Restaurant Gordon Ramsay — Restaurant in London

Environment 5/5 Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Cleanliness 5/5

I decided to visit this restaurant after viewing Gordon Ramsay's YouTube video “Gordon Ramsay looks back at 22 years of his Flagship Restaurant.” I am studying abroad in London and seized the opportunity to accompany my brother to the restaurant. Prior to visiting this restaurant, I learned that this was Gordon's first establishment and that it has maintained three Michelin stars for the last two decades.

I entered the restaurant, but there was no one outside to assist us in entering. However, I sensed the hospitality as soon as the waitress requested that we hang our jackets in the cloakroom. We sat and a man with a French accent began presenting us with the menu. I noticed two cards with our names on them. It was a handwritten happy birthday card prepared by the restaurant staff for us. He was extremely pleasant and helpful. Dinner is served from one of three menus. Carte Blanche is where the chef expresses his creativity and surprises us with a seven-course meal priced at £220, Menu prestige is another seven-course meal priced at £170, and A la carte is another seven-course meal priced at £140. I ordered the Carte Blanche, while my brother ordered the prestige menu. The wine menu was brought to us via pdf on an iPad by one of the employees.

This restaurant provided the best service I've ever encountered. The staff was pleasant, attentive, and cheerful. My water was always refilled for me before I could finish it. It's a fantastic environment because you can observe the various ways in which the employees interacted with me. Certain individuals were more extroverted than others. Each time we were served, they described what we were eating in detail. When it was time to use the restroom, the employees escorted me there. When it was time to sit, they would move the table for me and then reposition it once I was seated.

Every time the Frenchman spoke to us, he referred to us by our names. I inquired as to whether he does this with every customer, to which he responded affirmatively. I was so taken aback that I inquired as to his name. That would be Jean Claude. Jean Claude came by at the conclusion of our meal and wished us both a happy birthday and sang for us. He advised us to take a tour of the kitchen prior to departing.

My brother went to the restroom, and I decided to re-watch the Gordon Ramsay video, which I noticed featured Jean Claude. I conducted additional research on him on the Restaurant Gordon Ramsay website and discovered that he met Gordon in France and co-founded a restaurant with him in 1993. It's been 29 years, and I'm still amazed that he maintains such a positive attitude toward each customer he serves. Imagine waking up and going to work every day for 29 years, remembering everyone's name and making a positive difference in the lives of others. He has become a new source of inspiration for me.

We toured the kitchen and met the head chef Kim after my brother emerged from the restroom. She was extremely friendly, and we were able to photograph her. I was astounded by how clean the kitchen was and by the fact that it was staffed by sixteen people. We exchanged photographs with Jean Claude and said our farewells. We spent approximately $767 on this meal, but what we received was far more valuable. I got to visit Gordon Ramsay's first restaurant, meet my new inspiration, and observe how a high-end restaurant operates. When I left, it was as if I had experienced the environment's positivity and witnessed Gordon's origin story and how far he has gotten.

In less than a month and a half, Jean Claude will retire. I strongly advise you to come and receive his services prior to his retirement. He now works only two and a half days a week.

If you eat here, make sure to allow enough time to eat, as I ate from...

