Bob Bob Ricard
"Press for Champagne" in London, UK
Bob Bob Ricard started as a single restaurant in London’s Soho, opening in late 2008. Leonid Shutov, a Russian-born British entrepreneur, founded it with the idea of blending British and Russian dining in a lavish setting. He drew inspiration from luxury train cars like the Orient Express, creating an all-booth space with blue-and-gold decor that feels like stepping into a gilded carriage.
Shutov aimed for accessible glamour, capping wine markups at £75 no matter the bottle’s price, which shook up London’s scene at the time. The place quickly gained fame for its “Press for Champagne” buttons at every table, letting diners summon bubbles instantly—they claim to pour more champagne than any other UK restaurant.
The champagne buttons turned into a cultural thing—people visit just to hit them, and it’s become a go-to for celebrations or Instagram moments. On the food side, the menu mixes French and British comforts with Russian touches: start with caviar on blinis or oysters, then move to chicken Kyiv stuffed with garlic butter, beef Wellington carved tableside, or lobster mac and cheese. Desserts like boozy chocolate truffles or flaming crème brûlée often close the deal.
The basement space feels a bit 80s disco mixed with Russian opulence. A place that wouldn’t feel out of place at as a setpiece in A Night in the Roxbury.
I didn’t manage to do a full writeup of this one - several rounds of champagne martinis, and at least five rounds of ice-chilled vodka shots later, I didn’t manage to write down much about the night. We made liberal use of the champagne button though, the main reason we were here.
The iconic “Press for Champagne” button.
A few champagne martinis to start the night.
If in Russia, do as the locals do. What’s a tin of caviar among friends?
Moving from Russian to British, one of the signature dishes at Bob Bob Ricard, the beef wellington. Perfectly done, with a pink center. I’d rank it slightly behind the beef wellington at The Ritz and The Savoy Grill, but pretty good execution nonetheless.
A rich and creamy fish pie,
Adding to the luxury and opulence, a lobster tail mac and cheese as a side.
Frankly, the food was a bit of an afterthought. Having a catchup with old friends late into the night, everything tasted good. I don’t think we even managed to touch the mac the cheese - it was pretty much a tin of caviar, many shots of ice-chilled vodka, celebrating in the most Russian style. We were handed a “friends of bob” card at the end - apparently, our drunken revelry wasn’t enough for them to bar us from future visits.
Total damage: 800 GBP/3 people.
