New restaurant review: Sofia Bistro on Hutt St

An old CBD office building has been transformed into a slick restaurant, bucking the trend and thriving as businesses constantly close around it. Here’s why.

Sicilian sashimi plate with kingfish, tuna and scallops at Sofia bistro, Hutt St

It has been a horrid few years for many in the local hospitality industry.

The always precarious line between doing OK and closing the doors has been obliterated by big-picture economic factors.

It’s hard to imagine why anyone would put their money on the line in a new venture right now.

But where some see only gloom and doom, others see opportunity.

They look at an uninspiring lobby and imagine it filled with a happy throng. They look beyond the industry’s short-term pain and develop a way forward.

That, in a nutshell, is the story of Sofia, a new all-day cafe/bar/bistro on the eastern edge of the city that has hit the ground running.

Co-owner Josh Baker has proven form as a network-builder and ideas man when it comes to repurposing unusual spaces.

Consider the bin-filled alleyway that became Pink Moon Saloon, or the open courtyard behind the Town Hall that turned into Part Time Lover.

Braised zucchini toast, ricotta at Sofia bistro, Hutt St

Fish cooked over fire and green salsa

With Sofia, however, the business model has an important difference, as all the partners in the restaurant also have a stake in the property, a somewhat dated office building on the corner where Hutt St meets East Tce.

As well as not paying rent nor relying on the goodwill of a landlord, they can one day benefit from any increase in property valuation – boosted, no doubt, by the addition of a thriving eatery.

As well as Baker, those involved are managers Paul Lynch and Adrian Bernardi, alongside PTL owners including developer John Savva and executive chef Stewart Wesson.

Architect/designer Sans-Arc Studio is another long-time collaborator and has more awards on the way for this transformation of a dysfunctional entrance and neglected garden bed into a space full of positive energy.

Grilled octopus, tomato and chilli oil

Mini lamb souvas

There’s a lot to take in: the gorgeous curves and finishes; splashes of colours (tangerine, pink, sage); and variety of artworks, including a small portrait of Savva’s mum Sophie (aka Sofia).

The nuts and bolts are along the far wall where the bar offers counter seating and an open kitchen revolves around twin ovens, one wood fired.

Wesson has an easy knack, it seems, for putting together food of great appeal, no matter the setting or audience.

Whether it’s brunch, pub grub or a long lunch, he shows that making something delicious and eye-catching doesn’t have to be a tortuous process.

For Sofia, the Asian influence has been shelved, for now at least, in favour of a sweep of the Mediterranean, but while his menu again reads exceptionally well, a few things suffer in execution.

Interior at Sofia bistro, Hutt St

The “Sicilian sashimi” of raw scallop, yellowfin tuna and kingfish slices, for instance, is overwhelmed by a lemony dressing, shallots and potent capers, to the point that textural differences are the only thing defining the seafoods.

And while sizzled lamb leftovers are definitely a joy, most of the meat on one of the skewers in our mini souvas has been charred to the point of disintegration.

Octopus tentacle (from WA) has been left in the cooling oven to stew in its juices with lemon and oregano, before a finishing blitz close to the fire to blacken the edges.

Those who enjoy their octo soft and giving will be happy. I’m in the other camp, which seems the minority.

Humble zucchini, forgotten over winter, is turned into a glamour vegetable by being slowly braised with plenty of garlic, loaded on to toasted ciabatta and pampered with a squiggle of piped ricotta that looks like it might be soft-serve.

A sprinkle of lemon rind, fennel pollen and pepper completes a snack for the ages.

Kudos also for the treatment of farmed barramundi from Robarra in the South East that, once butterflied, spends time in two different sections of the oven, leaving a layer of bubbled-up, extra-crisp skin over flesh that is firm and delectable.

A chunky hand-cut, multi-herb salsa fits the rustic bill perfectly.

But don’t be lured into the galaktoboureko, normally a Greek dessert of syrup-soaked filo sandwiching semolina custard.

In this version an exceptionally stiff, bouncy block of custard is adorned with shards of dry filo.

Still, it’s impossible to dwell on a slip-up like this when the staff are such good fun and the blend of excited burble and bassy soundtrack becomes hypnotic.

A perfect illustration of what draws people to hospitality.