Pass through the unmarked black door on the left, beneath the unmarked black awning and descend the stairway to discover this subterranean delight.
What Sous Sol lacks in signage it more than makes up for in warm atmosphere, a bit of kitsch, and genuinely good food. The mismatched cutlery and dishes add to a rustic feel, and don’t be surprised if your cocktail comes in a Petro-Canada Olympics tumbler (remember those?!). You can also expect a genuinely warm and attentive welcome from the serving staff.
On our visit, we started with half a dozen fresh-shucked oysters, then moved on to the Smoked Duck Breast (with Brussels Sprouts, Swiss Chard, Squash Purée, Juniper & Cocoa Glaze, Sauce à l’Orange, and Almonds) and the Braised Beef Short Ribs (Roasted Garlic & Celeriac Purée, Pickled Pearl Onion, Bacon, Red Eye Gravy). These dishes are wonderfully assembled, and the accents are well thought out. Each mouthful brings another surprise.
At our server’s suggestion, we added a couple of sides to share. Try the Cauliflower with Smoked Hummus, Coulis Basquaise, Zuni Zucchini, Dukkah, Basil, and Chèvre. Amazing. And the Root Vegetable Pavé with Caramelized Onion Tomato Jam and Parmesan was to die for. Each was plenty for two people to share and matched with the mains perfectly. We couldn’t resist asking for a third side dish halfway through the meal, wanting to try the Mac N Cheese. It was not as rich and complex as the others, but was pleasant in its own right. We had definitely chosen well with our first two.
The cocktails and wine list are worth a mention as well (try the Sous Sol’d Fashioned), and you should be able to find a perfect match on the wine list, which features several by the glass as well as what I’d consider a fairly reasonably-priced list of bottles.
The final tab was a pleasant surprise as well. Considering the high flavour quotient you won’t go wrong — or broke — here.