What’s the draw?
Since it opened its doors in the noughties, Bob Bob Ricard has become something of an icon for its air of easy luxury, personified in its ‘Push for Champagne’ buttons, tucked away on every table. With the opening of Bob Bob Cité, owner Leonid Shutov stamped his place in the fine dining firmament and created a space that looks as if it could have been lifted from a Stanley Kubrick film, serving up ultra-chilled vodka and pearlescent caviar in a hyper-luxe setting. For the group’s newest opening, they’ve returned to the same street as the original and opened up Bébé Bob on Golden Square in Soho.
Bébé Bob is ostensibly a rotisserie restaurant, but anyone who takes a gander under the hood will see that this baby is built differently. Supercharged with a finessed design that reaches back to plumb the swankiest corners of the 1960s, guests sit on purple, puffy seats above an Art Deco mosaic floor and a lacquered red room at the far end of the space, adding a bit of pop to the proceedings. As bankers' lamps glow softly on the table through fuschia shades, prepare yourself for a procession of deliciousness with each dish presented like a finely wrought piece of jewellery.
Paul Winch-Furness
What to order?
I mean, you’d be missing a trick not to have a glass of champagne, as it’s sort of a thing here. The cold bubbles will prep the stomach for what’s to follow. And while we’re on the subject of wine, we’d highly recommend that you order a bottle – Bob Bob Ricard, Bébé Bob, et al have some of the more honest markups in the capital. So there’s really no reason not to smash through a buttery bottle of white burgundy. And do you know what pairs well with burgundy? Caviar. There’s a lot of it here, from Siberian sturgeon to Beluga. Pile that on top of a blini crepe, and you’ll be in business.
There’s something about the room that makes you want to go vintage, and you can’t go wrong with a prawn cocktail with a mary rose sauce stung with VSOP cognac. Or, if you haven’t had quite enough eggs, opt for the anchovy egg mayonnaise. Feeling indecisive? When it comes to mains, you’ve come to the right places. There are only two on offer, Vendée or Landes rotisserie chicken. Both are some of the best examples of chook you’ll find in the Smoke. Desserts lean classic and French. Demolish a stack of profiteroles. Or smash a glassy tarte tatin with Calvados ice cream. Just don’t expect to be leaving light and lissome.
Paul Winch-Furness
Where to drink?
You’re right in the aorta of Soho so the world’s your oyster. Opt for modish cocktails at Soma or Three Sheets Soho; snag that infamous pint of Guinness at The Devonshire; or head to a classic establishment like Rule’s or Quo Vadis. Failing that, opt for a shot of -18C vodka or a classic cocktail in-house. You won’t be disappointed.
