Hide, the latest restaurant from Ollie Dabbous, opened last year to some slightly sniffy critic reviews but then duly won a Michelin star only a few months later. It’s taken us a while to get around to checking us out but it seems that any early hiccups have not dented its fortunes at all – on a Monday night in February, the place is heaving. And seeing as this place is bloody huge, heaving is no mean feat.
Hide is split into three sections, with a cocktail bar and wine cellar in the basement, ground floor restaurant with a more casual vibe and an a la carte menu, and a tasting menu only top floor called, Above. We love a tasting menu so booked ourselves in for the full experience though if you want to get a taste of Hide without the tasting menu price tag (£115 at dinner or £48 for a shorter version at lunch), then the ground floor level offers a more wallet-friendly price point.
Before we get into the food, we must mention the wine list which is one of the biggest in Europe. This is thanks to the partnership with nearby Hedonism wines. Not only is there a huge selection of wines in the restaurant’s own cellar but the list expands to roughly 6,000 bottles when you take into account Hedonism’s stock. The whole thing is so big, it’s stored on an iPad and if you want a bottle from Hedonism, they’ll whip round and get it for you. Being a Monday, we just stuck to a couple of glasses however.
The food is of course inventive, skilful, and delicious. Of a succession of quick starters, our favourite is something you have probably seen all over instagram: small slivers of charcuterie wrapped around feathers and porcelain bones. Then comes the ‘Nest Egg’ another photogenic dish that sees an eggshell filled with a creamy concoction of yolk, smoked butter and mushroom – it’s so good, we finish it in seconds.
Another favourite is a small square of grilled eel served in a delicious Japanese-style broth with cucumber and sansho pepper. Then comes the main event, rich meaty squab pigeon that’s been cooked over charcoal to give it a smokey flavour and served alongside a little round of liver parfait and some picked quince. It’s a pretty special dish.
We really enjoyed Hide and think we’ll be back again soon to check out the other elements of the restaurant – and maybe even send them around to Hedonism for a special bottle.
85 Piccadilly, London W1J 7NB
hide.co.uk