Hibiscus

I did one of those things you do when you have time in London – booked lunch for one in January on a week day, and loved it.
I thought the restaurant was lovely, and Claude Bosi popped in during service to check that all the guests were happy – nice touch. Service was friendly and excellent, although I suppose it had to be (I think I was the first guest to arrive for lunch!).
To start – pork scratchings cooked with vinegar – great accompaniment to my glass of prosecco. Amuse bouche was some sort of carrot and apple soda I seem to recall. It was lovely, and had me really looking forward to lunch.
Starter was a Berkswell cheese royale with a buckwheat veloute (at least I think that was what the veloute was of) – having not eaten a royale before I didn't really know what to expect. It was a surprise, and a very pleasant one – the royale was very creamy and smoooth. I'm not sure it appealed to everyone however – I noticed a lady on the table next to mine who really didn't seem to think much of hers at all. I think the concept however must be very Claude Bosi? – I've noticed his latest lunch menu includes a crozier blue cheese royale.
Main was pheasant – all I can see is it that it was beautiful, a total delight. I think it was cooked 3 different ways.
Dessert was a lemon givre – had to ask what a givre was, but there you go. Very nice lemon curd topped with a lemon sorbet in a hollowed out lemon. Probably not a ‘wow’ dessert by itself, but it was made special by the accompanying madeleines, served warm.
I thought the bill of £40 was pretty good value – 3 courses plus a glass of presecco. A wonderful way to start your afternoon. I'm looking forward to trying out dinner one day soon…(with friends this time).

How could anyone resist a dish which came with “pork pie sauce”? Sod the rest of the ingredients (scallop may have taken top billing on the menu, but not for me), pork pie is one of Britain’s finest contributions to world cuisine and here it comes in liquid form. Bloody marvellous.

This was our first time in the downstairs private room, and it is never going to win any awards for décor or warmth: it is small and private, but adorned in muted browns (at great expense no doubt), and just big enough for a table, but not big enough for drinks and nibbles beforehand (although they did try).

As for the food, as well as the pork pie sauce, the scallop that accompanied it was a big, solid just cooked example, topped with a mustard crumble and accompanied by a grapefruit jelly, the sweetness of which contrasted perfectly with the salty sauce. The ravioli of smoked spud with egg yolk and the risotto also got big thumbs up. Mains too were very good, although the cod with black truffle, whilst a meaty fellow, was a little bland, contrasting with the guinea fowl which can often be bland, but here was not.

Deserts too were perfectly fine: the chocolate tart was certainly chocolaty (although the basil ice cream was a bit tame), and the whiskey cream millefeuille was so fine, that I didn’t get a look in of a try.

Dissatisfaction from other reviewers seems mainly to be focused on the service: whilst there was nothing actually wrong with the service, it is definitely on the sniffy side of formal; arrogant from the first to the last. Now I don’t really want the “Hello, have you ever been to Hibiscus before” approach, but geez guys, you could lighten up just a little bit. Maybe a smile? Too much: how about cracking a little grin then?

So don’t go to be amazed at the décor or the service, and do remember that this is Mayfair, so prices are on the high side of stratospheric, but do go for the light, often brilliant, and never less than very good, food.

Very disappointed. Had read such good reviews and heard really good things about this restaurant…perhaps we went on an off day?! Had a very arrogant feel about the place. Perhaps too much praise has gone to it's head! My Husband and I dined there on our anniversary. We both had the tasting menu.
Very poor service, on more than one occassion we had to ask for a refill on our wine. We also sat with empty plates in front of us for quite some time inbetween a couple of courses. At the end of the meal we asked for the bill 5 separate times to 5 different memebers of staff. None of which brought it. I had to get up out of my seat and ask the maitre'D in the end. The Somelier equally was not particularly helpful.
The food although good, was not anything to rave about by any means. I honestly don't think it worthy of 2 michelin stars. Had the service been better, we probably would have been more impressed with the food.

Wonderful.

Set lunch for three courses plus glass of wine plus coffee & petits fours at £42 is fantastic value for food of this quality. Immaculately prepared and presented food, with a range of superb intense flavours. Dessert was perhaps slightly less polished than the previous two courses but I was distracted by the amazing chocolate madeleines brought straight from the oven.

