No.49 – Hibiscus

Born into a bistro-running family in Lyon, one could say that Claude Bosi was pre-enrolled on a crash course to gastronomic-prowess. After deciding to become a chef at 16, he worked at top-end restaurants all over France, zigzagging from one temple of haute cuisine to another, including Alain Ducasse, Alain Passard and Michel Rostang.

Time spent with the French greats has given the chef a formidable touch – the dining room might be restrained, but this is more than made up for by Bosi’s accomplished, complex and highly-imaginative French cooking. At Hibiscus, classical technique meets intriguing flavour combinations in dishes such as Raw Bouquest Shrimps & Lychees, Warm Ravoli of Kohlrabi & Pig’s Trotters and Galician Sea Urchins. Bosi and team upped-sticks from Ludlow to London three years ago and haven’t looked back; Hibiscus is a darling of the capital’s famously persnickety restaurant critics and has won back the two stars it left in the Midlands.