Bibo

Had the best experience at this restaurant. Everything from appetizer to main course was delicious and the staff was very kind and willing to assist. I will definitely be going back soon.

I pass by this patch of restaurants quite often on my to the gym and then all of a sudden Wallace & Co turned into the Bibo! Love trying new places that come into Putney so decided to go for lunch on a Friday — and also just in time to take advantage of the AMEX shop small promotion! The place wasn’t too busy so we sat in the bar area. It’s such a big place and mostly empty.
We ordered the pork belly lunch special (fridays) and the pappardelle with lamb ragu. The pork belly was really nice complemented with cavolo nero (kale) and squash. The pappardelle was delicious! Chunks of tender lamb and everything seemed very fresh.
Really hope Bibo sticks around. I thought it would be better for them to run a much smaller restaurant to start to get their reputation up then move to such a big space later on — as I can’t imagine this place fully booked any time during the week. If you fancy some good Italian food in Putney, definitely give this place a try.

If you’re looking for a quick Italian comfort fix of saucy pastas and easy pizzas then this is not the place for you. We’re talkng quality here with real homemade pastas.
Bibo is a bit far out of central London to where I would normally go for Italian but after the experience, a 1.5 hour bus ride felt very worth it. I loved the décor, a big open space, nicely spaced dark wooden tables against unrefined walls of white, painted on exposed bricks. There was a sense of romance with the dimmed lighting and the large decorative candles on the upper deck where we were placed.
Staff were very attentive and friendly from beginning to end and were there to answer questions, explain the dishes as busy as they were. They knew the menu well and was not shy in sharing their favourites with us. I dropped a fork before I even started the meal and without asking the waiter immediately bought over a new one and took the dirty one away.
The menu was sophisticated, not the usual Italian dishes we’re all used to but original and inspiring. We were told that the restaurant was best known for their quality pastas and we decided to get all the pastas offered that night in starter portions along with the Salt cod and chickpea dish and Ferro arancinis.
I never have been a fan of chickpeas but after having that dish I think I will have to think again. The chickpeas were soft and wonderful contrasted well with the texture of the chard. It was such a light and appetising dish with the fresh and delicious tomato sauce, perfect on the seasoning with pieces of salt cod which were overcooked slightly but still tasty.
The Ferro arancini had a slight twist then the usual rice balls using pearl barley as an alternative. Sadly it lost that creamy, buttery soft texture I love about arancinis and wasn’t as satisfying as I would have liked it to be. The skin was slightly too hard and crispy and it did have a bite to it I felt it could have done with more cream filling inside as it was a bit dry.
Luckily the best of the rest were to follow starting with our three different pastas. I couldn’t resist to try the Tagliarini nero first as black is not the usual colour you find your pasta to be but this one was made with squid ink. And it was delicious. I have never tasted pasta where the flavours were felt in every strand, salty and flavouring the rest of the dish. It went very well with the slightly spicy tomato sauce, garlicky and tender pieces of octopus.
The pappardelle with a different satisfaction, one with more bite, cooked al dente and lovely buttery delicate flavours. The optional shavings of parmesan cheese gave that nice depth to it and together with the softer tender pieces of rabbit it was another dish I could have had as a main.
Intrigued with what ravioli tastes like with polenta we ordered it as well. The joy of biting into a soft filled pasta until it bursts into soft creamy, lightly cheesed polenta. It was a refreshing sensation to the more richer filling I’m used to. The artichokes and mushrooms complemented it well and gave it a nice earthy flavour I love again with the optional parmesan giving it the depth.
It was so nice to enjoy a pasta without the sickly feeling after eating on too much sauce and heavy cream. Instead it gave us space to enjoy the main, the ox cheeks. The ox cheeks were amazing, cooked till soft and falling apart, absorbing the red wine sauce so the flavours were apparent throughout. It paired well with the soft juicy spinach and all of that contrasted with the crunchy marrow bruschetta. The attention of detail to texture and flavours were amazing, like a perfect completed jigsaw puzzle.
With that we ordered a polenta parmesan side but I personally found the flavours too overpowering to have as a side dish. The cheese was much stronger than the one we had in the ravioli which made the polenta quite heavy.
Everything ended well with our lovely Bombolini with Almalfi lemon curd. However mum criticised that the dough in her one had not fully risen so it was still very sticky and doughy inside. Luckily I went for the two smaller pieces which were fine although still quite dense. But it was the lemon curd that made this dish work, the crispy sugared dough balls dipped in a delicious sweet lemony creamy sauce. It was moreish with the sweet balancing out the sour, the smooth against the doughy and a nice citrusy zingy finish to a meal. I suppose it could have been better if the doughnuts were lighter.
But overall i was impressed with the quality of the food. Good use of ingredients, delicate flavours and fresh tasting. Service was exceptional, welcoming and accommodating and an interest in the customer needs. Complimentary water was not the usual tap water but sparkling water being offered too.
If anyone needs a recommendation of a good representation of real Italian food Bibo will definitely be on the top of my list. Some things still need tweaking but overall brilliant.