BiBi

BiBi, Mayfair: Should You Book?

If you have been to BiBi once, the question on a return visit is not whether the food holds up; it does; but whether the experience deepens. At this Mayfair address from the JKS group (also behind Gymkhana), the answer is yes. The menu shifts with the seasons, the counter seats reward closer attention to the open kitchen, the service team operates with enough fluency that a second visit feels less like a repeat and more like a follow-up conversation. Right now, in the current season, the kitchen is working with the same philosophy that earned BiBi a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025: modern Indian cooking rooted in technique, family memory, a willingness to combine culinary traditions without losing the thread back to the subcontinent.

What BiBi Is

BiBi is a long, narrow, dimly lit room on North Audley Street, a short walk from Selfridges. Most seats are at a counter overlooking the open kitchen, with black-leather booths along the opposite wall and a heated outdoor terrace facing the street. The room is bijou, capacity is limited, the atmosphere runs loud and sociable in the evenings, driven by a lively soundtrack and a service team that keeps the energy high. For a quiet dinner with space to talk, go at lunch. For the full sensory charge of the room, go in the evening and sit at the counter.

Chef Chet Sharma came up through L'Enclume and Moor Hall, two of the most technically rigorous kitchens in the UK, that background shows in the precision of his cooking. The two evening tasting menus are named after his grandmothers, Kamal and Ranjana, a family influence runs through the menu. Dishes like Sharmaji's Lahori Chicken use a recipe passed down from his grandfather, but they are not nostalgic in tone. They are well-spiced, punchy, built with the kind of layered flavour development you associate with serious tasting-menu kitchens. The plant-based options are not an afterthought: Indian cuisine's existing vegetable and legume traditions mean the kitchen handles them with the same confidence as the meat dishes. Opinionated About Dining ranked BiBi at #502 in Europe in 2024 and #585 in 2025, which reflects a venue holding a strong position in a competitive field rather than sliding.

The Food Travels Well, With Caveats

For readers interested in whether BiBi's cooking works off-premise: the answer is partial. The dishes that rely on the counter experience, watching the kitchen, the pacing, the service interaction, do not travel. But the cooking itself, particularly the chaat, the grilled dishes, the rice preparations, is strong enough in structure that the flavours hold. If you are considering a private dining arrangement or want to understand whether BiBi's style translates outside the room, the answer is that the food is technically grounded enough to survive the journey, but the experience is calibrated for the room. Book a table. Booking difficulty is rated hard: this is a small venue with limited covers, the JKS group's profile means it fills quickly. Plan at least three to four weeks ahead for dinner, check for shorter lead times at lunch.

Ratings and Trust Signals

• Michelin Plate: 2024, 2025
• Opinionated About Dining Leading Restaurants in Europe: #502 (2024), #585 (2025)
• Opinionated About Dining Leading New Restaurants in Europe: Recommended (2023)

Practical Details

BiBi is open Tuesday through Saturday. Lunch runs 12–2pm Tuesday to Friday, 12–3pm on Saturday. Dinner service runs 6–9pm Tuesday through Saturday. The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday. The price range is ££££, placing it in the same tier as CORE by Clare Smyth and The Ledbury. Booking is hard, small room, high-profile group, strong word-of-mouth. Reserve well in advance. Address: 42 N Audley St, London W1K 6ZP.

Quick reference: Tue–Sat lunch and dinner; closed Sun–Mon; ££££; book 3–4 weeks ahead minimum; counter seats recommended for solo and duo diners.

How It Compares

Within London's ££££ tier, BiBi occupies a specific position: it is the most interesting Indian restaurant operating at this price point, it earns that position through technique rather than theatre. Gymkhana, also from JKS, is the closer comparison, more formal, more traditional in structure, easier to book for groups. BiBi is better for pairs and solo diners who want counter access and a more experimental menu. If you are comparing across cuisines at the same price tier, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Sketch, The Lecture Room and Library both offer more classical French frameworks and a heavier service formality. BiBi's room is more alive, louder, less ceremonial, which is a feature if that suits your style, a drawback if you want a quieter occasion.

For the technically minded diner who wants to trace Sharma's culinary lineage, the comparison to L'Enclume and Moor Hall in the regions is instructive: BiBi operates with similar precision in a more compressed space and at a livelier register. CORE by Clare Smyth is the better choice if you want a longer, more meditative tasting-menu experience in London. The Ledbury is stronger on wine depth. BiBi wins on originality of concept and value of experience within its category.

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