Menu options are very limited: you choose from menus of three, six or eight courses; there's no a la carte menu as such. However nobody in my party complained as the options all looked good. Vegetarians might have a problem.

At first I was concerned about the small portion sizes – the starter of blue cheese ‘royale’ with pumpkin veloute seemed to weigh about 35g – but by the end of the meal I realised they had judged it absolutely perfectly.

Service wasn't flawless: one of our diners never got a menu, at this kind of place you expect to have water glasses constantly refreshed and they weren't, we waited ages for coffee, but there were certainly plenty of staff and they were all v professional.

The room itself is not particularly interesting; a few little bits of art dotted about the place; and some of the tables are very near the entrance which is open to the front door. However it's understated rather than bland or styleless.

Hmm sounds like more negatives than positives but I really really enjoyed the meal! Overall a brilliant food experience; highly recommended.

“Crystalline dining experience in the hands of a great contemporary chef”

It had been a while since we had last dined at the great Hibiscus. And so when an old buddy from Asia suggested we go for a special night out together with our wives given we had missed doing so the last few times, I was more than happy to find, perhaps due to the slight Summer lull, that Hibiscus could accomodate with a table for the 4 of us!

Familiarity does not breed contempt when it is such succinct excellence one is faced with, and Hibiscus charms not merely with pizzaz or showmanship but comes through with subtle assuredness which has never failed to succeed in previous visits, nor on this occassion. Entering the restaurant one is perhaps surprised by the relatively intimate ambience and size of the single dining room which accomodates probably no more than 50 covers. There is no music; just gentle whisperings from guests' exclamations (of enjoyment !), and occasionally the quiet awareness of the well oiled staff as they go about expertly attending to every whim and fancy of the diners.

One has to go, to appreciate chef Claude Bosi's inspired compositions which change each time we have been, as he sometimes daringly blends bold ingredients and flavours to create culinary masterpieces. Perhaps once or twice have these compositions been so unusual in their inspiration that one stops to wonder, but on most occasions it is the realisation of a master at work, continually surprising and delighting our taste buds.

One has to try it for oneself as it is a journey to experience and savour each time, like luxury travel around the globe.

Hibiscus never fails. The food never ceases to amaze me, and the staff is never to be faulted. Time is taken to explain dishes, great attention to detail and also that little bit more! The different sommeliers we asked for suggestions were always extremely helpful and I am definitely looking forward to returning soon, it has been a while since my sea bass and earl grey gel, as well as the astonishing purple carrot amuse bouche! Recommend x 10!

Soggy, Wet London found me luckily in Mayfair at Lunchtime yesterday. I had heard of Hibiscus from its Shropshire days and had booked previously but had to cancel twice. By chance I went in at the end of lunchtime today and the delightful receptionist was more than accomodating and a table that had already finished and left was relayed for myself and business partner.
Having spent a long time (and too much money) in the past dining in many restaurants, including most of the great French ones, my expectations were met and then exceeded today. The food was delicious, seasonal and unique in style. I had head that M. Bosi spent a long time working for the maverick Alain Passard from l'arpege. There are a number of similarities. M. Bosi is apparant at the restaurant, he made a few appearances during lunch to talk about food to other diners, and once to cover the reception for a minute! The service, again similar to his mentors, was relaxed, knowledgeable and approachable. Not stuffy, just really nice. Even though we were pressed for time and had to have two quick espresso, the waitress boxed up our petit fours which we had later on at the desk. A special mention has to be made for the wine service team. One chatty wine waiter told us that the list is now 100% natural. The list can seem a little complex for those who dont know much about wine but they are very happy to guide you to the right selection. We had a lovely Malvasia. Not a grape I had had before but was perfect with our lunch choices.
At £30 for a three course lunch menu and £59 for the wine, I found the prices a little on the higher end of the spectrum. But quality comes at a price. Personally, I cant wait to go back.

