IT’S over 30 years since John Panayis opened Sophia’s Mediterranean but the menus and the enthusiasm for excellent service remains as fresh as ever.
A new Festive Menu has been devised by John, ready for anyone looking to enjoy a night out with friends, family or colleagues in the run-up to Christmas.
There’s also a New Year’s Eve menu for those who want to see in 2019 in authentic yet contemporary trattoria style.
The Festive Menu includes starters smoked salmon and prawns with horseradish cream, chicken liver pate with onion jam and melba toast, cream of butternut soup and penne gamberoni.
To follow, diners can choose from stuffed breast of roast turkey, fillet of lemon sole with citrus and caper butter sauce, sirloin sauce with Gorgonzola and brandy peppercorn sauce, fillet of pork Cordon Bleu stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto and duck breast with orange and Grand Marnier sauce.
If there’s still room, desserts include sticky toffee pudding, winter fruit mess and apricot and Amaretto cheesecake.
The Festive Menu is £26.95 per person and will be available throughout December.
On New Year’s Eve, there is bound to be a party atmosphere at Sophia’s as guests enjoy a three-course menu, priced at £31.50 per person.
The range of starters includes king prawns in a lemon butter emulsion, Carpaccio of beef with a balsamic reduction, minestrone soup and wild mushroom risotto. The choice of main courses is tournedos Rossini with chicken liver pate and Madeira jus, pan-roasted sea bass with sherry, chorizo and roasted pepper sauce, rack of lamb with a red wine and redcurrant reduction, breast of duck with port and cherry jus and ratatouille cannelloni in a rich tomato sauce.
For dessert, there’s poached pear with mulled wine and cinnamon cream, Belgian chocolate brownie with raspberry sorbet and apricot and Amaretto cheesecake.
Sophia’s, at 54 Bridge Street, Northampton, is open from 5pm to 10pm Tuesday to Saturday. For information or reservations call 01604 250654 or visit the website www.sophias-restaurant.co.uk