Ollie Dabbous describes himself as “a bit of a mixed grill”; he was born in Kuwait to a French-Italian father. He moved to England with his mother and brother for school and spent his holidays visiting his father in the Middle East.
His interest in food began at the age of 15, when he spent a month in Florence working in the kitchen of a trattoria with his father’s cousin. It was here that he first experienced the importance of fresh and accessible produce, fostering the beginnings of the philosophy which governs his cooking today.
Ollie Dabbous
After a handful of unpaid work experience placements – at Kensington Place under Rowley Leigh, and the three-starred Guy Savoy in Paris – Ollie struck gold with Raymond Blanc.
Upon finishing his A-levels, Ollie secured a job at Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, which he says is “the hardest place I’ve ever worked.” Rising through the ranks to become senior chef de partie, Ollie was again exposed to the importance of fresh and seasonal produce, with a two-acre garden on site at Le Manoir at the roots of every dish.
After leaving Le Manoir, he travelled across the continent to work in renowned kitchens including The Fat Duck, Noma, Mugaritz and Claude Bosi's Hibiscus. On his return to England, Ollie secured the position of head chef at Texture. After two years, he met the Swedish mixologist Oskar Kinberg, with whom he opened his own venture Dabbous in Fitzrovia, London. It was awarded one Michelin star within just eight months of service.
In 2014, Ollie opened Barnyard - a restaurant which operated a no-booking policy as somewhere for those customers who couldn’t get a table at Dabbous.
Roast king crab, turnips, camomile
honey & salted butter
at Hide Above
Barnyard closed in early 2017 and the website was taken down. Shortly after this news, the pair announced that Dabbous would also be closing in the summer of 2017, as Ollie and Oskar revealed that they were working on a new project together.
Hide
Working in collaboration with Hedonism Wines, Ollie opened Hide in Piccadilly - a multi-story dining experience with two restaurants and a bar.
Hide Below is the basement bar with a record-breaking wine list. Hide Ground is the casual all-day space, where head chef Josh Angus and his team offer breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, with everything made in-house including breads and charcuterie.
Luke Selby is head chef at Hide Above, the top floor restaurant with views over Green Park. At Hide Above, diners can enjoy a set lunch or tasting menu dinner with dishes such as Barbecued Suffolk lamb, violet mustard & spiny artichoke and Confit red mullet; baked bread & smoked saffron sauce. Lunch starts from £48 per person for the set menu at the dinner menu is priced at £115 per person.
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1 Michelin Star Chefs: Ollie Dabbous, chef patron, Hide
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