Mr Lyan has joined forces with Soho’s Bébé Bob to curate its first cocktail list alongside a menu of caviar-led bar snacks. Olivia Palamountain reports
Bébé Bob in Soho has joined forces with world-renowned bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana and Mr Lyan Studio to create a unique cocktail list paired with a new caviar-focused bar snack menu.
The collaboration, inspired by Chetiyawardana’s frequent visits to Bébé Bob since its opening, is the first cocktail list to grace the menu and aims to add a new dimension to the restaurant dining experience.
New offerings include “Schnuggets” – golden chicken schnitzel nuggets served with caviar or trout roe, a Chicken Fat Doughnut filled with roast chicken curd, and a Lemon & Caviar Doughnut topped with Oscietra caviar. All snacks can be ordered with or without caviar.
The cocktail menu (all at £14) is designed to capture the bold spirit and sense of fun that defines both brands and takes inspiration from the restaurant’s eclectic décor.
Highlight cocktails include the “Frites Royale”, a twist on Kir Royal that pays homage to Chetiyawardana’s favourite Bébé pairing of French fries with ice-cold champagne.
The ‘Bébé Lyan Martini’, made with Amalfi lemon and frozen vodka, is available in full and mini sizes and served with a choice of garnish, while the “Chicken Bone Negroni” nods to the iconic Bloodshot cocktail created at Super Lyan in London.
Bébé Bob has also revamped its à la carte menu, introducing what they claim to be London’s best value caviar selection.
As reported by The Daily Mail, sales of caviar are now booming thanks to a Gen Z trend of taking “bumps” of the ultra-expensive fish.
Sales of sturgeon roe are up 74 per cent since 2020 globally, according to 360 Research, with British teenagers and those in their early twenties driving the trend.
Chetiyawardana says: “Bébé Bob became a firm favourite of Alex and I after we went down on the invitation of some friends for ‘champagne, chicken and caviar’ (that’s what our calendar invitation excitedly promised too), and we were so impressed by the uniqueness and confidence of the restaurant.
“It’s become a regular haunt for us since, and so we were really excited when Leonid wanted to chat to us about trying to bring a similar boldness to the cocktail offering.”
Leonid Shutov, Founder of Bébé Bob and Bob Bob Ricard, added, “We were very excited to see Ryan among our early regulars at Bébé Bob, so when our thoughts turned to bespoke cocktails we could not think of anyone better to approach for collaboration. It has been incredibly exciting working with the world’s leading authority on cocktails and we can’t wait to share the results with customers old and new.”