This Soho Restaurant Has Had A Wes Anderson Makeover

2 days ago

Bob Bob Ricard's latest pop-up marks the release of new film The Phoenician Scheme

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Bob Bob Ricard is famous for its ‘press for champagne’ buttons, but this month things will look a little different at the London eatery. Following the release of Wes Anderson’s latest film, The Phoenician Scheme, the restaurant’s private dining room has undergone a cinematic transformation, transforming into Marseille Bob’s – a homage to the bar featured in the movie.

Bob Bob Ricard Opens A Pop-Up Inspired By The Phoenician Scheme

In cinemas now, The Phoenician Scheme tells the story of Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), a ruthless business tycoon and one of the richest men in Europe. Despite a string of accusations of dodgy dealings, from tax avoidance to bribery and profiteering, plus multiple six plane crashes, Korda seems unbreakable. He’s also the father of two nine sons and, crucially, one estranged daughter, a nun called Liesel ((Mia Threapleton). When they reunite, Korda embarks on a mission to make Liesel his heir, and they quickly become the target of terrorists and assassins.

In classic Wes Anderson style the film is filled with symmetry and whimsical, tableau-style settings – including the club of one of Korda’s associates, Marseilles Bob (Mathieu Amalric).

(L to R) Benicio Del Toro as Zsa-Zsa Korda and Mia Threapleton as Liesl in director Wes Anderson’s THE PHOENICIAN SCHEME, a Focus Features release.
(TPS Productions/Focus Features © 2025)

This bar forms the inspiration for the month-long pop-up which has taken over Bob Bob Ricard’s Red Room. Guests will be greeted with a bespoke neon sign featuring a Marseille Bob’s logo, with nods to the film’s sets and characters dotted throughout, including pink-framed placemats, coasters and a menu featuring graphics from the film.

The restaurant’s waiters are joining in with the fun too, donning white blazers, red carnations and fez hats, mimicking the costumes worn by characters in the film. On the menu, meanwhile, there are four limited-edition cocktails to choose from, including ‘Tycoon on the Rocks’, a pipette-served margarita that changes colour, designed to resemble a poison test, and the ‘Virgin Novitiate’, a champagne cocktail made with Hennessy VS and Maraschino cherry. Alongside this, diners can tuck into giant pretzels served in silver bowls, and tins of Cantabrian anchovies with butter and brown bread.

The Phoenician Scheme is Wes Anderson’s 12th feature film. It’s suitably star-studded: alongside the central characters, it features Michael Cera as Norwegian tutor Bjorn Lund, and Tom Hanks and Bryan Cranston as business partners Leland and Reagan.

Renowned for its glitzy interiors and British-French menu, Bob Bob Ricard has become a London institution since opening in 2008. Last year, a more casual sibling opened nearby, Bébé Bob, focusing on rotisserie chicken.