Meet Soso’s, Your New South Soho Spot From The Tyger and Chinese Tuxedo

1. It’s a new idea from a familiar team.

Soso’s is by no means the first venture for Tuxedo Hospitality, the group behind restaurants like Chinese Tuxedo and The Tyger. Even so, it’s a bit of a departure from the style that the group usually takes on, serving French-inspired American bistro fare instead of East or Southeast Asian cuisine.

It started as South Soho Bar (“We know, that’s South South of Houston Bar,” Buckingham acknowledges, laughing), originally meant to be a flexible bar space for diners headed to The Tyger, and a space for locals who didn’t have many casual options nearby.

“At the time, we were all [living] in the neighborhood. Despite being part of or adjacent to one of the world’s most famous neighborhoods there was not a lot to service local people in South Soho,” Buckingham says. “It was particularly true of bars. There was something of a neighborhood camaraderie and community, but not enough spaces to serve it.”

Things went well, and when the former bakery space next door opened up, Buckingham and Lam jumped on the opportunity to expand.

“[We thought] ‘we’ve got this infrastructure. We’ve got this wonderful community, and support, and venue identity, and really lovely culture that we’re proud of. Let’s grow it,’” Buckingham says.

2. There’s nothing to worry about if you’re a fan of the bar.

Regulars and lovers of the former South Soho Bar need not despair — despite the name change to the more familiar Soso’s, much of the day to day within the bar space remains the same.

It will still be walk-ins only on that side of the space, with the dining room on the other side being held solely for reservations. The bar will also boast a few select bar-only dishes like a burger made on a bun of four sliders you can pull apart and share or house yourself, a plate of capicola, and a cheese plate. Even so, should you want a burger for dinner on the other side, they aren’t going to stop you.

“We’re not crazy about rules and stuff. If the kitchen is making it and people want it in the dining room, we’re of course going to make it available to them.” Buckingham adds.

3. Escargot, T-bones, and roast chicken are on the menu.

Buckingham and Lam brought on chef Luka Coyne, who had worked previously at Continental Deli and Bistrot 916 in Australia, to work alongside Tuxedo’s executive chef Paul Donnelly.

“We [imported] some serious talent in chef Luka,” Buckingham says.

In addition to the bar-only dishes, Soso’s has a dining room menu filled with hearty, seasonal options. There’s escargot in Cafe de Paris butter, sugarloaf cabbage in whipped sesame and hazelnut vinaigrette, and a daily terrine with apricot mustard and toast. For mains, a dry-aged New York strip, raviolini, roast chicken, and coral trout meunière, in addition to a rotating plat du jour which may be anything from lobster Thermidor to a T-bone steak, depending on which day you visit.

“At some restaurants, the plat du jour is the second-rate entree. [Here], each of our plats is exceptional. We hope they’re a reason to visit in and of themselves,” Buckingham says.

4. A wine bar this is not.

The focus at the bar, helmed by Josh Gibson, is on an enormous list of classic cocktails, presented in longform list style at the top of the menu. There are Manhattans, espresso martinis, Pisco sours, and Oaxacan old fashioneds, to name but a portion. The spirits are the star here, Buckingham says, although they do plan on offering a few wine options as well.

“We wanted something that was not familiar, but comfortable. A lot of these classics are classics for a reason. They’re exceptionally good drinks, and some of them are underrepresented,” Buckingham says. “There’s a new wine bar every month, and some of them are fantastic, but that category is very well serviced. We want to stick to the category we feel we’re doing well, and really retain this as a liquor bar, and by extension, something of a liquor restaurant.”

5. Inside, it’s “psychedelic mid-century” by design.

Inside, the dining room is retro and decidedly cool, with colored stained-glass windows and seating that only includes banquettes, in a style described by Buckingham as “psychedelic mid-century.”

“That’s a lesson that we learned from Chinese Tuxedo. We have these eight gorgeous perimeter banquettes, and everybody comes in and wants to sit in them. Now, here, they’re available to everybody,” Buckingham adds.

There’s room in the dining area for 65 guests, with maple wood panels and an espresso brown carpet.

“You come in [to the dining room] and you know that, you know you’re about to have a different experience [than at the bar] — an indulged, comfortable, premium experience,” Buckingham says. “It doesn’t look like anywhere else, but we love it.”

On the menu reads a playful reminder: “Cigarettes and cell phones are best enjoyed outside.”

Soso’s is open daily from 4 p.m. until 1 a.m. on the bar side. The dining room, which takes reservations, is open Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 6 p.m.