Hide

Underwhelming

Celeriac, avocado, angelica seeds

When Dabbous was around, it was without a doubt, the hottest restaurant in London. The Michelin starred restaurant was highly praised by foodies and food critics. A table at Dabbous was so in demand that you would need to book 6 months in advance to have a chance to secure one. Fast forward to 2018, Dabbous is no more and the chef behind it has launched a new restaurant called Hide in Mayfair and it was awarded a Michelin star soon after it opened. Hide is not your usual restaurant, it has 3 floors with 2 restaurants that offer a completely different menu. The cooking style is modern European with a hint of Nordic feel to it. The top floor restaurant at Hide is considered the more formal part, with a short tasting menu costing over £100.

Hide signature nest egg

Scallop, pumpkin, spiced buttermilk

I enjoyed the celeriac starter which was penetrated like a dumpling. The smoothness of the avocado, together with the freshness of the pine broth really linked up everything together.
Moving onto the roasted scallop, without a doubt the scallop was of fine quality, but I felt it was let down by the garnishes. The spiced buttermilk, together with the pumpkin seeds, just overpowered the natural sweetness of the scallop. The dry-aged Goosnargh duck was decent at best, it was nowhere to the tender level that I was hoping for. The garnishes were fine but when the main ingredient was at such fault, it did not matter.

Dry-aged Goosnargh duck

Toasted vanilla eclair

My meal at Hide was really average, at a cost of over £100 per person, I was expecting something really top-notch but Hide was not even close to that level. I just don't understand the hype about the restaurant, the concept sounded great on paper, but in terms of execution on the day, it was a real let down. The service, like in many Mayfair restaurants nearby, was cold. I see no passion and warmth from any of the waiting staff, they were all very knowledgable on the food and wine for sure, but I felt like I was talking to Amazon Alexa every time when I asked a question or making a request.



Food 2.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£105 (tasting menu)

85 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7NB

http://www.hide.co.uk/