My husband and I went to Biba to celebrate our anniversary. Granted, it was a Tuesday, but we were seated immediately even though we arrived about 20 minutes before our reservation time. I had requested a quiet table off in a corner and away from the bustle and that is exactly what we got. There was a live pianist in the lounge area, although I was a bit disappointed that we couldn't really hear her in the dining room. Nevertheless, our dinner was delightful. The by-the-glass wine selections are much better than most restaurants'. I started with a brut and had the waiter-recommended temprenillo with my entree. Both were lovely. My husband had two glasses of a very nice sauvingnon blanc. For appetizers, we ordered the sweetbreads and the calamari. Both were delicious and perfectly cooked, but I'd probably just order the sweetbreads next time. We ended up bringing most of the calamari home. For our first course we split an order of the gnocchi of the day, which was a ricotta gnocchi in tomato cream sauce. It was absolutely heavenly and there was no split charge, which was nice. For entrees my husband had the sea bass and I had the jumbo prawns. We both loved our dishes. The prawns were served with seasonal red peppers and butternut squash and the combination was amazing. The bass was cooked perfectly and came with a delicious mushroom sauce. For dessert we split the chocolate mousse, which was also delicious. The service was impeccable--friendly, knowledgable, well-timed and incredibly attentive. It was a little expensive--we ended up spending around $180 with tip--but I don't think that's bad for a special occasion. The ONLY negative thing I can think of is that the ambiance is somewhat lacking due to too-bright lighting and outdated decor. If they gave the interior a makeover, this restaurant would be worth five stars.
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