It's quite fitting that Michelin's old UK headquarters has been turned into a restaurant and, joyously, that has both preserved the building and opened it up to the public, for eating out is only partially about food while the ambience itself can often play a significant role: Duck & Waffle on the top floor of Heron Tower is very different to Duck & Waffle in a basement. And in our view, the Art-Deco/Art Nouveau Michelin building is absolutely stunning, changing the very experience of eating a meal here, especially on a sunny day when the stained glass windows are illuminated to remarkable effect.
The building itself is actually called Michelin House while Bibendum is the name of the symbol of the Michelin tyre company that is more often referred to as 'the Michelin Man'. The slogan, 'nunc est bibendum' dates back to an 1898 poster (and to Horace before that) and means 'now is the time to drink', and is ubiquitous throughout the restaurant. The venue was bought by Terence Conran in 1985 and comprehensively restored to glory but did not become part of the D&D group as most of Conran's other restaurants did in 2007.
Today I'm joined in the restaurant by up and coming blogger Senthil (@londonfoodfreak, website: londonfoodfreak.com) and between us we try both the a la carte and set lunch menu. The set lunch, not often my first pick, nevertheless impressed me with a choice of seven starters and seven mains, all of which looked very respectable for £30 for three courses and so becoming my preferred option.
The weather, as can be seen in the pictures, was unusually nice, with sunshine and blue skies leading me to choose summer style dishes. Accordingly, it was a chilled melon gazpacho with prawns for the starter, and hake fillets with lime, ginger and coriander button for the main. The meal delivered exactly what I hoped it would, a light freshness that complimented the sunshine. The hake was delicious and well cooked, after all this time I still find it amazing how many restaurants cook fish poorly, but here, no such problem. I tried also Senthil's steak tartare from the a la carte menu, a particularly rough hewn rendering with a kick to match its 'in your face' texture, possibly from the inclusion of both brandy and anchovy paste in their particular recipe.
The building itself is actually called Michelin House while Bibendum is the name of the symbol of the Michelin tyre company that is more often referred to as 'the Michelin Man'. The slogan, 'nunc est bibendum' dates back to an 1898 poster (and to Horace before that) and means 'now is the time to drink', and is ubiquitous throughout the restaurant. The venue was bought by Terence Conran in 1985 and comprehensively restored to glory but did not become part of the D&D group as most of Conran's other restaurants did in 2007.
Today I'm joined in the restaurant by up and coming blogger Senthil (@londonfoodfreak, website: londonfoodfreak.com) and between us we try both the a la carte and set lunch menu. The set lunch, not often my first pick, nevertheless impressed me with a choice of seven starters and seven mains, all of which looked very respectable for £30 for three courses and so becoming my preferred option.
The weather, as can be seen in the pictures, was unusually nice, with sunshine and blue skies leading me to choose summer style dishes. Accordingly, it was a chilled melon gazpacho with prawns for the starter, and hake fillets with lime, ginger and coriander button for the main. The meal delivered exactly what I hoped it would, a light freshness that complimented the sunshine. The hake was delicious and well cooked, after all this time I still find it amazing how many restaurants cook fish poorly, but here, no such problem. I tried also Senthil's steak tartare from the a la carte menu, a particularly rough hewn rendering with a kick to match its 'in your face' texture, possibly from the inclusion of both brandy and anchovy paste in their particular recipe.
Escargots de Bourgogne
chilled melon gazpacho with prawns and mint
Steak tartare
Fillet of hake with lime, ginger and coriander butter
Magret de canard with saute foie gras, crepe Parmentier and sauce bigarade
Being in no rush, for desserts we choose the two items on the menu that are advised as having a 20 minute wait time, the pivithiers au chocolat and the apple tart. The apple tart was okay though Bistrot Bruno Loubet serves up an altogether more satisfying version but the pivithiers aux chocolat is an absolutely wicked dessert with generous filling of gooey chocolate that should satisfy dessert lovers everywhere, even if initially the dessert itself is not blessed with an abundance of good looks.
Tarte fine aux pommes with vanilla ice cream
Pithiviers au chocolat
as above
I've been to Bibendum before and not blogged it but I'm glad I went back, for the meal we had today was exactly what I had hoped it would be. And while located in Michelin House, the restaurant is not blessed with a Michelin star, but within that category and price point (of non starred restaurants seeking to offer classic fine cooking in an up market environment), they do a very good job here. When that is further combined with the sheer pleasure of sitting in a landmark Art-Deco building on a sunny day with good company and a glass (or two) of wine, I simply have no complaints and would happily return in the future. Bibendum is another restaurant that, while venerable, continues to deserve a place in today's London dining scene.
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