23/9/23 - Updated with the opening date
It's been almost 15 years since Bob Bob Ricard first opened their restaurant in Soho, with its infamous "press for Champagne" buttons. Since then, the glitzy restaurant has launched a second Bob Bob Ricard in the City, but is returning to Soho for its third opening, Bébé Bob (taking over from what used to be Folie on Golden Square).
This marks something of a departure from the group. While they might have initially experimented with the look of Bob Bob Ricard in the City, it settled as something pretty similar to the Soho original - serving a high-end European menu (although they're still not as pricey as you might think at first glance).
Bébé Bob, however, is a different beast altogether. It's taking the trend that we're starting to see a fair bit of in London - rotisserie chicken. The only main course available, here there are two varieties on offer, chosen from two different regions in France by their Chef Director Ben Hobson. Pick which one you want and it'll be served whole with chicken jus and carved tableside, alongside sides like truffle french fries and sauces that include truffle jus and Albufeira sauce.
There's more than just the chicken though. Caviar will be making an almost obligatory appearance, with Baerii, Oscietra and Shrenkii caviar and with blinis made fresh at the table (we get the feeling that there will be a lot of tableside action here).
For dessert, they'll include a Paris Brest with hazelnut cream and praline as well as a chocolate fondant with cherries, crème fraiche or a Tourteau fromagé (that's a very distinct-looking French cheesecake). And if you fancy a sharpener at the end of the meal you can have Menton lemon sorbet with Limonnaya vodka poured over it.
The restaurant will have a separate bar space inside the entrance - a 12-seater circular bar with a golden granite top and terrazzo flooring. The design of the restaurant comes from the same studio that worked on Bob Bob Ricard, so you can expect some throwbacks to that in the design along with plenty of art deco flourishes.
And talking of drinks, the short wine list will have a focus on classic white and red Burgundy alongside rosé. They'll also have the same maximum markup of £75 on fine wines as Bob Bob Ricard, so if you really like your wine, that's worth keeping an eye on. There won't be any "Press for Champagne" buttons this time around though - you'll have to go back to the original for those.
Overall, we think the latest Bob should be a very big hit in Soho.
More about Bébé Bob
Where is it? 37 Golden Square, Soho, London W1F 9LB
When does it open? 4 October 2023
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @bebebob
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