In its latest step towards becoming ‘a temple of affordable luxury’, City brasserie Bob Bob Cité has introduced a maximum mark-up of £75 on fine and rare wines – regardless of the value and size of the bottle.
Aiming to become the ultimate destination for drinkers of rare wine and fine champagne, Bob Bob Cité’s list now runs to 280 wines and 120 champagnes, 160 of them in large formats from magnum (1.5 litres) to Methuselah (6 litres). The greatest impact of the new pricing structure will be seen in the £200+ price-range, offering astonishing value not only compared to other restaurants, but also even in comparison to retail prices.
The £75 maximum mark-up is being introduced as a permanent feature of the list, not a limited-time offer. It applies to every wine on the list, with no limit on the wine’s value - be it Côte Rôtie La Landonne Guigal 2000 at £370 (compared to £388 retail in Selfridge’s) or the 1928 Chateau Yquem at £3,380 compared to £10,306 when bought via fine and rare wine specialists Millesima.
While the cap makes a dramatic difference on the more valuable wines, the list is very keenly priced throughout with house wines starting at £5.50 - £6.00 per glass with a great variety at the more ‘everyday’ prices.
This unprecedented new pricing model is made possible by expert buying, huge capital outlay and a sophisticated business model which sees the majority of Bob Bob Cité’s more valuable and rare wine sourced ‘ex-château’ – direct from the winemaker – which also minimises the risk of bottles being oxidised or compromised by not being properly stored or transported prior to being sold. These wines may have moved only once: from the winemaker to the cellar of Bob Bob Cité.
A particularly remarkable feature of Bob Bob Cité’s winelist is that includes thirty vintages of Chateau Yquem, making it one of the largest Yquem offers of any restaurant, anywhere. The £75 cap on the cash margin per bottle makes Bob Bob Cité the ultimate destination for Yquem in the world. Every single vintage on offer is priced not only below other restaurants, but well below retail.
Three vintages are offered by the glass, on the same low cash margin. As a result, the 2001 Yquem - “the perfect wine from the perfect vintage”, boasting 100 points from Robert Parker and widely considered to be the ultimate Sauternes - is priced at a very modest £59 per 75ml glass; a 750ml bottle typically retails at £700-£900.
Some of the very rare, “once-in-a-lifetime” vintages of Yquem offer even more incredible value with the legendary 1947 offered at £2,880 versus over £14,500 retail (at Millesima), or the 1928 at £3,380 versus over £10,000 retail.
Bob Bob Cité’s owner Leonid Shutov says of his new wine-pricing model, “My vision for Bob Bob Cité was always that it would be a destination for celebrations and special occasions, yet at prices which would make it accessible to everyone, not just a privileged few.”
“I know that even with the maximum mark-up of £75, the exceptional wines and champagnes on our list are not bottles to drink every day. However when anyone is planning a celebration which includes, for example, a Jeroboam or Methuselah – or simply wants to experience one of the world’s best wines or vintages – my hope is that they will choose Bob Bob Cité in which to do so, safe in the knowledge they are paying an unbeatable price for it.”