Recent review of Bob Bob Ricard - Feb 2011

Where: Bob Bob Ricard, Soho
How much: £40 - £50 a head for 2 courses and drinks, though you can go much higher if you choose
With who: The Coastguard and Trouble
Come here if: you're in need of a dining experience that genuinely brightens your day

Where do you take a Grumbling Gourmet, an American on his first "since I could drink" trip to Europe and a bolshy pescatarian for a bite to eat after a few beers? With such diverse tastes to cater for, Bob Bob Ricard was an obvious choice. It was also directly across the street from our drinking den, the old faithful Old Coffee House) and so didn’t need much discussion.

Bob Bob Ricard has been gently settling into the London scene for nearly three years now. It wasn’t the softest of landings, due in part to a particularly exuberant launch menu which they attempted to run from breakfast - famously silver serving cornflakes and toast - to late night - a la Wolesley, a slightly unfair and unintended comparison. The reviews were weighted towards the positive, but wildly mixed, AA Gill described it as the worst opening of the year in an infamously acerbic roasting, Giles Coren was muted at best, Jay Rayner liked and while Marina O'Loughlin loved the ‘deliciously daft’ restaurant (along with several others), it certainly wasn’t universal positivity. 

They didn’t do themselves any favours with the relatively cosy cabal of top restaurateurs either. Their policy of ‘naming and shaming’ big wine mark ups at the top restaurants while guaranteeing no more than a £50 mark up was welcomed by the consumers of such big price tagged bottles, but drew fire elsewhere for highlighting the gross mark ups that are often charged. The proof is in the pudding (wine, they serve Chateau d' Yquem by the glass) and today they sell enormous amounts of wine at the £100 - £400 level that would cost you nearer £400 - £1600 in places like Hospital Road or Ducasse. Wonderful if you’re being entertained by a big city beast, mere mortals will feel safe with some solid choices (they really know their wines here) at the lower end of the spectrum or by the glass. Oh and they have a champagne button. A tableside button that summons champagne.

It’s the latter quirk that sums up the feel of the restaurant better than anything. Classy, with touches of madness. Moodily lit, marbled and packed with twists of colour, the pastel shades of the staff uniforms (pink soldier style jackets for the boys, blue waistcoats for the girls) should clash with the blue leather booths that divide the place like a large snug railway carriage, but they pull it off somehow. The room from the outside (or to the drunk) appears full of flitting birds of paradise, bobbing and weaving between the tables.

Following an instructive pre-Christmas lunch with charismatic owner Leonid (the ‘Bob Bob’ of the team) I was certainly going for one of the modern Russian starters I’d had before, with a palate cleansing vodka to bring out the flavour. As a combination it has the desired effect, leaving my taste buds ready for a creamy smooth Russian Salad, diced vegetables in thick, rich mayonnaise topped with slices of black truffle (not quite as Mother-ski would have made it, but close enough to provide a touch of home for any expat guests. They also offer herring, caviar, jellied ox tongue and pickled mushrooms (sadly no cornflakes anymore) accompanied by vodka and a range of more traditionally Western (though not specifically traditional) starters including an excellent tuna Nicoise carpaccio sampled tonight and a very good venison steak tartare. Mains similarly cross the divide between solid high end classics and Russian comfort food (the focus on the former), all cooked by a Brit. Several times I’ve been unable to tear myself from their excellent Chicken Kiev, served with a sweetcorn mash, oozing garlic through its poached then Panko crumb fried pores. 

They source well, cuts from legendary Knightsbridge meat master O’Shea’s make several appearances on the menu through an Onglet cut, a very good chateaubriand and a luxurious beef Wellington. Pescatarians fare well, with four or five solid (if not imaginative) fish options including a lobster and chips at a city beast budget of £39. Veggies less so. There’s only a single, sullen sounding cherry tomato and parmesan tarte fine, glaring down from the top of the menu like the only Goth in the room, ignored and moribund. 

Mains generally hit the £18 - £20 mark, with a few rising well above this, the house burger brings the average down, though add the obligatory fries in and you’re still looking at £18 for the plate. It is a fine burger though. The bar for top end meat patties has risen recently through the efforts of Hawksmoor, the sloppy authenticity of #Meateasy and the rise and rise of the Byron chain. BBR fits in well, though there are other options on the menu worth a look.

A slight faux pas with the bill aside, the good humoured staff are well drilled and friendly and the member’s club vibe extends to Bobby’s Bar in the basement, a perfect spot to wind down with guests after a long lunch or dinner. A solid, quirky option with well heeled friends or clients, much needed in a part of town stronger on more casual dining.

10 things that I've noticed about eating in Russia - Nico Polo speaks

Our intrepid explorer, Mr Nico Polo is has now left Moscow behind and is heading towards Lake Baikal and the East. He's finished off with ten observations on the cuisine he's been experiencing. Short and sweet. 


"Russian food is not bad. It can be heavy but salads are plentiful and delicious, and no-one cares whether you have a main course or whether you just graze. Here are some of the things that I've noticed about eating in Russia." 

