic dish. If you’re a fan of meat, the Iberico presa (tender pork shoulder, sliced and served rare) is a delight with a garlic, almond white sauce.
For dessert think dulce de leche cheesecake with blackcurrant & carrot caramel and churros with cinnamon sugar, warm chocolate sauce & chantilly.
In short, there’s a hell of a lot to love about the new Ember Yard.
