Bob Bob Ricard (BBR)

[Hallie]

I'm already in love. Seriously in love with Bob Bob Ricard, partially because no one knows about it and also because I had a great and fairly inexpensive proper afternoon tea there today. Imagine the Wolseley meets Automat in terms of decor, menu and ambiance. I think its going to be a hit.

Has anyone else eaten here yet?

[Gary Marshall]

dos hermanos have been

http://www.doshermanos.co.uk/

i particularly like the push for champagne button.

[thom]

i particularly like the push for champagne button.

And if they'd also had a "push for Fosters" button you would have been in absolute Heaven...

Edited December 5, 2008 by thom (log)

[Gary Marshall]

i particularly like the push for champagne button.

And if they'd also had a "push for Fosters" button you would have been in absolute Heaven...

←

Tis true though this winter i have branched out into the wonders of real ale!

[gingerbeer]

ok, i must go!

[nikkib]

I found it distinctly average to be honest. Despite its hours (7am to 3am) the menu is small and whilst i like the idea of the sharing dishes i think £22.50 for

mac n cheese for 2 is ludicrous, the total ingredients can't even come to £1 i'm sure. I went along late afternoon and only had eggs benedict (£12.50) and a side of chips (£3.75) comapred to cafe bohemes £8 and £3 for chips which is really where it should be pitched and not up there with the Woseley... The wine list was fairly small but i did enjoy my picpoul de pinet. I spent £40 on 2 glasses of wine, coffee and aforementioned eggs etc which stung - especially when compared with my £55 lunch at Bocca de lupo the next day which was outstanding. There are soooo many better palces to eat in Soho, many doing the same thing as BBR but cheaper/better.... I would nout hurry back

[muichoi]

I'm not sure I want to taste your mac and cheese if you're only going to spend a pound on it!

[dipardoo]

I'm with nikkib on BBR.

Not enough to choose from and too expensive. Dull, overpriced wine list (not that you'd be going there for wines)

Scallops first course and halibut main (fish of the day) both overcooked. Lovely pudd - prune and armagnac jelly with cream. Looked like a little Guinness in its glass dish. Very nice indeed. Partner's burger was £12.50 not including fries which are £3.50. Ouch.

The Wolseley/Automat comparison sounds about right to me although BBR is not in the league of either. Am sure it will do well - the opening hours are certainly in its favour. I would probably give it a whirl at brekkie or afternoon tea but wouldn't go back for lunch/dinner.

[dallardice]

Yep we were there last night. Nice place but it is a short menu for evening meals - good to know it's open out of regular hours - could certainly see me popping in for a quick bite late or early. I was in a comfort food frame of mind - eggs mayonnaise was a retro eggs salad cream, mac & cheese was tasty but not very exciting compared to some of the great versions I've had in similar US places; the rice pudding was excellent.

[gingerbeer]

I went there today for brunch.

The good:

- The design. It's completely charming. The seats, the little BBRs, the colours, the menus, everything was like a set from a Wes Anderson movie. It's absolutely great. I thought the uniforms were cute, too.

- The brunch. My scrambled eggs were delicious - fluffy but moist - my bacon was cooked perfectly and my sausage delicious. Even the baked beans tasted good. My bubble & squeak was a little bit too crispy but otherwise nice.

- The bread - the bread for toast was cut thickly and as soon as we arrived we were given some really good rolls, and never-ending top ups of water (though we weren't surprised with additional new bottles and therefore extra $).

- The chocolate souffle. Really, it's the best I've had in a long while.

- The salted caramel ice cream (we thought we were given too little, at first, but because it was quite intense any more would've been too much).

- The service. We were 1.5 hours late, due to oversleeping, for our reservation, but they were kind and patient and accommodated us with no problem. The dining room was quite empty though, so I don't know if it will always be this way. A friend arrived 45 minutes later and they accommodated him graciously too.

- The drinks - all were good. The elderflower cordial especially.

- The menu. Pretty much everything sounds like it would be good to eat. There were none of those '...' moments.

The average:

- My fruit salad, while it included dragonfruit, kiwi and other such delights, was served sloppily and drowning in juice.

- The toasters for your table - a good idea, but, seemingly difficult to execute. The server decided to put it at the end of our table after our table was already littered with drinks, teapots, etc. So we had to plug it on ourselves and awkwardly make space and follow his instructions. Doing this earlier, when we first ordered, would've been cleverer. We also went through several pieces of toast trying to get the right setting for not burned or underdone - some guidance would've been helpful.

The bad:

- We were six people, and since there are only booths, it was quite cramped. Apparently they only have one table for more than this amount of people.

- The servers' knowledge of the dishes. They were not too sure what a few things were.

- The prices. I guess we should've expected it. It came out to 46 pounds a person (drinks including cheap champagne, brunch, dessert). That's not bad, I know, but you have to be prepared for it.

All in all, I really enjoyed this. I am going to go back again - especially for afternoon tea (we saw it floating past us and it looked so good). I just hope that the standards and service doesn't slip once it gets busy and full - without the great food, it would be a gimmick and the prices totally unjustified. If it stays the same, I can't imagine it won't take off. It was utterly charming.

Incidentally, it was 10 x better than the brunch I had at Automat a week ago - there, we were given 45 mins to eat (!), the eggs were cold, the bacon overly crispy, and the service forgetful. The service is the major difference from The Wolseley - it's so gracious and sweet compared.

OH, and we did press for champagne, but no one turned up! I guess people press it all the time?

Edited December 13, 2008 by gingerbeer (log)

[dipardoo]

I pressed for champagne too. Nada.

[Andrew]

I visited here on recommendation from a friend and had a great time. The menu in the evening is wonderful, so many things I could have chosen. We started with cocktails, good flavour and a liberal amount of alcohol. Starters were borchst which was clear and flavoursome and a simple dish of excellent English asparagus with hollandaise, salt and pepper (£10.50) - simple and really fresh. The mains were pork belly (£22) and a lobster curry (£32). Both were well executed. The pork came on a bed of red cabbage with black pudding and the belly was felt in the mouth but with a crispy top. I ordered an additional side of minted peas. The curry was served with various smaller dishes, popadom and rice.

With a bottle of Gavi the bill with service came to £140.

The decor is great and the booth we had was meant for four so was spacious. It would have been a little cramped for four. Downstairs is a bar area with the same interesting decor.

I would certainly go back. It is not cheap but the staff and friendly and professional, the evening menu gives so much choice and it is a fun place to visit. Much has been made of the 'push for chamagne button' which we did not use. There is a russian theme through the menu which made it interesting and the wine list is long and varied with some top wines with minimal mark ups.

Andrew