Bébé Bob is ridiculous in all kinds of ways. Let me start with the decor: the plush, cherry-red carpets, the velvet chairs, the marble tabletops, the mahogany panelling and the beige leather banquettes. Basically, it gives off “chicest dining option on a swanky 1960s cruise ship, complete with a swarm of seagulls chasing you from Civitavecchia to Cartagena” vibes; it also zings with “restaurant adjacent to a Monte Carlo poker table where James Bond might woo Honey Ryder”, although 007 would have to bet on Honey loving chicken, because that’s the only main course Bébé Bob offers. One bird, served for two, with legs, thighs, wings and breasts on a plate with a kitsch red logo.
Bébé Bob is essentially a rotisserie restaurant wearing a fur coat and Rigby & Peller knickers. Selling just the one item and doing it well is very much du jour in restaurant-land these days, though: it cuts costs, faff and fuss, while at the same time emitting an air of culinary expertise. Bébé Bob, as you may have guessed from the name, is a pared-down spin-off from the nearby well-established Bob Bob Ricard, which is best known for its Instagram-friendly “press for champagne” buttons, chicken kiev and -18C shots of Staritsky Levitsky small-batch vodka. Bob Bob Ricard is completely ridiculous, so it is a huge relief that its little sister doesn’t let it down.
