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A First Look at the Food from London’s Biggest New Restaurant Opening

Ollie Dabbous’ Hide in Mayfair is now open, and the food is very photogenic

Bread, beetroot and lamb, at the newly opened Hide, in Mayfair
| Andrew Leitch/Eater London

Hide, Ollie Dabbousnew Mayfair restaurant, opened to the public yesterday. It’s been a long time coming. It’s been nearly six months since the restaurant was first reported to be opening — a high-profile, big money partnership between Dabbous and Hedonism Wines’ Evgeny Chichvarkin and Tatiana Fokina.

Last month the chef told Eater that he didn’t necessarily feel pressure, despite heightened expectations at a massive new (three-storey) site in one of the wealthiest neighbourhoods in the world. He also said that, unlike the relatively short-lived Dabbous (his first restaurant), he hoped to achieve “Longevity! We want to create somewhere that will, for many years to come, be a popular and progressive destination.”

About his food he said that he had “been very self-critical,” pushing himself to “create a food offering that feels evolved from what I did previously, rather than just more of the same. I was always satisfied with what we produced at Dabbous, but I do think this is better still. Hopefully the customers will agree!”

Eater was given a first look at a selection of the new dishes — here are six of the best from what is evidently one of London’s most ambitious new kitchens.


These glazed lemon cakes, which look like polished marble, feature on the afternoon tea menu, part of the offering at Ground. (Each table in the restaurant has either an H, I, D, or E inset.)

Glazed lemon cake, somehow

Bread is baked in-house; the basket, which includes a crisp cracker, poppyseed brown, focaccia-style white, baguette and a rye roll, with whipped butter.

Bread and butter

Entering Hide, guests are met by an imposing spiral staircase which joins the three component venues — Ground is an all-day restaurant that also houses the bakery.

Hide restaurant by Ollie Dabbous in Mayfair, a one Michelin star London restaurant for 2019
The staircase, resembling the roots of a tree, joins the three levels of Hide
Ground is an all-day restaurant, with in-house bakery

Starters from the Ground menu are bright, light and very very floral.

A dish at Michelin-starred restaurant Hide, which will launch the Hideaway pop up at Burlington Arcade on Piccadilly for Christmas 2018
Candy stripe beetroot, orange, pistachio and marigold
Andrew Leitch/Eater London

Mains, including this barbecued lamb dish, are similarly photogenic, and also lean into horticulture.

Lamb at Hide, by chef Ollie Dabbous
Barbecued lamb, aubergine and smoked kelp
Andrew Leitch/Eater London

Ascending to Above, guests are met by a light-filled dining room, overlooking neighbouring Green Park.

Above is a light-filled dining room with views across Green Park
Andrew Leitch/Eater London
The interior design of Hide is overwhelmingly inspired by nature, and its Green Park address

Flowers feature in, and are the inspiration for, desserts.

Coconut ice cream, coconut crisp, with a coconut macaroon

Petit-fours are inspired by Green Park.

Chocolate, hazelnut and gold leaf covered, uh, leaf; burnt liquorice root marshmallow

The service kitchen, visible from the dining room of Above yet unobtrusive, is a hive of activity even between services.

HIDE

85 Piccadilly, , England W1J 7NB 020 3146 8666 Visit Website

Dabbous

39 Whitfield Street, , England W1T 2SF 020 7323 1544

Lamb

94 Lamb's Conduit Street, , England WC1N 3LZ 020 7405 0713 Visit Website
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