Bob Bob Ricard: what to order and when to go

Every table at Bob Bob Ricard has a button marked Press for Champagne. That is the whole pitch, and also not nearly the whole story. This is a restaurant that has been staging a very good evening on Upper James Street, by Golden Square on the Carnaby side of Soho, since late 2008.

What it is

The owner is Russian-born British entrepreneur Leonid Shutov, and the interior is by David Collins. Time Out's 2009 Eating & Drinking Awards gave it Best New Design, describing the theme as "Orient Express meets American diner". Wallpaper named it a winner in its 2009 Global Design Awards. Every table is a booth, and the look draws on the golden age of travel.

The critics were not unanimous at first: Stephen Bayley in The Observer called the interior foreign and weird in January 2009. That same May, The Guardian ranked it number 22 in its World's 50 Coolest Places to Eat. It has since settled into something rarer than cool: a fixture. The Michelin Guide lists it as Traditional British and Classic French, in the ££££ band, and calls it good for a date night, the place to impress in the old-school manner.

Not to be confused with Bob Bob Ricard City, the separate branch on Leadenhall Street. This guide is about the Soho original, at 1 Upper James Street (the booking page writes it 1-3).

What to order

Start with the button. The restaurant says it pours more champagne than any other restaurant in Britain, so press it with confidence.

• Beef Wellington. It is a dish to share, and diners report it takes time, with one older review noting about 45 minutes. Order it early and let the champagne cover the wait.
• Chicken Kyiv. The restaurant pushes it, and a Three Drinkers review from November 2025 names it a headline dish alongside the Wellington and the caviar.
• Caviar and oysters. Michelin describes a menu that opens with vodka shots served at minus 18 degrees and a choice of caviars.
• Truffle and champagne humble pie. Visit London lists it among the mains, and an OpenTable listing priced it at £22 some time ago, so check the current menu.
• Lemon sole or lobster macaroni and cheese. Both are on the Visit London list. Michelin mentions sole meunière among the classics.

There is also an all-day Diner Deluxe menu inspired by rail travel, handy if your timing is more theatre than long dinner. Older reviews praise the Chocolate Glory dessert, with hot sauce poured over it. Ask whether it is still on.

When to go

Reservations are taken for full meals only, so this is not a drop-in drink. Our suggestion: book lunch, or an early table before a show, and leave time for the Wellington. For a longer, slower evening, take a later table and settle into the booth. OpenTable lists daily hours of noon to midnight, but other listings differ, so check before you go.

Prices and booking

OpenTable lists the price as £41 and over per person. One diner reported about £80 a head with wine, but that is one table's bill, not a rule. Book through the restaurant's own site, which links to online reservations, or through OpenTable.

• The largest booth seats eight. Parties of nine to eighteen go in the private dining room.
• The dress code is Elegant, and ties are not required.
• Guests under 15 are not admitted.
• There are vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

For the full story, the Michelin Guide entry and the Wikipedia history are good places to start.

Go for the booth, press the button, and order the Wellington with a bottle of champagne.