HIDE ABOVE or BELOW
In 2012, Hedonism Wines was opened in Mayfair as a fine wine and spirits boutique, became a huge success and changed the wine map of London for good. Six years later, in April this year, Hedonism opened its own restaurant on Piccadilly, called Hide, and it became an instant hit. There are three floors with a restaurant on each of them: Hide Above, Ground and Below. Hide Above offers dinners and a beautiful view of Hyde Park; Hide Ground serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner - the dining here is more informal; Hide Below is a basement dream bar where you can choose from a selection of cocktails, the most impressive spirits and even more impressive wines. It boasts a walk-in wine cellar where you can choose your wine yourself and there are three outstanding thematic private dining rooms: The Broken Room, The Shadow Room and The Reading Room.
The centrepiece of the understated décor of Hide Above and Ground décor is a spectacular curvy Art-Deco staircase. By contrast, the simplicity of the tables makes the restaurants feel very homey and chic. The imposing built-in wine cabinet on the ground floor adds to the atmosphere of the place, as does the view of the working kitchen behind the glass. The service is friendly, unobtrusive and extremely helpful. As for the sommeliers, they know their stuff and always eager to help.
The wine list is exceptional and extensive. There’s no need to know much about wine: all the wines are by top producers in the various styles. There’s no mark-up on the prices, only a corkage charge. You can also choose your wine from the Hedonism Wines list itself and it’ll be delivered to you within 15-20 minutes of your order at no extra charge.
In the Hide Above, our lunch dishes were all exceptionally colourful and looked stunningly delicious, although we felt that the taste and balance of the flavours could be improved. The food is not necessarily cheap but taking into account the prices of the wines it’s still great value for money and a must, so much so that you will probably find yourself planning your next visit as you pay the bill.