HIDE ABOVE

Hide, a restaurant and bar by Hedonism Wines and Ollie Dabbous is noted for its incredible feet in gaining a Michelin star just 6 months after opening. Set over three floors, the restaurant with its wide windows allow for natural daylight to brighten the restaurant during the day and the subtle lights of the streets during the evening.

The restaurant is set facing Green Park, allowing customers to have a relaxed view away from the typical hustle and bustle of London streets.

The restaurant reflects the themes “organic” and “natural” with its very neutral colours of wood, tan and off white. The theme seems to reflect the views from the windows creating a relaxed feeling that allows guests to separate themselves from their usual lives and become fully immersed within their dining experience.

The restaurants three floors are named as follows; Above, Ground and Below. Each providing a different element and experience. 'Below' set in the basement is a must go for wine and cocktail enthusiasts alike. With its extensive menu for both, and walk in cellar where you can choose your own wine, it can provide an incredible experience.

'Ground' provides a more informal style of dining but aims to showcase the best of the season. Whether you come for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea or dinner you are sure to leave satisfied.

Finally 'Above' is reserved for a more fine dining experience with its regularly changing tasting menu and its attentive and professional service it is truly a must go for any food enthusiast.

HIDE ABOVE:

“Hide Above offers diners tranquil views over Green Park and a light-filled dining room. The food is light, elegant & pure. enjoy a beautifully prepared set lunch or tasting menu, with matching wine flights.

It is layers of attention to detail, skill and care that elevates the good into great and the great into the sublime.”

– Description from restaurant page.

Upon entering the restaurant you instantly feel a sense of exclusivity and mystery; with its near hidden doors and dark wooded reception. After telling the receptionist our reservation we were taken upstairs to our table. We were able to catch the last few moments of the sunset over Green Park providing an incredible start to the evening.

All our needs were catered for be it a stand to place your handbag or a charger for your phone hidden in a draw of the table. After we were seated and had made ourselves comfortable we were given our menus which were in elegant white sleeves.

Following that we were asked if we wanted any wines or if we would like to choose one of the three wine pairing options. We chose to choose our own wine and so we were given a tablet with a huge array of interactive options so that we could find a wine that suited our tastes. The sommelier was more than happy to help us pick a wine and talked us through the processes of using the tablet. After we choose our wine our waiter came to our table to take our order for the fish and meat options as well as the extra courses. Since I went with a friend we decided to choose one of each option so that we were both able to try all of what the restaurant had to offer.

The first course, the amuse bouche; 'Vegetables, Flesh and Bone, bread and broth'. The vegetables were fresh, cooked to perfection and really highlighted the individual flavours. The soup which was drunk straight from the bowl, was full of flavour, highlighting the seasonal mushrooms without being overly strong. The variety of breads was also delicious especially paired with the salty butter. Finally, the 'bones and flesh' was the only part which let the course down. The meat was difficult to chew and the size of it was uncomfortable to swallow. The flavours were a little lacking in comparison to the rest of the course.

The next course was ‘Dressed leeks with hazelnut & black truffle’. After the dish was presented the waiter poured sauce over the top, this added drama to the dish. The dish had good flavour and texture providing a good balance between each ingredient.

Following this was ‘Tartare of Bluefin tuna otoro, pickled mushroom shavings & nasturtium’, the dish was elegant and simplistic in style. However, it wasn’t to my personal taste. The texture of both the fish and mushroom made for an uncomfortable experience, but this is not to say that this dish was bad as my friend thoroughly enjoyed it.

'The Nest egg' has been on the menu since the opening of the restaurant. The beautiful presentation of the dish and the smokiness that came with it really helped add an umani element. The egg itself was incredibly rich but still allowed for the flavours to develop with each bite.

ADDITIONAL COURSE: ‘Gently cooked foie gras & steamed spinach in a toasted rice broth’. The broth complemented the texture of the foie gras, cutting through the richness and giving a good balance to the dish.

FISH COURSE: this was the first of the option dishes the restaurant provides offering both ‘glazed eel grilled over charcoal, cucumber & sansho pepper’ or ‘Roast Cornish monkfish, buttered parsley root, buckwheat & horseradish’. After trying both I feel that the monkfish was much closer to my taste with each element adding a new and complimentary element to the dish as a whole. The jus and fish in particular making for an amazing dish. In fact I would consider returning just for this dish alone. The eel was also a good dish well cooked and in good balance of flavour however the other option was far superior.

MEAT COURSE: again an option course consisting of two choices; ‘wagyu beef shavings, oscietra caviar & rye in a warm oxtail broth’ or ‘squab pigeon cooked over charcoal, tarte fine of its liver parfait & pickled quince; tobacco & red wine jus’. Again there was a distinct difference in the quality of these dishes. The wagyu although looking delicious and eye catching was actually quite difficult to eat. Being only provided with a spoon you would expect either the meat to be in small piece’s or easy to cut. Instead a large carpaccio style cut of meat was given which made it uncomfortable to eat. The oxtail broth worked well with the caviar adding a good variety of texture to the dish.

The other dish being the pigeon was incredible start to finish. From the presentation of the whole bird to the dish itself. The texture of the pigeon being incredibly soft, not often associated with this type of game bird, made for a good mouth feel when eating. The smoky and rich jus worked very well with the bird. Altogether this dish has topped my experiences with game.

ADDITIONAL COURSE: the cheese trolley was another additional course. However, after seeing another table be presented with it we were more than eager to see what it was all about. The trolley had 12 different cheeses all with different textures, flavours and strengths. The service was incredible. Our server was able to provide us with a basic understanding of each cheese and helped guide our decisions. After cutting our cheese she placed them in the recommended eating order and made an apple chutney to go with the cheeses. Crackers given worked well with the variety of cheeses we chose. However, there weren't enough provided.

The pre-dessert ‘Miyagawa sorbet with prickly ash’ was one dish that I had no idea what to expect. Upon seeing it served on an ice block, I was still confused about the dish. Its exotic fruity flavour provided a refreshing break in-between courses.

DESSERT COURSE: the final course consisted of two options; ‘Hide Baked Alaska’ and ‘Celeriac with pine & cobnuts’. Both dishes were incredible. The balance of flavours and textures made for a well-balanced dish. The baked Alaska was particularly good.

Finally we had the ‘Acorn Gold, frankincense & myrrh’ which consisted of a marzipan acorn and a truffle shaped pine cone.

After we paid they gave us cookies to take away with us. The overall experience was incredible and I would highly recommend a visit to any chef or food enthusiast.

#Bread #Cake #Chocolate #Desserts #Fruits #Sugar