As disappointment is relative to expectation I suppose that is one reason why I would have to say my biggest let down yet. I did have high expectations.. and Hibiscus had been on my list of restaurants to go for for some time … if it is food only you are interested in then do go but if you want the package don't. you can pick out from below what you need from your dining experience and make up your own mind – a brief overview -the service was dreadful and grudging. the room was grim, the food was superb but very small servings, and lunch was very good value but as a single diner it was the first time i ever felt uncomfortalbe in a restaurant

To start ..the room is like an airport lounge .(had thought The Square was the worst dining room in the city) reception reminds me of the waiting hall at my local garage .. certainly one would not feel like a pre lunch drink there …however the receptionist was wonderful … A single diner I was seated at a small table for two right beside another couple .. making them feel very uncomfortalbe . note to restaurants .. don't do this .. its not fair on them .. they feel listened to . and its not fair on the single diner .. they are trying not to listen. there were several nice big round tables ( at least 4 ) vacant for the duration .. it was another example of the grudging service I was to experience not to have given these tables either or both of us.

I really don't know if this was an off day but from the start the head waiter seemed to resent having to come near me … A Kir for my aperitif which was one of the best i have had .. and was really surprised to see on my bill later was only £6 ;.. I settled for the lunch with a glass of wine which is £ 39 and excellent value … a small amuse bouche a pineapple drink ..nothing to write home about .. an amazing starter of a fois gras terrine . a main course of superb partridge .. and a lovely dessert … the wine that came with the lunch was in fact ia very good french red and indeed I stuck with it .. ( when i could get attention to order it ) again was surprised to see on the bill the charge was £6 a glass …it was a very fine wine for this price ..bread not really up to par for a 2 star restaurant .. also literally a thumb size slice of turnip with the main.. i was sure it was just a garnish and expected to see a separate side dish of the winter vegatables as per menu arrive…lunch is just that bit too small so that one does not feel quite full at the end of the meal … and don't eat the petit fours as they are not good enough and your taste buds will forget the great flavours that came before them — coffee .. it was literally like water … needless to say when I pointed this out the waiter he was not happy and while he did offer tochange it .. by this stage I just wanted to get out … it is just not the type of place you want to hang around .. because of their attitude I was uncomfortable and I was quite exposed as a single diner in the position they seated me … I think i would have had a dessert wine or maybe even a different glass with lunch if anyone had bothered with me…
So the upshot is that the lunch is great value and very good – and other tables that had the a la carte seemed to be delighted with their food too …but atmosphere and service is worst in town .. I don't know if this was because i was eating alone – never had this experience of feeling unwelcome and uncomfortable before so not sure how to read it … .. single diners do make recommendations too you know ..my friend who had to organise 5 business lunchs over the last two weeks asked me to pick the restaurants — I made a point of telling him not to go here – as i said earlier you will know what is important to you but I will advise anyone dining alone not to go here …

Probably best to avoid Hibiscus.

I had dinner in the private dining room with 6 friends just before Christmas. Whilst the food was great, the service from the sommelier was the worst I have experienced and verges on dishonesty.

The minor issue was the water that was provided – 7 people were charged for 19 bottles of water. I doubt that we drank nearly 3 bottles each on top of 13 bottles of wine.

However, my main gripe is what I consider to be a flagrant breach of the trust that exists between the sommelier and the host.

The wines chosen for the dinner were all priced between £74 and £90, i.e. less than £100 (with the exception of the a dessert wine at £140). Later in the evening, I asked the sommelier for some additional wines and suggested he recommended some new world wine based on the sort of wines we had been drinking so far (i.e. style and price point). I was shocked when I checked the bill and discovered the resulting wines poured for us were £160, £175 and £325. Clearly, I acknowledge that I should have asked the price before agreeing to any of the wines, but in my years in restaurants of this calibre, the sommelier has always picked up on the subtle cues around what style of wine the guest would prefer, and most importantly the amount he would like to pay.

So a good restaurant spoiled by poor management and opportunistically ripping off the guest.

I visited Hibiscus a month ago and had a really disappointing experience – I emailed the restaurant the week after to convey this and, three weeks later, I still haven't had an acknowledgement of my email or the problems I had before and during the dinner, which slightly sums up the experience I had. It is very expensive, but I'd be happy to pay the cost if I thought I had got the level of service and dining experience that merits michelin stars. My unanswered email to the restaruant is below.

