Hibou - Sitges — Restaurant in Sitges

I had dinner with a dining companion here recently. I regret to say that it was fairly disappointing for several reasons. We ate at the bar so we could see how it all transpired. Maybe I wish we hadn't.

When we arrived we were told that they were out of 5 things on the menu, several of which were the reason we came. We were told they were out of our choice of wine. They steered us to another bottle, which we ordered, only to have them come back and tell us they were also out of this one.

Next was the 'cooking' format. There doesn't seem to be a real kitchen of any sort. Rather there is one big machine behind the bar which is like a large air fryer. dishes would be brought from the refrigerator already cooked (whether that morning or a day or two before, I don't know), placed on small metal trays and heated up in the machine. There are several issues with this. One is that they can only reheat a couple of things at a time. If you order many mains as a larger group, they couldn't possibly reheat all the dishes simultaneously.

Another problem is that no single person was operating the machine. The servers managed it while serving tables and making drinks. This meant that food was often left unattended in the machine. We ordered shrimp on brioche. It was left in a bit too long and the brioche was very dark and crunchy. Yet somehow the shrimp seemed dangerously undercooked in places. It was concerning and also unappetizing.

The servers handled food, checks and money, and cleared dirty plates. All while popping over to the machine to plate food, often with their bare hands. We never once saw them wash their hands in between these activities. If this format is their gimmick, then fine. But order one or two more machines and hire a dedicated person who operate them without having to serve other roles.

The last point is that all of this comes at a rather high price for food that isn't made in the minute by a chef. A main that included beef and potatoes that is precooked and reheated shouldn't cost 29 euros.

In the end, some of the flavors we had were very good. What would have made them better was having them freshly prepared (as the artichokes were). I'm unlikely to return however, mainly do to under or overcooked food and the hygiene issue of having staff clear plates, cook food, and not wash their hands in between or...

Lovely space, I had high hopes given the reviews. We were immediately told they did not have 5 things on the limited menu. Several were what we wanted to try. I moved on, still hopeful.

Warning: Do not eat at the bar, you’ll learn the secret… The kitchen is one air fryer. The food was fine, more on that later. The staff was busy and made a lot of noise, as the “kitchen” is behind the bar. No one washed their hands. But they were all so nice. Opt for a table.

The hot food comes from an air fryer. So it’s all been pre constructed and is finished off with sauces and accents. Maybe it’s more eco? But when the chef leaves the easybake for 10 minutes, you realize no one is actually cooking. And unfortunately that showed. The shrimp brioche was burnt, yet the shrimp was dangerously close to being under cooked. The alcochofas were good. The romesco was so flavorful, I’d order a cup of it to go if I could.

I had the lubina, again air fried. But it was tasty, a papillote-like end product with crispy thin potatoes encasing the fish and spinach.

The tartar was refreshingly cool, deep flavors and lovely egg yolk.

No es barato. I’ve spent half the fee for a better meal elsewhere, so all in all, I wish them luck but I don’t think I’ll...

Went to Hibou last night in Calle Rusinol. Absolutely beautiful food. Quite Ottolenghiish in style and presentation. They pride themselves on serving seasonal produce at its peak of perfection. Had the most delicate starter of burrata with tomatoes, peaches, pesto crisp and apricot sorbet, a marriage of flavours that worked so beautifully together, an onion tatin with goats cheese cream, avocado with crispy rice (delicious), succulent duck breast with vegetable crisps. The flavours and textures of everything were absolutely gorgeous and a big wine list and the most charming maitre d! Highly recommend it. One of the best and most original restaurants...