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The "nest egg" arrives early — a coddled hen egg under smoked butter and woodland mushroom, the dish that made Ollie Dabbous's name a decade ago and still opens the menu. He cooks it on the first floor of 85 Piccadilly, where HIDE Above looks across Green Park and holds a Michelin star. The kitchen is wired to the 6,800-bin cellar of Hedonism Wines, and the Above tasting runs about £145.
Why HIDE Earns Its Place Cooking French Technique Outside France
Dabbous learned his craft in classical kitchens — Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons under Raymond Blanc, with stages at L'Astrance in Paris, Mugaritz and Hibiscus — before the original Dabbous restaurant made him London's most-talked-about chef. HIDE opened in 2018 as a partnership with Hedonism's Yevgeny Chichvarkin, and the cooking carries that French foundation in its precision and restraint.
Beyond the coddled "nest egg," the kitchen is known for delicate, vegetal-forward plates — forced rhubarb, iced sorrel, spruce and woodland notes — built on classical sauce work. HIDE Above won its Michelin star in 2019, a year after opening. The building runs over three floors: Above for the fine-dining menu, Ground for all-day European cooking, and a bar Below.
The Room
A sculptural spiral oak staircase ties the three floors together. Above is the hushed one — large windows onto Green Park, generous spacing, soft daylight at lunch and low light at dinner. Sound stays quiet enough for a confidential conversation. Dress is smart; no jacket is required but most guests dress for Mayfair. Ground below is brighter and more relaxed for an informal meal.
Best for Impressing a Client
Book HIDE Above for impressing a client because it combines a Mayfair address, a Green Park view and one of the deepest wine lists in London — the Hedonism cellar across the street means you can pour something genuinely rare to mark the occasion. The room is calm enough to talk business and refined enough to signal seriousness. See the full impress-clients guide for alternatives.
Not for a budget lunch — once a bottle from the Hedonism list is on the table the bill climbs fast. And the hushed Above room is wrong for a loud group celebration; take a birthday party to Ground or elsewhere.
How to Book HIDE
HIDE Above books through its own site and SevenRooms, generally two to four weeks ahead, with lunch the easier and better-value seating. The Above menu is a set tasting around £145; Ground runs à la carte. The wine list is the draw — budget separately for it.
Order the nest egg whatever else you choose. The room scores 8/10 for food and 9/10 for ambience in our editorial scoring, with value at 7/10 — the food earns its number, and the wine list is where the spend can run away from you.
Ollie Dabbous's Mayfair star pairs the 'nest egg' with one of London's deepest cellars — book Above to impress a client.
View HIDE on Restaurants for Kings →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HIDE worth it?
HIDE Above is worth it if the wine matters to you. The one-star kitchen is precise and seasonal, but the real differentiator is the Hedonism Wines cellar it draws on — one of the deepest lists in London. For a diner indifferent to wine, the food alone is very good rather than essential; for an oenophile, it is a destination.
How hard is it to book HIDE?
Two to four weeks is usually enough for HIDE Above, and weekday lunch is both easier to get and better value than dinner. Ground, the all-day room below, takes more spontaneous bookings. For a prime Green Park window table at dinner, book further ahead and request the view at the time of booking.
What is the dress code at HIDE?
Smart. No jacket is formally required, but HIDE sits in the middle of Mayfair and most diners dress for it — a jacket or a dress reads correctly in the Above room. Ground is more relaxed and smart-casual is fine there. Avoid shorts, athletic wear and beachwear throughout.
What should I order at HIDE?
Start with the coddled 'nest egg' — smoked butter, mushroom, the dish Ollie Dabbous is known for. Beyond it, the kitchen's strength is its delicate vegetal and seasonal courses. Most importantly, let the sommelier guide a glass or two from the Hedonism list; that pairing is the reason to choose HIDE over its peers.
Related Reading
- Top 50 French Restaurants Outside France. The full editorial ranking framing this review.
- London dining guide. The full London directory by occasion and score.
- Best French restaurants worldwide. Our cuisine pillar on French cooking worldwide.
- Core by Clare Smyth. London's three-star, French-trained British kitchen.
- Best restaurants to impress clients. The wider occasion guide HIDE sits within.