Take three Swiss brothers who had a dream – opening a fast-food, yet high-class vegetarian restaurant.
They devised a business plan and entered a competition. They won two awards. Reto, Christian and Daniel Frei decided to launch their plan, but they needed somebody with a background in gastronomy. At this point enter their fairy godparents in the form of Rolf and Marielle Hiltl, owners of the Hiltl restaurant, Europe’s oldest (founded 1898) vegetarian restaurant who had heard of the brothers’ project. A new partnership was formed – its aim to open restaurants combining the tradition of the Hiltl restaurant with the brothers’ ideas – tibits was born. (In fact Hiltl and tibits are separate entities but they do exchange ideas and experience.) There are several tibits restaurants in Switzerland.
The name tibits comes from the words titbits or tidbits – choice morsels of food. And as far as tibits in London’s Heddon Street (just off Regent St) is concerned it also means fresh and healthy.
We would have appreciated somebody at the door to meet and greet but the staff quickly realised it was our first visit and the charming Magdalena showed us what was involved.
In the middle of the large, bustling restaurant is an oval serving station (the food boat) large enough to house some 40 different dishes – salads, starters, mains, vegetables, breads, and desserts. Nearest the door a long bar serving whatever you fancy to drink (as well as soup, sandwiches and pastries) and weighing scales (not to weigh customers, but plates).
Assuming you are eating in the restaurant (there is a take-away option) find yourself a table. Then pick up a plate and advance on the food boat. Help yourself and then take your plate to the bar/counter, have it weighed (weight per 100grams of food), pay for it and take it back to your table. We were having an early lunch so we didn’t have to queue for the weighing/paying procedure so our hot food remained splendidly hot.
The main dining room décor is stylish (there is a family room downstairs) and for fair weather a nice outside eating area. You can eat and run, or linger over your meal. There is a constant stream of fresh dishes emerging from the kitchen ranging from vegan and ‘free-from’ to vegetarian. Whilst the hard working front of house staff weave their way discretely between diners clearing away plates like dancers performing intricate dance manoeuvres.
One or two of the dishes we thought were a tad bland, whilst others zinged with herbs and spices; but all tastes have to be catered for. tibits offers a good wine list (by the glass or bottle) with a range of prices, but chiefly on the very reasonable side.
This is not a ‘eat-as-much-as-you-can’ style buffet so plates piled high could make for an expensive meal. Our total bill for two (main courses and seriously yummy desserts) came to £40, and that included our extravagancy of three large glasses of wine totalling about £16. Because there is no service there is no service charge.
tibits is fun, lively, buzzy and, if you eat sensibly, really good value. We liked it.
tibits 12-14 Heddon Street, off Regent Street, London W1B 4DA. Tel: 0207 758 4110