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I recently came to Hibiscus with my partner and was really quite disappointed and I wanted to pass this onto you as it seems this is the only method of contact on your website. Please pass this email on to the manager of the restaurant.

Before arriving, Hibiscus had great reviews from friends, however I had a slightly disappointing experience, which was missing a lot of simple touches you'd expect of a michelin starred restaurant.

Firstly, on arrival we were asked about allergies as you don't get to choose your menu at the weekend. I cannot eat coconut and passed this on. The first thing brought to the table was an amuse bouche with coconut cream, which my partner had to eat for me.

Secondly we decided to have the recommended wine with the 6 course tasting menu we had chosen. However the method for choosing what wine we had seemed very disorganised and there was no communication about how much this might cost. My partner chose to have five wines and was asked how he would like to split this and he chose 2 red, 2 white and one pudding wine. However no one mentioned that we would only be given 1 red meat course and so he was given 2 wines with one course. I had one glass of red with the course – however at that point the sommelier pointed to the second glass my partner had and said that “ You would probably prefer that one”. Not exactly what you want to hear, is it? And yes, I did prefer the other wine so the question is if the sommelier already knew that why was i given the first one?

I also booked online well in advance and 2 days before the booking a member of staff called me to take a card number to ‘secure the booking’. I was quite surprised that this wasn't asked for earlier and questioned why they were calling at such a late date. The member of staff who called was not helpful on the phone – for example there was not even any communication given about what the penalty for not showing was and could have handled the situation a lot better. If this is a company policy it should be clearly on your website and when booking online. It puts people's backs up and if your staff can't handle questions on the phone then they should either not be given that task or walked through how to handle clients.

Finally, I appreciate the idea behind the “mystery tasting menu” – that you are shown the range of food available at the restaurant and potentially experiment with new foods, but spare a thought for the pair sitting next to another couple who get all the courses you wished you could order. Sometimes you want to know what you are eating as the anticipation and choosing of it is part of the experience. If, coupled with the fact that no one is able to tell you how much you are spending and there are issues with the service both before and while you are there, it ends up as a disappointing evening that should have been a great treat.

We headed into Mayfair for Claude Bosi's slightly more gentrified and experimental take on French cuisine. The two starred Hibiscus was upended from foodie Mecca Ludlow and the chef has stuck to the kitchen, resisting the temptation to turn businessman and expand brand Bosi.

An imposing and genial man, Chef Bosi can't be missed, arms folded, ready with a joke or retort, while his sharp eyes scan the room. He looks almost at odds with the refined and delicate food he serves in the small, unfussy space on Maddox Street. You'd expect rugby player hands the size of hams to be more at home with big meat butchery or at least the more rustic cuisine of the region, however it's clear in his cooking that he possesses a surgeon's delicacy.

There's a fussy attention to detail as high as you'd expect from any two starred chef. The chicken was slow poached then roasted, arctic rolls of meat served with a rough mushroom filling. The white bean came with a kick of lime, but the other flavours of peanut and ginger, allegedly present, were too subtle for my palate. Despite that, I could have eaten the whole thing again. It went very well with a light Rioja.

Having recently been rated as one of the World’s Top 50 Restaurants, I was keen to discover for myself what all of the fuss was about, and having found the perfect excuse – an impending birthday celebration, five of us dined here for lunch eating from the set lunch menu.

Upon arrival the restaurant was quiet and seemed formal, but once we’d settled into our round corner table, the vibe picked up. The decor was modern and the tables were set out nicely with lots of space between them, making it very comfortable.

The staff were attentive and friendly and more than happy to go into detail in answering our queries about the menu – which you might otherwise require a translation tool for!

Once we’d all ordered, an aperitif was served. It was a mystic Arabic looking (and tasting) spiced soup served in an egg shell. An impressive start to the lunch and something quite unusual that none of us had tasted before.

My starter of Parmesan custard and cream with walnuts was memorable, with the portion size just right – any more and you’d over do it.

I was sadly let down by my main course of poached Gurnard and pearl barley, mostly due to my bad ordering and distaste for that particular fish – which I had not tried before. The waiter advised me that it was similar to John Dory fish, which I’ve had and enjoyed, but I would disagree. I also found the pearl barley to be bland.

