Richard Foster, ex-Exec Head Chef of The Chiltern Firehouse has created something exceptional (Picture: John Carey)
I assumed Ibai would be looking for a man in finance, trust fund, 6 foot 5”, blue eyes. In my defence, it’s located in the City, prime finance-bro-flashing-a-company-card territory.
But what’s actually going on here is a relaxed Basque grill with a pedigree, from the team behind Txuleta, the renowned Galician meat supplier. And considering Ibai is still in its soft launch stage, the setup is impressive, the staff super genial and the food is simply exceptional.
The Slice’s Verdict: 9/10
AMBIENCE: ★★★★★
PRICE: £££
QUALITY: ★★★★★
BOTTOM LINE: Anything with an ‘EC’ in the postcode isn’t the obvious place to trek for a meal, unless you work in the area. Trek there anyway, Richard Foster, ex-Exec Head Chef of The Chiltern Firehouse (from where many of the waiting staff have come), has created something exceptional. A precise and well-thought-out Basque/French Pyrenean menu, superb wine, bang-on pricing and somewhere I’ll be returning to pronto.
The Vibe
The room is vast, all polished concrete floors, exposed ceilings and overhead ventilation pipes like a loft apartment in New York’s Meat Packing district. Luckily, I’ve never met a converted warehouse I didn’t like, especially when its earthy-toned, dark-wood chaired and high-end industrial-looking. The dining vibe is relaxed, the dress code casual and the surrounding music chilled and seamless.
A relaxed space like a New York apartment (Picture: John Carey)
The wine cellar inside Ibai (Picture: John Carey)
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The Food and Drink
The Croque Ibai is a grilled cheese sandwich on performance enhancers, with carabinero, aka a deep-sea prawn (I had to ask), Tomme de Bribis, a hard cheese from the French Pyrenees, and boudin noir.
La Noir de Bigorre Ham and Crisps (made in-house) are on another level, piled up like nachos and topped with honey-drizzled, smoked Piparra peppers from Northern Spain. Main-wise, Galician Blonde cows see the abattoir at the ripe old age of 8+, giving their meat high texture, complexity and fat content.
The Galician Blonde beef (Picture: John Carey)
What with me gnawing on the bone and my plus one (husband) doing an impression of Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally over The Gâteau Basque dessert, decorum deserted us. Wine-wise, trust Sommelier Huge Jones, he’ll guide you through his smartly curated list, and check out his cork-panelled wine room downstairs if you get the chance.
Exceptional food (Picture: John Carey)
Desserts at Ibai (Picture: John Carey)
The Value
I’m starting to loathe the ‘a’ word, but given the authentic ingredients, not a corner has been cut. Starters sit between £12 to £26, while 1kg of perhaps …read more
Source:: Metro
