The Gist: http://www.bibianadc.com/
The Why: Having been to Rasika and having considered the Oval Room (based on ulteriorepicure’s report from days later I should have gone – though much of what he received was dinner-only fare despite going at lunch) it seemed the Knightsbridge restaurant group knew what they were doing and I knew I’d be in the area around Bibiana at lunch, plus I enjoy Italian.
Service: Mentioned here only because it was so bad, during the duration of my 80 minute lunch only 2 other tables were sat and despite this, Thea managed to let my water glass run empty twice, delays between appetizer and main course was nearly 30 minutes during which I was never checked on, and I literally had to flag her down to get more bread because she was standing within earshot gossiping about the weekend’s plans with a coworker.
The Food: 2 Appetizers, 1 Main, 1 Dessert. Bread service complimentary.
Black Olive Semolina, Rosemary Onion Focaccia, and White Bread with Olive Oil: Baked in house and served warm this was definitely a highlight of the meal at Bibiana – each bread quite good and the Rosemary Onion Focaccia as good as any bread I’ve had in a restaurant in some time – the exterior chewy and the interior featuring a soft/pillowy crumb laden with hefty notes of rosemary and light onions. Leaving the white for the birds a second basket eventually arrived and the olive oil was a lightly grassy blend with good but not particularly wowing flavor.
Baccala – Breaded Baccala, Red Chili Emulsion, Citrus: With the Brandade fritters at 2Amys the day before underwhelming these were actually worse; dry and lifeless fishsticks served with a sauce reminiscent of battery acid given the overpowering citrus and heat. Without the sauce the fish was bad. With the sauce everything was bad. Thea never asked how I liked the plate despite one of the nuggets returning to the kitchen untouched.
Zampino – Breaded Pork Trotter in “Pizzaiola” with 45 minute Hen Egg: At $11 this one was actually quite excellent and perhaps the deal of the menu as the trotter was golden crisp on the exterior and a savory bomb of porcine meat and melted collagen within. Paired with a bright and bold tomato sauce and a sous-vide egg smoothing and melding the otherwise poignant flavors this one went back to the kitchen spotless thanks to the help of the black olive semolina bread.
Spaghetti Al Nero Di Seppia – Black spaghetti, Louisiana jumbo lump crab, ‘aglio, olio e peperoncino’: A dish done over and over but here done quite nicely the squid ink spaghetti was light, springy, and al dente while the sweet crab was plentiful – nicely accented with herbs and a bit of pepper. Light on olive oil with just enough to prevent any clumping each noodle came loose from the tangle nicely while retaining plenty of flavor; a pasta much lighter than the norm.
Budino – Creamy Vanilla-Ricotta Custard, Carrot Tuile, Pineapple Sauce, Toasted Pistachio, Beet Gelato: Pretty, yes. Tasty, mostly. A budino, in name only. Featuring two small custard cones – no more than a bite each – with crispy carrot crackers and pineapple aplenty the most compelling part of this plate was actually the smoky pistachios and beet gelato, an earthy duo that worked nicely to balance out an otherwise uninspiring plate. Call me crazy, but when I order budino I want a thick pudding cup – not a two bite panna cotta.
The Verdict: While certainly not a great meal, neither in terms of food or service, the room and location of Bibiana are quite nice but given the cost associated I’d find it hard to justify a repeat when Elisir, Fiola, and Tosca are all better in terms of food and (all save for Elisir) service.