Smoked duck [Lucy Richards]

THERE’S a real buzz to dining on the rooftops of Soho – high above the bustle below. Yasmin is a classy Turkish restaurant and bar perched on the sixth floor of a Soho mem­ber’s club and recently opened to the public for the first time.

The club itself, called 1 Warwick, inhabits a handsome Neo-Baroque building on the corner of Brewer Street and Warwick Street: a swish mix of workspaces, meeting rooms, gym, bars and the restaurant Nessa on the ground floor.

Wellness is a key selling point, with visiting masseurs, yoga sessions, talks from top creatives and workshops such as festive bauble decoration.

Last summer the wraparound terrace up at Yasmin was packed as a first wave of new customers discovered this secret oasis, fringed by troughs of specimen plants. During winter, the mood becomes more cosy and the action moves indoors.

We visited for lunch, whizzing up in the lift. The room is small, intimate and drop-dead gorgeous.

Trailing plants dangle above the white marble bar, which is well-stocked with vases of fresh rosemary, mint and red chillies for cocktails.

Seating is comfortable, with dinky sofas and seats upholstered in pink mohair and bold patterned fabrics.

Almond halva cheesecake [Lucy Richards]

The chef works in a small kitchen to one side. We occasion­ally spotted his tattooed arms at the pass, adding a final flourish of sea salt or za’atar to a menu of shared plates “inspired by Istanbul”.
We adored a dish of sheep’s cheese, whipped until light and airy then paired with hot honey and chilli flakes (£9). This was delicious mopped up with flatbreads.

You will find a lot of vibrant colour on the table. Slivers of smoked duck, dusted with scarlet sumac, are draped over a warm salad of spelt and lentils (£13).

A fillet of mackerel is wrapped in a vine leaf then baked fast in the oven, served with emerald green samphire, shaved fennel and red chilli (£14). The only slight miss was a vegan riff on manti dump­lings, served on a soya yoghurt then scattered with chopped Guindilla peppers, chilli and mint (£22). Too many strong flavours jostled for attention.

Other options on the menu included Bavette steak, a cod fillet encrusted in pistachio and chunky strips of deep-fried aubergine served with a red pepper muhammara sauce.

For pudding, my friend and I shared a cheesecake made with a clever base of almond halva and topped with a crumble of Biscoff biscuits and a caramel sauce (£7).

I have always envied people with club memberships as they swan in and out of these favoured spots in London. But a meal or drink at Yasmin is the next best thing – and a Turkish taste of the high life.

Yasmin Soho
1 Warwick
1 Warwick Street, W1B
020 7737 7400
www.yasminsoho.com
hello@yasminsoho.com
@yasminsoho