Sofia’s restaurant in Athlone's Left Bank Mall is wheat, dairy, and sugar free. All meat and fish are organic or wild, with the most popular dishes including beef Thai salad, homemade sushi, wild seawater monkfish wrap, Sophia’s 100 per cent organic steak sandwich, and tandoori chicken salad.
A couple of years back we reviewed The Brandywell in Co. Leitrim. We wrote of a light touch, of great flavours and of a love of food. The chef then was a lovely Sri Lankan chap by the name of Asoka. He is now in situ in Sofia’s and the vision of a really holistic and healthy dining experience that still tastes delicious probably couldn’t be in better hands than a man who comes from one of the most beautiful, and serene, places on the planet.
Sofia’s is in the left bank mall. Entering from the outside it is bright and cheery, painted in reds and green. Inside it is smart and stylish, with comfortable soft sofa style seats down one side and plenty of tables and chairs well spaced and separated with some very luxuriant plants. Wheat grass grows on the counter, and there’s an herb garden just outside.
They open each day from breakfast through lunch and there’s an evening menu at the weekends. On the menu, which is wheat free, sugar free, gluten free and exclusively organic it’s all about good ingredients carefully sourced, and treated with simplicity.
There are starters including sushi rolls, homemade monkfish and prawn sausages, really fishcakes, wild crab meat served in a baked avocado with Parma ham and pickled ginger, or a goat’s cheese wrap with beetroot vinaigrette.
Main courses feature monkfish and prawn in tomato and coriander, chicken Parmigiana dry aged sirloin steak or a rack of local lamb. There are also a range of salads, all featuring interesting combinations and lighter bites like Panini’s and wraps. Owner Imaelda Geraghty is a vegetarian, so there are always veggie options, and they will make something for you if it's not on the menu.
We loved the crab meat on the warm baked avocado, the monkfish and prawn sausage was even better, impossibly light and ful of flavour, all fish cake style dishes should aspire to this. We loved the Thai beef salad, all made freshly and using spices imported directly from Sri Lanka. Our main courses were the home made green curry, which was certainly as good as if not better than you’ll get in dedicated Thai restaurants, and the monkfish and prawn was almost a bouillabaisse with a little mound of mashed potatoes in the middle. We finished with a selection of their sugar free desserts, including a chocolate gnache which was richly delicious, but guilt free.
It’s difficult to get across just how impressive is the food here. Lot’s of restaurants do good food, but to produce flavours like these with no butter, cream or sugars is special indeed. This is what all restaurant who see themselves as organic should aspire to. Whole foods, beautifully prepared that give not an inch in lost flavour in the pursuit of purity. If they opened in Dublin, the place would be mobbed. Try it soon.
