A Tale of Two Meals at Firebird, Soho
Firebird impresses with exceptional cocktails, inventive Mediterranean small plates and stylish surroundings, but an underwhelming lamb dish and disappointing dessert leave an otherwise memorable dining experience frustratingly incomplete.
Soho’s Mediterranean hotspot dazzles with inventive small plates, punchy cocktails and a beautiful setting, though a less successful main and dessert prevent the meal from reaching its full potential.
T ucked away on Poland Street, a small side lane off Oxford Street, you might just miss Firebird altogether. But if you keep an eye out, you’ll spot their stunning, minimalistic olive-green exterior. Their interior, inspired by a ‘modern Mediterranean mood,’ is equally minimal but beautifully rustic chic. The distressed exposed brick walls, natural wood, and pops of greenery are meant to ‘recreate memories of afternoons spent in courtyards on the continent, underneath olive trees sharing food and drink with friends.’
As you make your way through the narrow space to your table, you’ll be greeted by multiple staff members grilling on an open flame and shaking vibrant cocktails from the open bar and kitchen. While it does really warm the space on a 35º day, the open grill emanates promising aromas next to a colourful array of accompaniments.
Mere moments after you place your cocktail and appetiser orders, they will appear. The cocktails may appear small, but do not fear, they are tiny but mighty. The vodka sour packed a real vodka-forward punch with a sweet mango finish. It paired perfectly with the ponzu tuna tartare, which was velvety, sweet, and sour, whose creamy cured egg yolk was lifted by fresh leaves of basil. I was happy to eat this by the spoonful, but the house-made potato focaccia made a good friend to the tartare with all of its salty, oily goodness.
Firebird captivates with vibrant flavours, beautifully designed interiors, inventive small plates, confident cocktails, and an atmosphere perfect for memorable evenings.
The star of the night was the grilled halloumi with Amarillo peaches and a sweet truffle sauce. Even a carnivore would not miss the meat in this dish. The halloumi and peaches stand strong, holding both texture and flavour. The sauce is sweet, smokey, truffley, and somehow has a charred flavour in and of itself as if they were able to pop it on the grill. I’m always wary of a truffle sauce, but this was done masterfully. The truffle hits you on the front end and is gone by the time you swallow, never overpowering the bite.
Highlights
- Stylish Mediterranean-inspired interior with rustic elegance.
- Open kitchen and live-fire grill create theatre and atmosphere.
- Excellent, vodka-forward mango sour cocktail.
- Outstanding ponzu tuna tartare with cured egg yolk.
- House-made potato focaccia is a perfect accompaniment.
- Grilled halloumi with Amarillo peaches is the standout dish.
- Truffle sauce is rich yet beautifully restrained.
- Small plates demonstrate exceptional creativity and balance.
- Lamb rump disappoints with excess oil and lack of flavour.
- Manchego ice cream dessert feels conceptually interesting but poorly executed.
- Best enjoyed for cocktails and sharing plates rather than a full three-course meal.
With each new morsel, I became increasingly excited for more dishes to come. However, the excitement sadly diminished when the next plate arrived. My lamb rump arrived drenched in oil and lacking in much flavour, and I caused a bit of a ruckus of table-shaking to try to saw through it. I’m quite surprised that this dish was made by the same chefs as the previous three—though perhaps someone else is in charge of the small plates.
I was equally intrigued by the Manchego ice cream featured on the dessert menu atop an apple pistachio filo cup, but unfortunately was equally disappointed. The ice cream is definitely bizarre on its own, as if you just bit into a wedge of cheese. I will say, it does make sense when you pair a bite with a snippet of apple. However, the apple filling was lacking in texture even with the pistachio bits; the apple was overcooked and devoid of seasoning. The single layer of filo pastry holding the cup together was not substantial enough for such a runny filling. The dish screamed for firmer apples, more sugar, and some cinnamon or cardamom to give it body and a note of excitement.
The first four items of this meal blew me away—truly a 10/10 experience. I was shocked at the two that followed. Perhaps the small plates are this restaurant’s true strength, or perhaps I visited on an off night. Maybe this restaurant’s perfect purpose is to provide cocktails and appetisers for a celebratory night out before moving on for a more substantial meal.
