ALTA Soho sets a Northern Spanish live fire benchmark

Kingly Court has long delivered dependable bustle in the heart of Soho. Across three tiers, the courtyard offers quick lunches, pre-theatre pit stops, and late-night cocktails. This autumn the pattern shifts. The air now carries the scent of woodsmoke, which leads directly to ALTA, a two-floor live-fire restaurant shaped by the food traditions of Northern Spain and anchored in British produce. The project matters to the site as much as to the chef. By installing a chef-led flagship in the court’s largest plot, the operator signals a push beyond convenience dining towards a destination that can draw researchers of food culture, hospitality professionals and a curious public.

At the pass is Rob Roy Cameron, whose training spans elBulli and Albert Adrià’s Barcelona openings. His brief is simple to read and hard to execute: cook everything over wood, translate Northern Spanish technique with British ingredients and let the grill speak. The proposition is clear to diners and to the neighbourhood. ALTA is positioned to shift Kingly Court from a reliable crowd pleaser to a reference point for live fire cooking in central London.

Rob Roy Cameron and the road to ALTA

Cameron’s relationship with fire began in Botswana, where open lunchtime braais were part of the street scene. He moved to London at 17, flirted with photography, and then took a prep job in Spain that redirected his course. After working at Michelin-starred Rodero in Pamplona, a chance connection led him to the elBulli universe, followed by launches in Barcelona, such as Tickets and 41 Degrees. The period hardened his technique and shaped his sense of restaurant theatre.

London projects followed, including Untitled and Gazelle, which explored modernist gestures and intricate plating. Gazelle’s short run prompted reassessment. A long solo motorbike trip from Barcelona to South Africa reset priorities. The conclusion was pragmatic. Complexity had proved compelling for chefs but not always for guests. Fire, by contrast, offered a shared language that crossed borders and trends.

From modernist complexity to fire led clarity

ALTA represents the pivot. The kitchen runs without a gas line, hobs or electric grills. There is no microwave. Wood is the medium and the message. The approach does not reject the technique. It concentrates it. Timing, distance from flame, wood choice and resting regimes provide the variables. The result is food that appears simple yet requires precise control. It also suits the London mood. Guests in Soho want flavour clarity, provenance, and dishes that work for both parties of 2 and groups of 6 or 8. Fire answers all three.

This choice also reframes Cameron’s Spanish background. Rather than staging a Spanish pastiche, he applies Northern methods to a British pantry. The lens is Basque, Asturian and Galician. The raw material is Shropshire pork, Cornish peppers and day-boat fish. The outcome is a London restaurant that speaks confident Spanish without passport theatre.

Design and atmosphere evoke the Basque landscape

The space by Yo Dezeen features textured plaster, stone, timber, and a warm, neutral palette. The ground floor features an open grill and counter seating that brings guests close to the action. The first floor is calmer, with views across Carnaby Street and a wall of wines. Contemporary pieces by Thaiwijit Puengkasemsomboon add a note of abstraction without crowding the room. The terrace provides walk-in capacity and keeps the venue open to the court’s flow. The overall effect supports the food rather than stealing its light.

Menu structure and sourcing

The menu is built for sharing. Smaller plates land first, then larger grill pieces. The tone is Northern Spanish but the sourcing is local-first. That is visible in the sausage work, the vegetable plates, and the respect for fish structure on the grill. British farms and fisheries provide the base. Northern Spanish technique provides the grammar. Seasonality governs the edits.

Snacks and small plates embers and ash

The snack set combines purity and adaptation. Razor clam in white saffron escabeche (£17) takes a classic preservation and brightens it for the British shellfish spectrum. The House txistorra (£9.50) showcases internal sausage craftsmanship and an understanding of fat behaviour over flame. Courgette with pumpkin seed romesco (£12) swaps almonds for a British seed to retain texture and introduce a nutty depth that complements the char. Chicharron with mojo rojo (£8) delivers snap, sweetness and heat in a clean line. A sardine empanada (£12.50) pulls in coastal comfort and resists overworking. Each plate presents a direct conversation with the grill rather than filigree technique.

The section’s value is strategic. It lets tables build pace and try multiple registers of smoke and acidity before moving to the centrepiece proteins. It also keeps spend flexible, which matters in a mixed-occasion Soho setting.

The grill as centrepiece

The grill defines the restaurant. Fire management is the craft. Time, ember temperature and rack height control the gradient. Meat and fish are seasoned with restraint. Sides carry brightness. On the meat side, the kitchen collaborates with a rare-breed supplier. Iberico-breed pork arrives from The Ledbury’s Shropshire farm rather than Spain, reflecting the house rule to favour British provenance when quality matches. Beef arrives in aged formats sized for sharing, including a 35-day-aged sirloin at 500 g (£50) and an 850 g ribeye (£85). Cuts are rested to protect juices, then served with minimal garnish so the wood’s influence remains legible.

Fish benefits as much as beef from this method. A turbot tranche (£36) shows how collagen and fat respond to controlled heat. Red mullet, at around 550 g (£54), takes on a light smoke that amplifies its natural richness. The point is not to taste fire alone. It is to taste ingredient, seasoning and smoke in balance.

Sides tend to crunch and lift rather than duplicate richness. Expect peppers from specialist growers in Cornwall, bitter leaves for contrast, and potatoes treated for texture. Sauces are reduced to essentials so they do not fight the char.

Desserts with smoke and memory

The sweet course continues the theme. The La Viña cheesecake with strawberry escabeche (£10.50) pays homage to the San Sebastián original while adjusting the balance for London palates. Texture sits between set and runny, with a gentle sourness that survives the grill’s warmth. Chocolate, bread and olive oil (£10.50) present a Spanish staple with smoke as the bridge between cocoa and fruit. Desserts are concise, which fits the room’s pace and the post-grill palate.

