The Mayfair wine and spirits specialist is marking its 10th birthday with a pairing dinner at its sister restaurant, Hide
When a Russian couple opened a wine and spirits emporium in Mayfair a decade ago and called it Hedonism, many old-school connoisseurs readied their thesaurus for a bout of sneering they expected to be brief. The shop turned out not to be flash, nor a flash in the pan, and these Russians, Yevgeny Chichvarkin and Tatiana Fokina, turned out to be a little different from the “Londongrad” norm.
For a start, Chichvarkin has been vocal in his opposition to Putin, consistently so over the years and more urgently since the invasion of Ukraine. Second, Fokina is talented and knowledgeable when it comes to running not only Hedonism but its expanding group of related businesses in Mayfair. One can now walk a trail from Hedonism on Davies Street, via the Hideaway café on Mount Street and The White Horse pub in Shepherd Market, to the popular Michelin-starred Hide restaurant on Piccadilly.
One of the reasons for the longevity of Hedonism is the excellence of the selection – and not only at the highest end of the scale. Much of that comes down to the continual presence of Alistair Viner, poached from Harrods back in 2011, as head buyer. And the selection, as regulars at the restaurant will know, can be ordered from the table at Hide.
A range of Château d’Yquem wines will be offered at the pairing
That won’t be necessary on 21 December, as the wine pairing for a special dinner to mark 10 years of Hedonism has already been made – and it includes some very special wines, mostly Château d’Yquem, from as far back as the time of George III and the Emperor Napoleon. Among them are premier cru supérieur Sauternes from vintages that have been awarded 100 points by Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide: 2001, 1959 – and then the real historical artifacts – 1905, 1873 and 1811.
In case the relentless sweetness is too much for diners, there will be some respite in the form of Dom Pérignon champagne and red wine from Yquem’s sister estate, Cheval Blanc. Five courses have been personally devised by head chef Ollie Dabbous to complement these highly rated wines, from cured foie gras with poached quince, via barbecued lobster with pickled fennel and caviar, venison with white truffle, to cheese, and a white miso treacle tart.
The intimate dinner will take place in the Hide & Seek private dining room and will be hosted by Alistair Viner and Château d’Yquem’s President Pierre Lurton, who will both tell the stories surrounding these rarities. Guests will leave with a half bottle of Château d’Yquem 2001 (normally sold for £800) and a pair of engraved Zalto glasses.
Tickets cost £7,500 per person.
