Located at the Mondrian Shoreditch hotel in London, Bibo aims to attract hipsters on a big night out with whole lobster paella, inventive cocktails and loud music. Jenny Southan reports
Described as a “lively, urban space, perfect for casual lunches and spirited dinners,” Bibo is three Michelin-starred chef Dani García’s first branch in the UK. (He also has Bibo restaurants in Marbella, Madrid, Tarifa, Doha and Málaga.)
Located on the lower ground floor of the trendy Mondrian Shoreditch hotel in East London (formerly the Curtain Club and Hotel), Bibo created quite a buzz when it opened last August. Curious to try it, I booked a table with a friend.
The cavernous interiors were warm and inviting. I learned that design firm Epicurean (the specialist food and beverage division of Goddard Littlefair) incorporated rose-coloured handmade tiles, antique tan leather, teal and rose fabrics, oversized rattan pendant lights, polished copper walls and “sardine mobiles” suspended from the ceiling to give it a whole new Spanish-style look.
Signature dishes at the London outpost include oxtail brioche with mushroom, DG sauce and rocket; Russian salad with quail eggs, potato, extra virgin olive oil mayo, tuna belly, fried quail eggs and garlic chips; and jamón croquetas with tomato powder.
This was also something that restaurant critic Grace Dent picked up on. She wrote a review in The Guardian saying: “A pivotal moment in my restaurant-reviewing career came when, just after eating my porcini croquettes, I downloaded a decibel-monitoring app on to my phone…
“Dinner with friends is all about telling stories, and stories are all about detail; they are also about timing and red herrings and withholding information until the perfect point. And none of that can happen at places such as Bibo that, my new app told me, play dance music at 84 decibels.”
VERDICT:
Bibo is a great bet for a raucous dinner party with friends who have plenty of money to splash and don’t mind consuming a few mouthfuls of tapas. The interior design is a highlight, as are the cocktails.