Rivea can be found inside the Bulgari Hotel in Knightsbridge. We visited back in its opening period so we were keen to revisit and see how things had progressed. It’s an Alain Ducasse restaurant, so you know you’re in good hands. The interiors are lavish, every member of staff is charming and attentive, and the dishes are small and perfectly formed. Guests are encouraged to order several dishes and share amongst.
We started our evening with pre-dinner cocktails in Il Bar located on the ground level of the hotel. I decided on the ‘Bramley Crumble’, mixed with Zubrowka, Frangelico, Sugar, Lemon Juice and Apple Juice. An interesting combination, and one I’d happily order again. My partner sampled the ‘Azure’, a refreshing drink with a strong gin base, mixed with Bombay Sapphire Gin, Peach, Pink Grapefruit and Ylang Ylang.
Our evening began with a game, a tray of eight brightly coloured dips with grissini, if you’re feeling adventurous you can guess the flavours or there's a little card hidden underneath the dish for those who are intrigued, my favourite being the Pumpkin & Nutmeg along with the Fennel & Grapefruit.
Moving on we ordered Sautéed Gamberoni with Squid, Cuttlefish and Crispy Vegetables. This dish was superb and tasted incredibly fresh. My partner ordered the Delicate Chestnut Veloute with Roasted Butternut. A delicious creamy soup which was full of interesting flavours.
“Each dish was impeccably prepared and executed.”
This was followed by the Seared Beef Fillet with Potatoes and Olives. The Beef was Fillet was simply delectable and incredibly tender . My partner ordered the Milk-fed Lamb, with Seasonal Vegetables and Herb Pesto. We have to say that Milk-fed Lamb is delicious, you can taste the difference and it was a superb dish. We also sampled the Cookpot of Seasonal Vegetables, which I believe can be found in all Alain Ducasse restaurants. I can understand why, it’s an incredible dish with impressive amounts of flavour.
To complete our evening we sampled the Lemon Shortbread with a Limoncello Sorbet. This dessert was super enjoyable, the Citrus flavour was strong and the Shortbread had a lovely texture. My partner ordered the Gianduja Palet with a Hazelnut Ice Cream, another dessert we would happily order again.
Our chosen wine for the evening was a bottle of 2013, Cotes de Provence, Premiere, St Andre de Figuiere, Provence, France. A light and fruity wine, very lean and easy on the palate. We had a splendid evening, each dish was impeccably prepared and executed. We look forward to visiting again.
The Bill: £67 per head
