Hide

A new 'Hide'

Grilled lobster with black pepper, pickled rose petals

Located in the smart address of Mayfair, Michelin-starred Hide by chef Ollie Dabbous has gone into a transformation. Beforehand, I recalled it used to have 2 different concepts across 2 floors which was confusing, and I had a very underwhelming meal there. The revamp of the restaurant has since merged the 2 concepts into a pretty standard ALC and tasting menu format. The food offering is still very creative, with a Nordic theme blended with international flavours. For my visit, I opted for the ALC menu and I noticed the restaurant was busy on a random weekend lunch, showing Hide is going strong.

Lobster claw 'spring roll' salad

Beetroot tartlet with morning’s ricotta & fragrant herbs

The grilled lobster dish was beautifully presented with a Thai-inspired sauce that contained lemongrass and black pepper. The flavour was excellent, but the lobster itself was cooked a little bit over for me. The claw was wrapped in a crispy pastry which I think would have been better served without as the deep fried element kind of overshadowed the subtle taste of the lobster claw. The BBQ Iberico pork was cooked well on the other hand, I really enjoyed the carrot and orange combo to offer a usual sweet fruity, and sour tone, it offered a really bright, uplifting, and refreshing feel to the dish.

Grilled Iberico pork loin, pumpkin and carrot

Barbecued octopus with crispy amaranth & peanut; pear, radish

The restaurant is open 7 days a week, serving breakfast, as well as a full menu for both lunch and dinner hours. The menu also contained heavily marked-up items such as caviar, oysters and truffles. Given the location, the restaurant is set up to drive as much income as possible instead of aiming for beyond 1 Michelin star. I don't see that as an issue, as far as food quality goes, I think it just about warrants its Michelin star status (apart from the overcooked lobster). The food is indeed interesting and I wouldn't mind heading back for something a little bit unusual and fun.

Food 3.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£100 

85 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7NB

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