I was pleased then when the desert came out and was completely scrumptious. A Lemon tart with clove ice cream. Strangely, we all agreed though, that the ice cream tasted nicer on its own without the flavour of the lemon. As another reviewer commented, some of the spice mixes are not to everyone’s taste.

The after dinner chocolates were bizarre to say the least, a fudge tasting of smoked fish, a caramel tasting of sea water… was I being haunted by the Gurnard I’d had for my main?, but we all agreed about these tastes.

In summary it was an unusual and mostly very pleasant tasting experience and reasonable value for the quality and complexity of the food on offer. I will consider going back, ordering from the a la carte menu if I do.

It's also definitely worth mentioning that some of my fellow diners ordered the Pheasant for their mains (shot and all) and were raving about the plate in its entirety.

Great food. The foie gras was the highlight for me. However while the food was challenging I didn't agree with all the ingredients and sometimes it felt the chef was over-complicating things. I should say that I am making a comparison with Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – where I had been the a day or so previous – and where the food was beautifully complex but assured and classic at the same time (and not at all gimmicky). I have eaten in many michelin restaurants and while the service was great by normal standards it was only OK by michelin standards.

I am being particularly picky here though. The food was great and the staff were friendly and knowledgeable so you won't be disappointed if you eat here.

On the mood of a very great celebration we spontaneously chose to eat mid-week at Hibiscus with only an hour prior reservation. We are English and French with an expertise in wine and extensive travels around the world — a passion for distinctive food, sensual flavours and culture. Maybe as we both warm to the individual spirit of all we meet, our waiters of which we had four, offered us exceptional service! As if royalty with extensive and perceptive engaging explanations of the menu and champagnes and wines. And each absolutely perfect with the choice of food. The atmosphere was so comfortable as if in our own home. For hours we sojourned in this world; tasted and delighted in each course and the in-between refreshers were an absolute wonder! We decided this cook must be the best lover as those places in us that distinguish taste and aromas – were in absolute ecstasy! We had no hesitation. It was fantastic meal and the ideal accompaniment for this celebration of life.

It is nice to find a restaurant with well spaced tables and good noise suppression (carpets and textured walls) – makes for pleasant conversation!

The food was wonderful – a twist for each dish in terms of the spices which may not be for all – but we found worked very well.

We shared the starters Langoustine, Fois gras and ravioli – could not fault any of them. This is rich food. The mains were goose and the two course pork, Desserts came in the form of Rice Soufflé, chocolate tart, and parsnip tart. The parsnip cream start by itself was wrong, but when combined with the vanilla ice cream and caramel came together beautifully – was a delight. The pre dessert of granny smith jelly, with chestnut mouse and celeriac mousse was divine. The only thing that we all agreed did not work was one of the sweet treats with the coffee – a smoked fudge – tasted like eating the remnants of a piece of fudge that fell into the ash of a fire – too smokey!

This is a restaurant for meat eaters who like rich food – the focus of the plate is definitely the meat which was generous with very delicate and interesting sauces and artistic accompliments.

The restaurant manager, Azedine was very helpful, very knowledgeable with the wine and always on hand to help without being unobtrusive.

This is three star quality but some of the non standard spicing may just keep those traditional Michelin inspectors from going for the third -I hope not!

Clients I had invited couldn’t make it so I took the Mrs instead, very much her gain and their loss.

Hibiscus is very worthy of it’s 2 stars, service was attentive and unobtrusive. The sommelier was very helpful and suggested a reasonably priced bottle to suit our meal and our tastes. The ambience was quite convivial and the strip of smoked mirror circling the restaurant makes for excellent surreptitious people watching. Claude Bosi even came out to do a little smoozing with the dinners.

The food was quite sublime, being a school night we just went a la carte. Oak smoked sweetbreads with goats cheese mousse for me to start, the Mrs having the fois. Mains were an enormous veal chop for me while she had chicken, which came in two courses, first a cray fish stuffed breast which was the tastiest moistest chicken I have ever tasted. The second part featured crispy chicken and a parfait, each plateful would of really served adequately as a course on its own. We finished with a raspberry gratin and a Milefeuille, both of which were superb. Teas and petit four finished us off.

