Unfortunately the restaurant is closed. Hibiscus was a restaurant in London, owned and run by French chef Claude Bosi. Opened in 2000 in Ludlow, Shropshire, Chef Bosi used molecular gastronomy to put a number of dishes on the menu to improve their flavors, such as a proces for making Savoy cabbage purée from freeze-dried cabbage. The restaurant in Ludlow had a 36-seat capacity. Chef Bosi won his first Michelin star in 2001 and a second in the 2004 Guide.
Hibiscus received many ratings and awards
Although the restaurant has received mixed reviews from critics, it received many awards:
- In 2005 it was voted UK’s Best Restaurant by Egon Ronay.
- In 2010 it was listed in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
- The Good Food Guide has ranked Hibiscus at Eight best restaurant of the 2013 edition of the United Kingdom.
- In total it received five AA rosettes.
Relocation and closing
In July 2006, Bosi and his wife Claire announced that they would sell the Ludlow site and get closer from London. The property was sold in 2007 to Alan Murchison and Bosi bought a new site on Maddox Street in London. Hibiscus re-opened in October 2007 in its new location.
After many years Hibiscus restaurant was closed in 2016.
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a genus of about 200 to 220 species of flower plants from the Malvaceae family, which occurs naturally in Mediterranean, subtropical and tropical regions around the world. The genus includes annual, perennial plants, woody shrubs and small trees.
The leaves are scattered, single, oval to lancet-shaped, often with a sawn or lobed edge. The flowers are large, striking and trumpet-shaped. The colors vary from white, pink, red, purple or yellow and are 4-15 cm wide. The fruits are dry box fruits with five boxes, which contain different seeds per cage. The seeds appear when the box fruit opens at full adulthood.
Tea made from hibiscus flowers can be served warm and cold and is well known for its red color, sharp taste and vitamin C content.