This restaurant has been on my bucket list for the longest time. I truly love Gordon Ramsay and what he has created with this restaurant. Matt Abe has done a fantastic job with maintaining Gordon Ramsay's 3 Michelin stars. I selected the Carte Blanche course option but gluten free which allows the chef to select what he'd like for each dish. It adds an element of surprise, elegance and creativity. At each turn I was definitely impressed and surprised about what was put on the plate. For the entire 7 course meal there was only one dish I did not enjoy. It started with savory petit fours, a refresher, then lead into a wild summer salad, next salted butter and gluten free bread dressed lightly with sweet honey. This was then followed by a lobster delicately decorated with edible flowers and accompanied with two elegant sauces, one with caviar and the other hard to describe but delicious. The caviar added a nice pop and each sauce added a different element with each bite. They paired well and had their own subtle, yet refreshing contrast. After this, a sea bass was presented with a foam, mustard sauce and a small salad. This was the only dish I did not enjoy. The mustard sauce did not pair well and could not be separated from the orange foam it became submerged in. It over took the fish and detracted from the salad rather than pairing with it. However, this was followed up by a braised pigeon dish with apricots, creame and apricot gel that was delightful. It was presented with a wing of pigeon that was to be eaten like a chicken wing and a leg of pigeon to be eaten with a fork. Each part was eleganlty dressed with edible garnishes. The next part was my absolute favorite. It was a white cheese dish dressed with a special honey, appricots and a type of seed sprinkled on top. Each bite had the subtle sweetness of the blossom honey, the saltiness of the cheese, the melting of the cheese on the tongue and the light crunch from the seedlike garnish. Next up was a custard served in an eggshell on top of a bed of rock salt inside of an egg shapped dish. The sauce on top paired well with the custard with its own balance of sweet yet tangy and sour. The little spoon presented to eat it with was a cute addition. Lastly, from this specific menu was an array of desserts. There was a puff pastry desert for my fiance. It was full of different gels, creams, strawberries and garnish paired with a chantilly cream that was lovely. My dish was edited to be gluten free with a lemon cake, a hard shell, strawberries, clear gel and a rasberry mousse. These desserts were amazing with eafh bite. I'm not sure what the clear gel in this dessert was crafter from but it made the whole dish pop bite wise. Presentation for each was delightful. Next was a jelly bite covered in sugar. A matcha pastry bite. A piece of chocolate each sat in a bowl of cocoa nibs. The only thing other than wine not ordered from this menu that we recieved was from the spring seasonal menu. My fiancé ordered a truffle risotto made of swede instead of rice. The portion was small, but it was good. The texture was on point and delightful to eat. To pair with this exquisite meal we selected a Plan B wine from vineyards in the Frankland River region of Western Australia. From start to finish this meal was extravagant and decadent. The staff was extremely polite, attentive, patient and well rehearsed. They were continuously watching to make sure all needs were met and they asked all the righ questions to ensure the food was allergen free. Visiting this restaurant may make your wallet cry, but it is well worth the experience...

Restaurant Gordon Ramsey

Over the last eighteen years we’ve had the pleasure of dining at Restaurant Gordon Ramsey on many occasions but I have to say that our latest visit tops the lot. The food was simply outstanding , the wine was excellent and the service was impeccable. So yes this visit which was to celebrate our anniversary will live long in our memory.

Our lunch began with a fabulous warm welcome before being escorted to our table. Here there was a lovely touch from the team in the form of an happy anniversary card and flowers. This was nicely followed by a complimentary glass of champagne to welcome us back to the restaurant. It was then nice to have a catch up with James to see how things have been and to chat about the new members of the team who we can now say seemed to have settled in perfectly.

We were then presented with the menu which was a choice between the Prestige or the surprise Carte Blanche. We both decided to opt for the latter. Next was the wine where we went with jJames recommendation of a bottle of La Cabane Domaine Leon Boesch 2020 Pinot Blanc from Alsace to pair with the first three courses.

Now onto the food itself and please forgive with the description of each dish because the Carte Blanche menu is a surprise so will try and describe them as best I can.

We started with a delightful selection of snacks which was followed by a refreshing Tomato Dashi with basil , celery and lemon verbena.

This led us to the first course and Wow it was absolutely incredible. A Heirloom Tomato Tart with peach , vanilla and smoked stracciatella that was just sublime and easily one of the best dishes I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. We were then presented with the Herb Parker Loaf with shallots , onion and rosemary before moving to the next course of Lobster with macadamia , elderflower beurre blanc and caviar. This was a dish that looks simple but was amazing and like the first course the flavours were immense.

Next to arrive was the fish course. This was a John Dory with peppers , tomato , herbs and a rich and heavenly bouillabaisse that elevated the dish to the highest level. Now to the main dish of the day of Pigeon with carrot and fennel with a pigeon leg on the side. A dish worthy of being a main course anywhere. Our pigeon was accompanied by a glass of Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.

Next to arrive was a fabulous Cheese Course of Tete de Moine with apicot , sobacha , macadamia and elderflower honey. This led us to a Saffron and Passion Fruit palate cleanser which cleared the way to our dessert and oh boy were we in for a treat. The Strawberry Mille Feuille was simply heaven on a plate and I think that’s all that needs saying on this stunning dessert.

We finished with coffee and petit fours to bring to an end a fantastic dining experience. As I said at the beginning the food created by Chef Matt Abe and his team was absolutely incredible , the service was first class , the new team have settled in to the standard of service required with ease and the wine recommendations from James were fabulous. It’s not hard to see why this restaurant has had Three Michelin Stars for so many years which I’m sure will continue for the years to come.

Thank You Matt , Kim , James , Freya , Will and all the team for making this the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary and look forward to seeing you...