Wine, cider and cocktails with Northern Spanish logic

The beverage programme led by Dino Koletsas aligns tightly with the kitchen. The wine list prioritises low-intervention European producers, with a strong Spanish current alongside thoughtful French and Italian placements. A changing wall of wines on tap increases accessibility and reduces waste. By-the-glass options allow pairing across snacks, fish and beef without committing to full bottles.

Cider is not an afterthought. In place of imported sidra, the list features British makers working with ancestral methods. Names include Little Pomona in Herefordshire, Naughton in Scotland and Wilding in Somerset. This mirrors the kitchen’s approach to pork and peppers: use British sources that match or exceed imported benchmarks.

Cocktails sit close to the stove. Savoury notes appear through pepper, pine, and smoke. The Pine Martini (£7 or £12) adds birch water for lift. Little Pepper (£7 or £12) builds on red pepper tequila with tomato and vermouth. Cherry Kalimotxo (£12) reimagines a Basque classic with cherry wine, white port, and a house-made cola cordial. Dead Stone Daisy (£14) is infused with Espelette, tequila, and an umami seasoning. Non-alcoholic builds use verjus, yuzu soda and zero-proof aperitifs to avoid the syrup trap and keep texture in the glass.

Fun fact: The Basque word for cider house is sagardotegi, formed from sagardo for cider and -tegi for place, reflecting a seasonal culture of gathering to share pipas straight from the barrel.

How ALTA compares in Soho

Soho already understands Spanish dining through Barrafina and Brindisa, and understands smoke through Temper and Sucre. ALTA separates itself by narrowing its focus. It does not attempt a pan-Spanish survey. It drills into Northern techniques and lets the grill carry identity. Against fire-led neighbours, the difference is flavour logic. Temper leans to American barbecue tones and tacos. Sucre looks to Argentine parrilla and Latin comfort. ALTA anchors itself in European fish and meat cookery, with textures and sauces that match Basque habits.

The matrix helps position ALTA for different use cases. For pre-theatre, the snack section provides speed, though guests should note last orders at 21:30. For groups, the 10-seat private room and large-format grills make sharing simple. For 2 covers seeking proximity to the action, counter seats by the grill offer the clearest view.

Transport: Nearest Tube Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus. Step-free access at Bond Street and Green Park for those planning step-free routes.

Supply chain and sustainability signals

The restaurant’s sourcing choices carry signals for industry observers. Choosing British Iberico-breed pork from Shropshire reduces transport while maintaining texture and flavour expectations. Partnering with Cornish growers for Spanish pepper varietals supports domestic agriculture that mirrors Northern Spanish profiles. Wines on tap cut glass waste and improve by-the-glass freshness. British ciders replace imports while preserving heritage techniques. None of these measures is framed as a marketing halo. Together, they show a practical route to align identity with footprint without compromising guest experience.

Technique notes for professionals

Chefs and food researchers will read the grill setup as the technical core. Wood selection controls smoke density and burn curve. Hardwoods, such as oak, deliver steady embers; fruitwoods can supply aromatics, depending on the species. Rack systems that allow fast vertical adjustments let the team fine-tune the Maillard reaction on beef and preserve delicate albumin structures on fish. Resting protocols remain critical to prevent purge on heavy cuts and to stabilise fish flakes before service. Acid management is achieved through escabeches, verjus, and pickled elements, keeping plates bright against char. Salt is applied in layers rather than as a single hit.

Front-of-house practice also reflects precision. Guidance on sharing sizes prevents over-ordering. Bottle and tap wine service speeds rounds without pushing upsell. The room’s sound management supports conversation, which is often neglected in grill houses. These touches matter to repeat visits.

Cultural context and positioning

Northern Spain’s grilling tradition has influenced London kitchens for years, yet it remains underrepresented relative to tapas bars and Catalan-inflected venues. ALTA adds depth to that map. It proposes a British reading of Basque technique, which sits well with London’s current preference for clarity over flourish. The move also reframes Kingly Court. Rather than acting only as a quick-stop food hall, the site now hosts a reference project that can attract a different planning mindset. Diners may book the court as the destination rather than treat it as a fallback.

This context explains why ALTA may draw both industry and academic interest. It functions as a case study in culinary translation, supply chain localisation, and the theatre of open kitchens. It also provides a practical field site for studying guest flow between walk-in terraces and bookable dining rooms in a multi-tenant courtyard.

Actionable takeaways for readers

For diners: book if you want grill work with precision and a wine list that respects budget and depth. Sit at the counter if you enjoy process. Use the terrace for spontaneous meets.

For industry: note the integration of British sourcing with Northern Spanish identity and the calm discipline of the room.

For researchers: observe how live fire theatre interacts with acoustic control, and how tap wine programs affect spend and choice architecture.

Conclusion what ALTA signals for Soho dining

ALTA is not just a fresh name on a busy street plan. It is a focused study in fire, a calibrated use of British sourcing to express Northern Spanish logic, and a signal that Kingly Court can carry chef-led projects with national interest. Cameron’s shift from intricate modernism to wood-fired clarity reads as both personal and timely. The grill gives him a framework to edit rather than embellish. The team around him supplies wine, cider, and service that complements the picture without overshadowing it.

For those tracking London’s dining pulse, ALTA shows where appetite and craft are meeting in 2025. Fire delivers flavour that needs little explanation. Provenance provides a story that does not need props. Technique ensures repeatability. The combination is durable. As the old saying goes, measure twice, cut once. In this kitchen, the cut is on the grill and the measure is in the guest’s return.