Spanning three levels – “Above” at Hide, “Ground” Hide and The Bar “Below” – Hide is a magical restaurant, reminiscent of a fairytale woodland. It’s a modern twist on a rustic forest, juxtaposing the wooden interior with large, bright windows, and light, delicate features… simultaneously adding a new dimension to relaxed fine dining. It’s as if Green Park seeps in through the windows, extending into the interior. Hide away in this oak-themed restaurant, much like an owl in a tree hollow. It’s one of my favourite restaurants in London, for its culinary tastes, extensive wine list, and, most importantly, many memories with friends across the years.
HIDE X HEDONSIM WINE
Hide opened its doors to the Mayfair culinary scene back in 2018 and gained its Michelin star just 5 months after it opened. At the helm of the restaurant is Ollie Dabbous, joined by head sommelier Piotr (World’s Best Young Sommelier 2017), in a venture backed by Hedonism Wines’ owner and investor Yevgeny Chichvarkin.
Indeed, it would not be a blog post about Hide without mentioning Hide’s 7,000 long wine list (the largest in the world). After browsing the extensive list and selecting your wine from a leather bound iPad, your beverage of choice will be chauffeured from nearby renowned Hedonsim wines to Hide within 15 minutes.
WONDERFUL WOODLAND
The restaurant reportedly cost >£20 million to create, (the whimsical staircase £0.5 million alone), making it one of London’s most expensive renovations. Rumour has it that the restaurant boasts its own car lift – meaning you can enter and dine in one of the private dining rooms, quite literally “hiding”.
Each floor has a distinct ambiance, and you will feel as though you are quite literally travelling through the iconic centre-piece, hand-carved tree trunk staircase. “Above” is a light, soft and airy space, with large, bright, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Green Park – not dissimilar to the porous foliage on an old oak tree. Next, “Ground”, the bustling centre where most choose to dine; the “hearth” of the restaurant, like a tree trunk. And, finally, “Below”, a dark and dazzling basement bar serving a wide selection of classic and contemporary cocktails; the dark roots where the tree stands. Cocktails are curated by Oskar Kinberg.
A LA CARTE
There’s a Nordic feel to the warming yet delicate dishes; simple and seasonal, yet nourishing and bursting with flavour… sure to tickle your taste buds and providing an aesthetic feast for the eyes.
For the full Dabbous experience, I’d recommend ordering the “Nest Egg” – egg mixed with mushrooms, smoked butter and cream, cooked for >2 hours, and served in its original shell within a cosy nest. Buttery and earthy, it’s an explosive dish. Paired with a Glekhuri orange wine from Georgia (fun fact: wine was actually invented in Georgia in 6 000 BC).
My favourite dish is the octopus. The sweet grapes and slightly creamy yoghurt perfectly complement the dark octopus. The menu has changed slightly since, and barbecued octopus is accompanied with violet mustard, cassava charcoal and tahini dressing. I also love the blue prawns combined with ripe avocado and fig leaf oil. Soft-shell crab tempura with Thai basil and green peppercorns is a crispy yet chewy delight.Seafood is where my vegetarianism becomes flexiterianism.
There is a variety of meat options, from Roast Herdwick lamb with green asparagus, to Wagyu tomahawk cooked over charcoal, served with grilled spring onions and crispy potato cake.
There are a selection of veggie dishes for both start and main. The roast scallop with Jerusalem artichoke, rhubarb and rose geranium is one of my go-tos.
And, finally, you /can’t/ go to Hide without trying the warm acorn cake. It’s mandatory. Period. Rich sponge is soaked in rum, and combed with smoked caramel, creating a divinely sweet dessert with strong nutty notes.
Other desserts include a coffee bean and fennel pollen tiramisu or earl grey sundae with honey cream and pistachio. The rice pudding soufflé’s with nutmeg caramel also sounds lavish!
ABOVE
Above at Hide, with its tasting menu, is near the top of my next Michelin restaurants to visit, whilst the ground floor Hide, has been one of my go-tos when dining in Mayfair. For the avoidance of doubt, the Michelin star is for the whole establishment, not just “Above”, as some may incorrectly presume.
Martin Carabott is Above’s new Head Chef, previously working as senior sous chef at Ground, and at Luca and RAC. The frosted window provides a peak into the kitchen, but is not the focus point of the restaurant, that is reserved for the expansive views over Green Park.
What do you think of Hide? What’s your favourite dish? Let me know in the comments below.
If you love the dishes as much as I do, maybe consider purchasing the “Essential” cookbook, signed by Ollie Dabbous for £30, next time you’re at Hide.
Lots of love, Jo xoxo
