Claude Bosi at Bibendum
South Kensington, London
With its colourful stained glass windows depicting M Bibendum, better known as the 'Michelin Man', Claude Bosi’s spacious, elegant dining room in the landmark Art Deco Michelin House merits that clichéd foodie description, ‘a cathedral of gastronomy’. But there is nothing clichéd about Bosi’s food. It may be underpinned by peerless classical technique, but a meal here will always take you down the culinary path less travelled. Consider, for example, a main course of Brittany rabbit, a re-working of a Bosi classic. Previously paired with langoustine, this latest iteration features freshwater eel in several guises. A small piece, barbecued and glazed with mustard sauce acts as a richly flavoured condiment for the various preparations of rabbit that include a tiny, expertly trimmed rack (roasted to perfection and seasoned en pointe), two pieces of tender loin and a puffed-rice tempura nugget of the leg. A hollowed-out new potato is stuffed with an eel and rabbit farce and the whole thing bound together with two sauces – a rabbit jus and a smoked eel/mustard sauce poured at the table. A side dish of kombu custard topped with braised coco beans, mustard sauce and tarragon oil nearly steals the show. It’s complex, clever and memorable but, more importantly, it’s a joy to eat. That holds true of everything that arrives at the table, from exemplary cloud-like aged Gouda gougères and superb sourdough bread to a three-part interpretation of peach Melba that includes a white chocolate shell filled with a jelly of the peach poaching liquor topped with diced peach, vanilla cream, toasted almonds, lemon thyme and raspberries, plus an ethereal amaretti biscuit and a third dish of fresh peach slices with Vin Santo ice cream. A meal here is not cheap. Expect a hefty supplement for the signature duck jelly with smoked sturgeon and caviar or the roast chicken 'de Bresse' (served from a spectacular silver domed trolley). As for wine, the extensive wine list is dominated by bottles priced at three or four figures (although we did find several more-than-decent choices below £40). Bosi's singular culinary vision is a given, but factor in exquisite crockery, cutlery and stemware, as well as excellent old-school service (delivered with a smile by a smartly suited-and-booted team) and you have something worth paying all that money for.
Dining Information:
Separate bar, Family friendly, Credit card required
Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, South Kensington SW3 6RD
020 7581 5817
