The Star Of Annabel’s New Restaurant, Bolívar Is An Unlikely Contender
From the outside, Annabel’s looks unassuming when I pay my first visit to the exclusive private members’ club to review their new restaurant, Bolívar. There are no extravagant decorations on its outer facade like they have for Christmas (well obviously, it is the month of May), and while all looks calm and content on the outside, as the door swings open and I step inside, I immediately feel like I’m walking into the home of someone very important.
The feeling only gets stronger as I make my way up the elegant staircase, past the flying unicorn suspended from the ceiling, and onto the second floor that now houses Bolívar. The restaurant is Annabel’s newest culinary offering and serves up South American flavours to its discerning guests in Mayfair. Here are our first impressions, from the decor to the food, to one very important dish that found its way onto my plate as an afterthought, but found a permanent home in my head.
What sets it apart
For a place that is inaccessible to many, given you can only visit if you have a membership to Annabel’s, one might expect a restaurant at the club to be more frosty than friendly. But as soon as you enter the second-floor restaurant, it immediately feels warm and inviting – as though you’re visiting the home of a grandparent with a taste for the finer things in life (and a passion for Spanish history). What really sets it apart is the close attention to detail when it comes to creating a South American menu and aesthetic that feels luxurious and decadent, but also makes one feel like at home – just don’t take your blazer off after 6pm.
As soon as you enter the restaurant, it feels warm and inviting
Our experience
With a charming early 18th-century antique fireplace adorned with candles and wooden furniture, Bolivar is almost chapel-like and has the rustic charm of a place that holds secrets belonging to another time. Indeed, history plays an important role here, as it is named after the Venezuelan military and political leader, Simon Bolívar.
Somehow I managed to pick someone to dine with who is an expert on the subject, and I find myself regaled with anecdotes from Bolívar’s adventures, the man responsible for leading Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama and Bolivia to independence from the Spanish Empire. Apart from the painting of Bolívar on the wall, the restaurant also has a cocktail named after him called El Libertador – a great choice if you’re a whisky drinker, and one my history buff friend was most excited about.
Bolívar feels like the kind of place where you’d host close friends and family to celebrate special occasions.
Bolívar feels like the kind of place where you’d host close friends and family to celebrate special occasions that invite long, hearty conversation over shared plates. The exquisite bar is home to some of the world’s best tequila and mezcal, and the menu goes above and beyond to give an artistic twist to classic South American cocktails.
What we ordered
You know a restaurant knows what it’s doing when the first thing you taste – the bread, really hits the spot. The perfect way to fill the spaces between your first cocktail and the starters is Bolívar’s fluffy, soft corn bread served with smoked butter and olives – if you’re someone who usually avoids the bread to save room for the mains, a word to the wise – don’t skip this one.
For starters, we went with a little bit of everything. First up was guacamole served with pico de gallo and crispy tostadas to dip into your guac and salsa, along with chili con carne croquettes served with a spicy tomato chutney and corn cream.
The tuna ceviche has an eclectic mix of flavours that really makes you linger over the dish.
The star on the menu until then was the tuna ceviche that has an eclectic mix of flavours that really makes you linger over the dish and examine its ingredients. There’s a lovely tanginess thanks to the mango it comes with, a dash of spice from the aji rocotto peppers and a tinge of sweetness from the datterini, finished with a sprinkling of basil that completes a fabulous starter to share.
There are also tacos available in the pork and shrimp variety. We went with the shrimp because we chose pork ribs for the mains and we were not disappointed. The steaks, the signature offering on the menu, includes cuts like the Argentinian fillet mignon, Brazilian sirloin and Wagyu flat iron which can be had with your choice of pepper, béarnaise, BBQ, brown butter or chimichurri sauce. The steaks and ribs here are grilled in an open-fire oven and served in generous portions, but while they make for a tempting main course, they were overshadowed by the small plates that preceded them. The real showstopper here was a surprising contender – the kale and quinoa salad. Although a shocking preference for two meat eaters at the table (who originally planned to ignore all those healthy greens), the salad stole much of the glory from the steak with its generous topping of truffle vinaigrette and the tantalising mix of crispy chickpeas and manchego cheese.
The real showstopper here was a surprising contender – the kale and quinoa salad.
Finally, while we could go on talking about this particular combination of kale and quinoa, we eventually did move on to my personal favourite meal of the day: dessert. Not meant to be ignored or missed, and much like the not-so-humble bread that we started with, the dessert menu here is one meant to be lingered over as you enjoy the last dregs of your cocktail or wine, and prepare to summon up the willpower to leave the toasty living room of your fictional grandparent. The tres leches, served with mocha ice cream, is light and not overpoweringly sweet (so you can comfortably eat more of it). The churros might be a tad bit too heavy if you’ve gone and polished off all that steak and salad, but they make a great way to end your dinner, especially when dunked in a generous proportion of salted caramel sauce.
The verdict
The small eats (dare I mention the salad again?) and the cocktails are what we would return for. The Bolívar Margarita was especially good – made with Herradura tequila, mezcal and Manzana Verde with lime, fresh cilantro and a hint of jalapeño, it’s a refreshing summer drink with a tangy, spicy flavour that pairs beautifully with the surprising hint of sweetness of some of the dishes – you must be warned, this is one cocktail that must be ordered at least twice.
The small eats (dare I mention the salad again?) and the cocktails are what we would return for.
The final word? If Annabel’s were the Bridgerton’s family home, Bolívar would be the Bridgerton brothers’ favourite room – a relaxed but elegant space to unwind with your favourite people over exquisite food and drink, best enjoyed with the wine glasses regularly refilled, the cocktails kept flowing and the company always most honourable.
Who can visit?
Bolívar is only open to members and their guests, so you can’t just waltz in or call for a reservation. You can, however, enquire about membership to Annabel’s by emailing membership@annabels.co.uk. Or, make very good friends with someone who already is a member.
