Bob Bob Ricard

I have been reluctant to visit this restaurant as I thought it was all style and no substance. However I was looking for a last-minute venue which served relatively simple, non-spicy food and BBR had tables free - sorted.

The decor and general vibe is like a quieter sibling to The Wolseley - leather banquettes and soft lamps. Staff were friendly and efficient.

The menu didn't grab me - the selection didn't really seem to have anything that was light, fresh and healthy. Fish was fried or in sauces, meat pies, burgers and the like were all on there. The only salad was a caesar - not very interesting.

We skipped starters and I chose the crab cake with a quail's egg on top and my friend had sole goujons. We knew that any accompaniments would be small so we also ordered new potatoes and green beans. The food arrived very quickly and I was surprised by how small the portions were for the price. The potatoes were great, the beans a little too crunchy for my tastes. The crab cake was a bit under-seasoned but nice, the sole was good and we paced ourselves.

A bottle of Kim Crawford dry riesling helped it all go down.

We decided to have desserts, partly because we were still peckish. The desserts sounded good - much more appealing than the mains [but I do have a sweet tooth]. We chose a trio of ice creams [chocolate, peanut butter and salted caramel] all were very good. My friend's chocolate fondant looked a bit flat when it arrived but tasted good and oozed in the correct way.

We weren't rushed by the staff and the ambiance was good. Overall it was a pleasant meal but more down to the company and the atmosphere than the food. Visit for competent food and service but with little flair.
Comment on this reader review

cut2qwik - View all reviews by this user
7 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Friday, September 09, 2011

I agree with the review below. We were not the priority. The service was not good and the management at this place just don't seem to understand how important it is to make special occasions special. This place has really gone down in estimations and I would recommend, if you are considering going - DON'T.
Comment on this reader review

- View all reviews by this user
1 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Thursday, September 01, 2011

we went as a party of 4. food was ok, little over priced. the service could have been better, more attentive perhaps. the atmosphere wasn't all that great although i did like the decor. it felt like we weren't a priority. all the owner was interested in was the famous person on the table behind us!
Comment on this reader review

2 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Thursday, August 25, 2011

I went to Bob Bob Ricard on friday with a group of friends. I'd not been before but some of the girls had and were excited to take us there. With no real expectations I was pleasantly surprised. The decor is stunning and wherever you look these is something gorgeous to look at. I like the intimacy but also you get the buzz of being in a busy restaurant.

For me the highlight was the service and I wish I remembered our waiters name but he was great. Nothing too much trouble, he was pleasant and happy with lots of good suggestions. Some of the best service i have experienced for a while, especially with a large group.

The food was yummy and there is something for everyone on the menu with a good price range for all. The Pistachio Brulee was to die for.

I hope you enjoy as much as we did.
Comment on this reader review

Donna G
10 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, December 06, 2010

We loved this place the minute we arrived! London is awash with bland gastropub copycat AllBarOne failures that deliver a monotonous experience without room for soul or passion.

Bob Bob Ricard is wonderfully mental, so decadent, reminiscent of visits to Budapest and Prague. The room is beyond compare in this town and the staff are suitably attired in Bassets hospitality uniforms of pink and turquoise. Super friendly bar tenders and waiters make it apparent they were nicked from the Ivy.

The menu is simple old school london surf & turf, think gents clubs and city grills. There's a similarly cheeky bar downstairs with plenty of discreet cubby holes to hide away from prying eyes. Even the toilets are worth a visit.
Comment on this reader review

Justin
9 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, October 27, 2010

For my wife's birthday I decided to spoil her with some very special wine and champagne. I've read before about their keen prices on famous wines and having checked their wine list on-line I booked our dinner. I did not quite know what to expect, but the place turned out to be so much more! The room was like a glamourous film set from the 1930s and our booth was like something off the Orient Express. The service was very friendly and efficient, the wine superlative, but what most impressed my wife was the food and the many light and seasonal options like steamed asparagus and Eton mess with fresh English strawberries. And my special of crispy belly pork was to die for. It is certainly going on our list of regulars
Comment on this reader review

Rober Stanley
10 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Saturday, May 01, 2010

Visited for drinks recently and, while pricey, these were some of the best cocktails we've had in London recently. The best of the bunch was the Blackberry Lady Bob, but we couldn't fault anything we tried. Will definitely return on a busier night to see the deliciously Art Deco interior in its full glory.
Comment on this reader review

-K- - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Had a great evening at BBR to chase away the early January blues.

Shots of vodka over Russian snacks such as jellied ox tongue, herring, cured pork lard and pelmeni (meat dumplings) got the meal off to a roaring start.

Starters of lobster cocktail (they sub lobster for langoustine whenever they don't have langoustine in stock, which is virtually always!) and a meaty terrine were superb. The beef tea soup looked great too!

For mains we enjoyed chicken kiev (the sweetcorn mash served with it was utterly delicious) and pig cheeks braised in port which were so tender and meaty and delicious that I've been dreaming of them ever since.

As I have of the apple jelly dessert served with the most buttery shortbread rounds I've seen!

And then there's the decor - flamboyant, kitsch and yet reminiscent of luxurious days long since gone, this is not somewhere for the faint hearted!

Lots of fun!
Comment on this reader review

Kavey
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Lovely decor but such a poncy place it is unreal. £14 just for an average cheeseburger. Will not return.
Comment on this reader review

GB
2 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 0
Monday, December 14, 2009

It was Oaks Day on Friday so as tradition dictates my brother and I usually have a nice cooked breakfast out before heading off to Epsom. We have gone to the RAC club in the past and the excellent Gazette in Balham last year. However I was drawing a bit of blank this year when I remembered that Bob Bob Ricard was open early for breakfast.

We pitched up at 10AM to the restaurant to be greeted warmly and ushured into a very plush but quirky room. We were shown to a very comfortable booth by a pink waistcoated waiter. Now experience dictates that when a place spends as much as here on decor you can usually expect something lacking in the kitchen. We both ordered the cooked breakfast which arrived crammed onto a small plate. It was OK but nothing amazing and of particular concern was the bacon which had rubbery rind.

Service was brisk and friendly but overall I didn't feel entirely comfortable. The restaurant was trying extremely hard to get the gentleman's club vibe but lacked a common sense approach like providing you with decent sized plates, thick sliced bread and most importantly some decent lighting in the toilets. This place could be really good with just a bit more effort in some pretty obvious areas and if the kitchen could cook bacon properly.
Comment on this reader review

david ginsberg - View all reviews by this user
7 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Monday, June 08, 2009