For the two of us it came just a little under £300, which given the quality of the food and service was good value especially when I would consider it a far better experience to Marcus Wareing where dinner for two comes in closer to £400.

The only fly in the ointment and it nearly stopped me booking is that when booking they ask for credit card details so they can charge £50 per head if you can’t make it. As I often take clients who often cancel and reschedule, as I say at the wife’s usual gain, it does deter one from booking and perhaps why it was only half full on a Thursday night.

A birthday lunch, so high expectations. Before we get to the food, drink and service its worth commeting on something that bizarrely seems to have been overlooked by all the reviews I have read not just on this excellent web site but on any other web site or magazine, the room: it's possibly the dullest room I have ever eaten including my time at King Edward V1 Upper School. It lacks warmth, personality, features and last Friday lunch time at least, people. Not sure what they can do about it except move. The food, was very good although the portions are very small even by fine dining standards. No seasoning is provided but actually none of us felt any was required. The menu is beautifully balanced in terms of meat and fish and the flavour combinations on your plate are incredible. The cheese plate was extremely disappointing both in terms of what was offered and how much. The service was ok, personally I don't need to be reminded by the waiter what I ordered even if the time that has elpased between ordering the food and it arriving, has been long enough for one of the guests to go outside and have a ciggie. The wine list is French dominated, we ordered an Albarino which they had run out of and the replacement was French.
The whole experience made me realise that for me at least a good dining experience is as much the environment you are in as the food and drink you have. I won't be going back.

One of the best dining experiences I've ever had.

We ignored the tasting menu but the a la carte came with appetisers, a pre-dessert and petit fours so having the choice to try 4 dishes between 2 of us really worked best.

Food was excellent. Pea and Mint tart for dessert with a coconut sorbet just worked a treat.

The staff were exceptional and happy, which makes the meal so much more enjoyable.

Don't be put off by the size of the portions. They look small but the flavours are intense and by the end of the meal you'll be full!

If you have a special occasion coming up, try an get a table here, you (or that special person) will not be disappointed.

An exceptional restaurant and on the two occasions I have visited I would rate this as one of the top dining experiences in London.
A muted room with well spaced tables, the atmosphere improves like a good wine as the meal progresses. Clearly everybody around you is enjoying the experience.
Service is the best type – attentive, unobtrusive, warm and friendly, staff are well briefed and clearly enjoying their roles, they showed pride in the cooking and the restaurant.
The food is beautiful, and delicious. Inventive touches abound. Flavours are strong and elegantly combined. On Saturday evenings the chef's tasting menu provides ample opportunity for imaginative flair. We had no idea what our dessert was and were invited to guess. What looked like a delicate slice of lemon tart turned out to be white asparagus with white chocolate ice cream – an extraordinary idea which really worked. Other tables were served different dishes.
A confident kitchen, a great place to go for a special occasion, an oustanding restaurant.

The food was exceptional. It's expensive. It's worth it.

We were a party of four: two Londoners and two New Yorkers. We loved it – it's a place to go if you want the absolute best food and don't care about the price.

I am far too well mannered, but actually, I would have liked to have licked my pudding plate clean.

The restaurant itself is fairly plain but still somehow warm. The staff are friendly and there is no hint of snootiness often associated with our cousins across the Chanel.

Our waiter's heavy French accent added comedy value, as we had no clue what we were ordering, even with the explanation. It didn't matter. It was all exquisite.

If goldilocks was looking for a night of inventive haute cuisine at its finest, complete with graceful service and a great wine list, this place would be not too hot and not too cold but just right. I had the pleasure of finally sampling this two starred michelin success on a celebratory night out with my fiance and arrived at one of the earlier evening sittings.

At first the dining room was reminiscent of a revamped library sans age old books, but it didn't take long for the tables to start filling up fast, which brought to life the intense coffee and beige interiors. Tables are economically yet spaciously arranged allowing for diners to breathe a little and service is swift, elegant and very french – although not to the point you feel stupid for asking them to repeat themselves – and if you did (as I did) you certainly would not be treated like a mentally challenged adult for the night.

