IN BAD TASTE
Fury as chicken and chips restaurant bans children under 15 from dining room as families blast ‘blunt’ rule
One critic of the ban says going to restaurants are a great way for youngsters to learn and practice new skills
FURIOUS families have blasted a chicken and chips restaurant after it banned kids under 15 from its dining room.
Bebe Bob's website warns “guests under 15 years old are not admitted” to the Soho restaurant in central London, which charges £19 for a portion of chicken and £8 extra for a side of its signature truffled French fries.
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But Louise Livingston, of The Maria Montessori Institute, criticised the ban, saying children should be given “a seat at the table.”
She added: “In a time when screen time is increasingly prominent, it is important to encourage children to put away the screens and focus on eating and talking with others.
“Mealtimes are a great setting for everyone to learn new words and boost their wealth of vocabulary, not to mention the mental health benefits of having a moment to share the challenges of your day with others.
“Give children a seat at the table, we say.”
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Parenting counsellor Georgina Sturmer added that “banning under 15s feels like a pretty blunt tool.
”Under the rules, visitors to the posh chicken joint cannot be 15 or under, and parties of more than four are also not allowed.
The restaurant is the “younger sibling” of the famous ‘Push for Champagne’ eaterie Bob Bob Ricard and its second outlet Bob Bob Ricard City.
Essentially a rotisserie restaurant wearing a fur coat and Rigby & Peller knickers
Restaurant critic Grace Dent
Food writer Grace Dent visited Bebe Bob, which serves up just one main dish of rotisserie chicken, earlier this month.
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She described it as “bursting with swagger” and “essentially a rotisserie restaurant wearing a fur coat and Rigby & Peller knickers”, adding: “The place is too tongue-in-cheek silly to get mad at.
“Inspired by the golden age’, this boss-level KFC says on its glitzy website.
“Fashionwear is welcome, activewear is not … Guests under 15 years old are not admitted’ and the really quite brilliant: ‘Tables are available for up to four guests only. Larger groups, alas, cannot be accommodated.’”
But the rules over younger diners have sparked a row among parenting experts who say it’s unfair to ban children altogether.
Bebe Bob opened in Golden Square, London, just a few months ago and is owned by the same group as Soho’s Bob Bob Ricard, where guests can press an Instagram-friendly button to receive Champagne.
The series of restaurants are the brainchild of Russian-born British entrepreneur Leonid Shutov.
The original Bob Bob Ricard was opened in 2008 by Leonid and Richard Howarth, and was so-named because Leonid, known as Bob, joked that he had put in twice as much money as his business partner.
The chain welcomed Bob Bob Ricard City in 2019, just before the outbreak of the pandemic.
The third eaterie in their stable, Bebe Bob, which opened in autumn 2023, also panders to an exclusive crowd but has pared down the menu.
It says on its website: “Any main course the customer wants as long as it is chicken or chicken.”
It only offers rotisserie chicken, either from Landes in Gascony or Vendee, western France, with an assortment of sides, including truffled French fries and truffled cauliflower cheese.
Bebe Bob: The Rules
Reservations
"Tables are available for up to 4 guests only. Larger groups, alas, cannot be accommodated."
Dress Code
"Smart casual, ties are not required. Fashionwear is welcome, activewear is not."
Children
"Guests under 15 years old are not admitted."
The main costs £19 for one, or £29 for two sharing.
Sides range from £4 for plain French fries to £9 for truffled cauliflower cheese.
An explainer on its website reads: “Welcome to Bébé Bob, born out of love for rotisserie chicken, caviar, fine wine and champagne.
“A sibling to Bob Bob Ricard, it is located on Golden Square, where Soho meets Mayfair.
“The décor, inspired by the Golden Age, makes Bébé Bob quite possibly the most glamorous rotisserie out there.”
But it adds: “Guests under 15 years old are not admitted.”
And in fact its two other restaurants also do not admit children either.
It feels like this policy is based on a real stereotype about family dining.
Parenting counsellor Georgina Sturmer
However parenting experts have said they don’t think it’s fair.
Parenting counsellor Georgina Sturmer, who has also been a trustee for parenting charity Home-Start, said: “I’d be really curious about the motivation behind a restaurant that chooses to ban under 15s.
“It sounds like they are using a ban as a way to position themselves as the antithesis to the child-friendly restaurant - perhaps somewhere to go if you want to escape sticky fingers, crayons and loud behaviour.
“However, I would suggest that banning under 15s feels like a pretty blunt tool.
“After all, most restaurants attract a self-selecting clientele. If you’re a family with noisy young children seeking a casual meal, then you’re unlikely to be drawn to this kind of establishment.
“It feels like this policy is based on a real stereotype about family dining.
“After all, there’s a huge difference between a table of toddlers looking for a low-cost children’s meal, and a family group that includes mature teens and tweens.”
'SOCIALISATION SPACES'
Ana Aznar, founder of online parents’ platform REC Parenting, added: “In my opinion, going to a restaurant is a great opportunity for children to practice useful skills: self-regulation, like having to wait for their order to arrive, conversational skills, including recognising social cues like body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, trying new food, reading menus, decision making, speaking politely to staff members, good table manners, the value of money and feeling like a valued member of the family.
“All these skills are only learnt with practice: the more a child goes to restaurants, the better they will be at it.
“From this perspective, restaurants are important socialisation spaces for children and they may also help to ease the increasing feelings of loneliness and isolation that more and more parents report feeling these days.
“When we go to restaurants we feel part of the community, and children are part of that community.
“However we can all use some common sense, in the same way that you usually wouldn't go to restaurants that are family orientated to have a romantic date, you wouldn't take an 11-month-old toddler to a very quiet, formal, fancy restaurant.”
Meanwhile parenting coach Priscilla Bacon said under 15s should be allowed in - if their parents could guarantee they would behave.
“I think there is a place for some restaurants to not have children,” she said. “Adults can be more sure of peace and quiet and can switch off from parent mode.
“However of course we shouldn’t ban them from all restaurants or high end restaurants - how will they learn formal manners if they don’t get exposed to smart restaurants and don’t experience the different styles of restaurants and the different levels of manners required?
“Children are a very important part of our society and as such should have the experience of restaurants if their parents want them to go and can take responsibility for their safety and their behaviour.”
One person was chuffed with the rules though.
Writing on Google reviews, he said: “The gravy that comes with the chicken is amazing.
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“Also they don’t allow children under 15 which is maybe more amazing!”
A spokeswoman for Bebe Bob declined to comment when approached by The Sun Online.
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