Beach Blanket Babylon

"Glammed up pub food accompanied by fantastic service and ambience"

Added Thu 24 Jul 2008 by Leila Hawkins

Having been here for exorbitantly expensive cocktails with names like Natalia Vodianova, and sat in gilded chairs by the fireplace, my friend and I decided we would have our joint birthday meal here. The fabulously decadent interior was definitely one we wanted to experience, without giving a second thought to the menu.

We arrived on a Friday night and had to squeeze our way past the multitude at the bar, BBB had certainly drawn in the crowds on this cold January evening. We were ushered to our table in the dimly lit eating area, the ornate arches surrounding us giving the place an almost Arabic feel. After more Vodianovas and wine we proceeded to order from the sparse menu.

My Caesar salad was good, but nothing out of the ordinary, and was served in one of those hatefully modern thick white plates which resemble a washbasin. Two of my dining companions ordered the salmon with seasonal vegetables, one without the accompanying sauce. When it arrived one was considerably smaller than the other. 'Excuse me!' said my friend in her fabulously French accent, 'I asked for no sauce, but not no salmon!' The waiter attempted to explain that both portions weighed the same, which led to much tipsy comparing of plates and laughter. She did however get a free desert of luscious strawberries and ice cream, not bad at all.

Almost the polar opposite of Hakassan, the food though tasty enough was merely glammed up pub fare, however the service and atmosphere were fantastic. We were treated luxuriously and our glasses were never empty, the waiter - who we had likened to Mark Ronson - hovered around at our service throughout the evening, not once becoming irritating. At around £50 a head including drinks, Beach Blanket Babylon is perfect for a special treat or to impress a date.

1 out of 10 stars

I have been to BBB three times and each time it gets worse…… OK to be honest I have never recommended it to anyone so I can only blame myself for going back [there are just too many other good restaurants in London].
I went again this Saturday for some brunch with friends [thought they could not mess up brunch and I would not risk bringing a client there]. When we went in I asked the manager if they were still doing brunch and he said yes [on reflection, I think I could have asked him if he was big bird and he would probably have said yes] however it also says on the menu that on Saturday + Sunday brunch is served until 5.30 pm.
When we were sitted, we were then told that as it was gone