1. Restaurants seem to be open at most hours of the day and night. You can eat from any part of the menu at any time and no-one questions or comments. 
2. You eat in any order or graze, depending on how you feel. At the same table someone could eat salad, someone else ice cream, someone else grilled meats and someone else just have coffee. 
3. Most restaurants, certainly those in the cities, have a sushi menu. It could be mainly Italian or traditional russian but they also serve sushi. It's all about the status symbols in middle class Russia and sushi is clearly it. Its usually horrible though as in the middle of Siberia, fresh tuna and salmon are pretty difficult to come by
4. Vodka is drunk with food and never on its own. It usually is accompanied by a jug of Mos which is a cranberry juice drink. Each shot is downed following a toast by the table host.  
5. Many people prefer to drink wine or beer with their meals though. There are some excellent Russian beers but a good array of Czech and German beers in most places. A 23 year old tour guide told us that vodka is now the drink of middle aged and older men, and more sophisticated people drink wine with their meals.  Most of the wine is imported from France or Chile it seems and is fairly passable. 
6. Borcht is universal and each resturant has its own recipe. It is served hot and with meat usually but we have also had vegetarian versions and cold versions with shredded hard boiled egg which is delicious. 
7. The other summer soup is Okrashka which is made from Kvass. Kvass is a yeasty lemonade and drunk by the gallon and sold from massive road side water containers. As a soup, it includes egg, meat, raddishes, dill and spring onion. For something so light it weighs massively heavily on the tummy. 
8. Dill is the herb of choice. You might get parsley as a garnish but dill is in literally everything. 
9. Smoked fish with bread is very popular. They use a local freshwater fish for which I havent found a translation.  But its delcious, lightly smoked and sliced onto dark rye bread.  They do not gut the fish before smoking however, and this was a bit of surprise the first time I ate it on a train with a Russian cabin mate. 
10. Beer snacks are served everywhere.  They include deep fried breaded cheese sticks, onion rings, nuts, baked croutons, and corn chips with tomato salsa.  I never want to drink beer without snacking ever again! 

A guest post from Nico Polo - Russia

A very good friend of mine, Nico Polo, is taking advantage of a career change and spending nearly two months travelling through Russia, Mongolia and China on the Trans Siberian Railway. Jealousy doesn't even begin to describe it. 
He's writing a blog, which I do recommend you read, especially if you're thinking of doing the same thing or can see through his rather cunning nom (nom) de plume. 


Russia and the former Soviet states aren't renowned for their culinary niceties. It's a region most regularly characterised from the outside with a patronising stab at hearty peasant cuisine followed by a comment abut unidentified meat and dumplings. A check with a number of colleagues from the region reveals only slight evidence to the contrary. There were a few ex-pats waxing about the joys of pelmeni (meat-filled dumplings served with a dash of vinegar), salo (salted, unrendered pork fat presented like fine Spanish ham) and borscht, but by and large they weren't missing it. That being said, it's a region that covers a sixth of the globe, and as Nico is travelling across most of it, we're all hoping that he'll find something, somewhere that he can eat.

And since he's writing it anyway, I've commissioned him to add his foodie thoughts to the Grumbling Gourmet as an occasional series (I'm just hoping that it lasts longer than my attempt to eat with England in the World Cup). If you like it, have a look at the blog... 


"I've got to say that it's far better than expected so far, though some of the stereotypes are certainly there. Yes, Russian food is quite heavy in the main courses. Over boiled veg, meaty mains, very often breaded and all served at scorching temperatures. Before them, however, you do get some delightful salads and soups. The amusingly named Idiot in St Petersburg saw the first taste of cold Borsch with shredded hard boiled egg, soured cream and dill. After a (hot) night at the Kirov Ballet, it was the most refreshing thing one could possibly have eaten. A passable salad followed before a main of mushroom and potato rosti (a little heavy but delicious).  My intrepid travelling companion Sputnitza Dolly had a green salad followed by a heavy pasta dish with mixed veg. She lamented not having my borsch.
Moscow called and we went. In GYM (the former state department store) there is a retro-Soviet Canteen. This is an interesting experience of similarly stodgy food but quite atmospheric and ultimately, for those that don't speak Russian like myself and Sputnisa Dolly, self-service. Over boiled veg accompanied again though I had a terrific chicken kiev (told you it was retro!) and she had pork cutlet which was still tender. Salads again were a surprise smash with herring, beetroot and tomato.  Delicious dessert of sour cherry strudel was a winner. 
Finally, today, we hit the all you can eat Russian buffet, just off Red Square. Tasty, filling, uneventful but cheap - a first for Russian cities. My buffet i think trumped Dolly's Business Lunch set - though she did get beetroot salad (fast becoming a cooling favourite in the 38 degree heat) and I didn't. Beer knocked me out for the afternoon but hey ho. When in Russia drink like a Russian.
We went for the most delicious and expensive lunch at Cafe Pushkin. An old fashioned but unstuffy (actually there's nowhere in Moscow that is stuffy it would seem) place off Pushkin Square, round the corner from Patriach's Ponds. It was very good. 4 course each, wine, coffee and petits fours really rounded off the Moscow experience. It was good food - very Russian in style: starters of herring and an asparagus salad; soups of borsch and '24 hour sauerkraut'; both having pelmeni (russian meat filled dumplings a bit like heavier ravioli) followed by lovely, if slightly over the top, desserts and coffee. The Room was beautifully clad in plaster, with a fin de siecle lift and carved wood bar. We're off to get the train now, so not sure what the journey food will be like, here's hoping for some tasty fish round lake Baikal!"