The Bibendum restaurant in London

The Bibendum restaurant is said to be “the most consistently excellent restaurant” in London.   About the consistency I don’t know, as I went there only once. But I can confirm the food was excellent and the staff very attentive.

The former British headquarters for the french tyre company Michelin

I like the history of Bibendum. It has been named after its mascot “Monsieur Bibendum”, himself taken his name from the latin phrase “Nunc est Bibendum” : “Now is the time to drink”.
The building is eye-catching when you wander in Fulham road, as it is quite singular.  Curious people can easily pop into the Oyster Bar at the ground floor to look at the interior design and the drawings on the wall that recall the Michelin company’s history.
The place had been the headquarters of the Michelin Company since 1911. It was then turned into a restaurant (as well as a shop and an office) in 1986. It is no longer the property of Michelin, as Sir Terence Conran  and the late Lord Paul Hamlyn who admired the place, bought it.

An iconic atmosphere and a great food experience

Having lunch at the restaurant on the upper floor is really pleasant as the place is very luminous thanks to the large stained glass windows.  And the comfy chairs make the stay really enjoyable…
We had decided to taste new things from what we were used to eating in restaurants. I personally succumbed to the temptation of taking a whole tartare menu: a salmon tartare with some caviar at the top as a starter and a Steak tartare with toast/pommes frites as a main dish. That was delicious, even if I thought the steak tartare portion looked like a starter one….
You can have an idea of the current menu here.
We had a great time at the Bibendum Restaurant. Many reviews from Tripadvisor were harsh with the venue, but I shall say I appreciated the staff attention and found the food excellent. Every one have their own experience, but I would recommend to go there as the building and food (not a Michelin-starred one though) are worth-seeing and experiencing.

Enjoy and leave your comments below!

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