Now on to the food..mmmm..the food. We opted for a four course menu on their bespoke night,which is unusual of me, as a virgo I don't like surprises but decided to live on the wild side for the night and boy did it pay off. £65 buys you four courses of lip smacking eye candy on a plate, that tastes just as good as it looks. Innovation and experimentation blended beautifully with classical french cooking earns Mr Bosi mucho brownie points. Dishes like the ravioli with sping onions and broad beans, succulently cooked black bream with morelles, oak smoked asparagus and a rich gooey chocolate number all hit the spot and the vegetarian mains are just as good.

To top it off, a comical yet tasty amuse bouche with pineapple jelly balls (reminiscent of a certain Mr Bluementhal but probably without all that molecular nonsense) and a pre dessert palette cleanser all add to an experience that leaves you content, excited and nicely stuffed. One to enjoy when your looking for a meal to remind you that good food does exist in London (just don't gawk at or choke over the bill).

I had a truly exceptional mid-week lunch here with two fellow critics from The Arbuturian who were equally impressed. We dined from the set lunch menu, excellent value at £25 for three courses. Bosi is renowned for his inventive cooking and is one of the few chefs tipped for a potential third Michelin star next year, and I can see why.

For a main course I had a cottage pie, which is not something one would expect to see on a haute cuisine menu; but this was cottage pie Bosi-style, and it was the most incredible cottage pie that I have ever eaten. The flavours were deep and intense, yet defined and playful; this calibre of construction and execution could be seen throughout the courses.

Some of his dishes have been criticised for being a little too inventive, but I think it's admirable that he's trying to take food to new levels. This is not molecular gastronomy, but high-end haute cuisine, which means pushing the boundaries of the classic framework established by Antonin Careme over a hundred years ago.

I returned for another meal here, this time visiting on a Saturday night to sample their gourmet set menus. The format on Saturday is geared towards a foodie experience – you choose from either a 4, 6 or 8 course menu, and you don't know what you're going to get until it arrives at the table. It was an excellent meal.

This is a well executed fine dining establishment, but lacks wow factor. The decor is refined but quite plain, service generally good, but with a few flaws, such as never topping up the water, possibly because it was from the tap. The individuals were lovely though and apart from this minor gripe and a generally slow pace we were well looked after.
Presentation is what they excel at and all dishes looked great, particularly my Carpaccio of Pollock. Desserts were also strong, with my warm chocolate fondant excellent and topped by a rather powerful basil ice cream. It was interesting and novel, but perhaps too much. My wife’s artichoke flavoured dessert was even weirder but she enjoyed it.
The pre-dessert of chestnut foam, celeriac gel and apple was the best dish of the night. Absolutely delicious.
I do feel quite strongly that at this price point the tales should be farther apart along the one wall with a banquette. I was glad the people next to me didn’t speak English, but the atmosphere was changed as soon as they plonked down beside us.
All in all, foodies should check it out, but I won’t be becoming a regular and there are other places at similar prices that deliver so much more.

PS – I didn't think anything was salty so I suspect the other reviewer was just unlucky.

VERY DISAPPOINTED: tried Hibiscus last week, after it got its second michelin star and received so many positive reviews and I was schocked by the food we were presented. We had the 7 course tasting menue (chosen by the chef). The main theme through allmost all courses was SALT, SALT, SALT… Almost every single course was so heavily oversalted that all other flavours of the precious ingredients were completely killed and destroyed. the Foie Gras was so oversalted, you hardly felt the fine taste of it… just salt. the monkfish was so oversalted that it tasted like any ordinary salted fish, but not monkfish. the amuse bouche, an egg, was so salty, it just tasted like an ordinary egg with too much salt. even the desert, whatever it was, was salty. this hasnt got anyhting to do with experimental or inventive cooking, or new flavour combinations. It was just oversalted food. We left the restraurant thirsty and with a taste of salt in the mouth that lasted for the next 24 hours. This is definitively not a 2 michelin stars experience, not even 1… Inventive cooking is not about putting tonns of salt on precious ingredients, its about combining flavours in a way you still can taste them and are pleasantly surprised by the combination and leave the restaurant with an unforgettable taste in your mouth and not dried out and thirsty because of oversalted food. Maybe they had a bad day or the chef didnt cook himself, it doesnt matter, the restaurant has 2 michelin stars and its not acceptable to serve such food on no day.