I start with this photo because the 'press for champagne' gadget at every table/booth is what has made BBR so famous. I will also admit that it is the reason I had been dying to try the restaurant out for ages (!) and so when we sat down to dinner I made sure to be the first person to press it. Like magic, a friendly waitress arrived to take our order, and C very kindly ordered a large bottle of bubbly. Good start to the evening.
But what then about the food? Here's what we had:
Starters
12g Petrossian Alverta Caviar
I know this is a rather un-PC thing to say in this day and age, but I do love a bit of caviar. And since BBR prides itself on its Russian influences, I had to try a teeny bit of the specialty.
Well, the caviar itself was yum - creamy & salty. The blinis were also good: warm, crispy on the outside yet fluffy in the middle. I would have to say however that there was rather too much cream cheese for the amount of caviar…unnecessary.
Pan-fried scallops, apple & black pudding
Beautifully presented, good portion size, and most of all, a really good combination of flavours. The slight sharpness of the thinly sliced apple really cut through the heaviness of the black pudding, and the creaminess of the scallops balanced everything out. Success!
Lobster Pelmeni
This is basically ravioli, Russian-style. And stuffed with lobster. Served with salmon roe. Need I say more?!
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| Lobster pelmeni with salmon roe. |
Stinking Bishop Cheese Souffle
If you have ever tried stinking bishop, you'll know that it is VERY smelly (well, obviously). No seriously - I mean, so smelly that even I (a huge cheese lover) have to run a mile whenever I see (read: smell) it. However, Katie is clearly braver than I am and decided to go with this soufflé, I am pleased to report that she didn't regret it. I'm guessing the other ingredients on the plate reduced some of the cheesy pong - chive sabayon with endive, and apple & hazelnut salad.
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| Twice-baked soufflé, served on chive sabayon with endive, and an apple & hazelnut salad. |
Main Courses
Filet Mignon Rossini
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| 28-day aged scotch beef with seared fore gras, confit apple and truffle gravy. |
I can't say I particularly enjoyed this dish. Why, you may ask? Well, first of all, I asked for my steak to be cooked medium-well, and as you can see from the photo above, it came a little too pink. Second, the meat itself was rather chewy. Third, the lack of vegetation on the plate meant that there was no reprieve from the heaviness of the beef & foie gras. Fourth, the little gravy there was appeared to be tossed onto the plate rather messily. All in all, not a good dish.
Lobster Macaroni & Cheese
I could have kicked myself for not choosing this. I had toyed with the idea initially but thought that it might be too rich (lesson learned - there is no such thing as too rich when it comes to lobster, pasta and cheese). Luckily, C ordered it and very kindly allowed me a (large) bite. And it was divine. Rich, yes, but beautiful, smooth, luscious and creamy. Great presentation too.
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| Lobster Mac & Cheese, made with fresh lobster, Swiss cheese and parmesan. |
Baked Sole With Champagne Sauce
Katy continued with the seafood theme here - the sole was stuffed with lobster. And as if that wasn't decadent enough, there was lots of champagne sauce. Clearly my friends are better at choosing meals than I am :(
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| Baked sole with champagne sauce, stuffed with lobster and served on a bed of spinach. |
Champagne & Truffle Humble Pie
Rich but not sickly, this pie was given the thumbs up by Katie. It was stuffed with things all vegetarians love - mushrooms, pecorino, leek, black truffle and pearl barley. And of course the champagne gave the entire dish a nice zing. What's not to like?!
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| Beautiful presentation too! |
Pudding
(We were all pretty stuffed by this point, but no meal is complete without pudding. Duh.)
Warm Chocolate Fondant
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| Served with vanilla ice cream and berries. |
I have bad luck with chocolate fondants (a subsequent post by Katie will tell you why!) I mean, this dish was ok. The fondant did have a melty middle, but the fact that it was so shallow meant that there wasn't a lot of oozy chocolate. And let's be honest - what you want from a chocolate fondant is for the melted chocolate to ooze out when you cut it open. Disappointing.
Eton Mess En Perle
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| Lime meringue, berries, strawberry sorbet, raspberry marshmallows and cream. |
Again, my friends make better food choices than I do. Just look at the pink! And it's not just a gimmicky thing either - when you crack open that hard shell, there is a dreamy confection waiting inside. Not to be missed!
BBR Signature Chocolate Glory
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| Chocolate jivara mousse, chocolate brownie, meringue and passionfruit orange jelly. |
Same sort of idea as the above, but this is the dessert that BBR is known for (no duh Hannah - look at the name). Needless to say, Katie enjoyed it. Crisp on the outside, melty on the inside, and most importantly, chocolate everywhere. I'm salivating just looking at it.
Ambiance & Service
I've already mentioned the 'press for champagne' button, and we all know that's pretty cool. What else? Well, the restaurant is set over 2 floors and is very decadently decorated. Lots of gold everywhere. Shiny surfaces. Mood lighting. The colour theme for the ground floor was blue and for the lower ground floor red (with the Christmas trees dressed accordingly) Made for quite a 'clubby' feel but it worked, given the decadence of the food (and the prices!)
I've also mentioned that the service was good - the waiters and waitresses were attentive but not intrusive.
I do, however, have a slightly odd story to tell at this point. Halfway into the meal I got up to go to the loo. To get there, I had to pass the (heaving) bar. As I walked by, this man's hand shot out (seemingly out of nowhere) and grabbed hold of mine. In shock, I spun around and was confronted by the owner of the hand (male, of course) who proceeded to ask whether I needed help down the stairs. Now, I should clarify that there was only one small step. I should also say that I am a 23 year old able bodied woman who doesn't have trouble negotiating a step. Nor was I drunk, or wearing ridiculously high heels. Anyway, carrying on with my story. Even as I shook my head and tried to break free, this creepy guy continued to keep a tight grip on my hand and pulled me closer, breathing down my neck, asking me whether I wanted to spend the evening with him (WTF??!!) I was only able to get away when I literally yanked my hand away (literally risking spraining my wrist) and someone came by to 'rescue' me.
Now, I'm pretty sure that this was not a reflection of the clientele of the restaurant as a whole. It would be unfair to judge BBR on the basis of one creepy man, especially as it can't control the behaviour of its clients. Perhaps the man had had too much to drink that evening. It doesn't really matter - I guess the reason I'm telling this story (melodramatic & silly though it may sound) is that there are unusually aggressive and lecherous people out there, whether in BBR or elsewhere, so be careful ladies. I know men make fun of women going to the bathroom together, but ignore them. It's worth having someone around!
Ok I just felt like I had to put that story out there, but I'm not going to end on a bad note simply because of one silly guy. I really enjoyed BBR, and we had a great girls' night out. It's decadent but not tacky, and the staff did not have their noses stuck in the air (which, as we all know, is common in expensive restaurants). The food was also pretty unique - in a good way. In short, I will definitely be back.
Overall rating: 8/10
Bob Bob Ricard - 0203 145 1000 - www.bobbobricard.com
1 Upper James Street, Soho, London W1F 9DF
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