"Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and it is all organised by the Swiss. Hell is where the police are German, the cooks are English, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss, and it is all organised by the Italians ".

- Lord Mayor of Westminster Cllr Louise Hyams, speaking at the Tibits launch.

While we couldn’t possibly comment on the above, we can say one thing, and that is that those Swiss, well…they certainly know how to throw a good party. October 2 saw London’s finest, celebrities and ‘civilians’, rubbing shoulders and sharing platters, as glasses were raised to the future success of Tibits, the new vegetarian restaurant on Heddon Street.

With a ‘food boat’ displaying a tempting spread of dishes inspired by Mediterranean, Asian and Indian influences, such success seems assured, for there was soon a healthy appetite apparent among the crowd to match the healthy options. Champagne flowed, food was devoured and revellers mingled as DJ Norman Jay treated the crowd to some classic tunes.

Classic was the order of the day in fact, with the modern, stylish décor perfectly in keeping with the beauty of the building itself. With the Designer’s Guild responsible for the interiors of the five Tibits restaurants in Switzerland, the tassled lampshades, ornate armchairs and boldly patterned wallpaper (velvet to the touch) were perfectly in keeping with the glamour of the central London location.

As the music got louder and the drinks seemingly stronger (we never did discover what exactly was in our cocktail) the party poured out onto the ‘green carpet’ (rather apt) outside, as the aforementioned civilians tried to out manoeuver the professional performers from BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, something which may have been easier before said cocktails. Or then again, maybe not….

Officially christened with an obligatory spillage and smashed glass or two, Tibits is now open to the public, and said ‘civilians’ in general. Whether you need a quick bite to eat at your desk in between meetings at lunchtime, or a leisurely evening meal with a bottle of wine, Tibits is yet another tempting option, in the ever tempting Regent Street food quarter.

Further information on Tibits.