Dinner at Gordon Ramsay's Very First Restaurant
On this trip to London, for me, dining at Gordon Ramsay was a major priority. You may recall, I am a MASSIVE Ramsay fan. I love his decor, his menu, and the atmosphere of his restaurants. Gordon Ramsay has dozens of restaurants world wide and in London, he has twelve! Despite having twelve restaurants to choose from, I knew exactly where I wanted to dine. I was determined to dine at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Why this place? Because this is Gordan's first solo restaurant! This is the ultimate Ramsay fan destination!
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay was established in 1998 and maintains three Michelin Stars (is anyone really surprised about that?) The restaurant is located at Royal Hospital Road in the Chelsea neighborhood of London. I found the restaurant to be very elegant and smart, but I was surprised by how small the dining room is! It only sits 45 diners! I've been to a couple of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants, which are all sizable, and this was the size of a very spacious living room.
When we arrived, we were greeted by a bouncer, who led us into the restaurant.
The dining room
I absolutely love this painting of Gordon, which is on all of the menus.
The three menus. A la carte, tasting, and dessert.
Just being at the restaurant, I couldn't stop grinning. For me, this was the ultimate fan girl moment. It's kind of like when Elvis fans visit Graceland. This is a chef that I idolize and the reason why I started cooking, and here I was, sitting in his very first restaurant. Heaven on earth.
Everything about the restaurant was brilliant. The decor was really sophisticated and modern. The service was beyond efficient. Gordon Ramsay's staff functions like one major well oiled machine. I overheard one of the maitre'ds saying how there is enough staff so that each table has their own team. I find that rather impressive.
I also learned that the restaurant is not open on the weekends. I thought this was rather odd, since weekends tend to be optimum for dining out. I then learned that when the restaurant first opened, Gordon wanted to be able to spend time with his family, so he closed the restaurant on the weekends. This rule still exists today. I don't know about you, but I like this. I like his family values and I respect him for them.
We had the option of choosing from two menus: the a la carte menu and the tasting menu. Both looked beyond delicious and the decision was excruciating. Whilst we studied the menus, we were served the amuse buches. Posh scotch eggs, mini meat buns, and little seaweed wraps (can't quite remember what that third treat was.) Oh my god…heaven in my mouth.
The amuse bouches
The amuse bouches were promptly followed by a chilled tomato consommé. I'm not a huge fan of chilled soup and I don't care for tomatoes, but I will make an exception for this dish. So light and refreshing and the consommé was crystal clear! Well done Team Ramsay.
Starter from the chef --- chilled tomato consommé with mini vegetables
After much deliberation, we made our choices. I shall begin with the appetizers. I ordered Gordon Ramsay's signature dish: ravioli of lobster, langoustine, and salmon poached in a light bisque with oscietra caviar and sorrel veloute. Ok, so I know I am being repetitive and not very creative, but oh my goodness --- this is possibly one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten. I can totally understand why this is Chef Ramsay's signature dish. His blend of seafood and the pairing on the broth and caviar, totally brilliant and amazing! I could eat this everyday for the rest of my life and be perfectly content.
Ravioli of lobster, langoustine, and salmon poached in a light bisque with oscietra caviar and sorrel veloute
My mother order the "poached Scottish lobster tail with lardo di Colonnata, pickled vegetables, and coral vinaigrette," whilst my father ordered the "pan-fried sea scallops from the Isle of Skye with heritage apples, walnuts, celery, and cider emulsion." Both dishes were as delightful as they were aesthetically pleasing!
Poached Scottish Lobster Tail with Lardo di Colonnata, Pickled Vegetables, and Coral Vinaigrette
Pan-fried Sea Scallops from the Isle of Skye with Heritage Apples, Walnuts, Celery, and Cider Emulsion
For our main courses, my mother and I both ordered the "Cotswold lamb, spring vegetable "Navarin," best end, braised shank, confit breast and shoulder." I adore lamb and one thing I learned on this trip is that the Brits know how to cook lamb! My Cotswold lamb was so tender and juicy and the vegetables were beautifully prepared. My father enjoyed the "Bresse pigeon with sautéed foie gras, smoked ventreche, grilled polenta, braised shallots, and dates," which was equally phenomenal. Both dishes are not only perfectly prepared, but the plating was also gorgeous.
Cotswold Lamb, Spring Vegetable "Navarin," Best End, Braised Shank, Confit Breast and Shoulder
Bresse Pigeon with Sautéed Foie Gras, Smoked Ventreche, Grilled Polenta, Braised Shallots, and Dates
Before dessert, we were fortunate enough to try the palate cleanser. This is technically reserved for the chef's tasting menu, but the restaurant made a special exception for us. The palate cleaners was an apple sorbet with mint and bits of shiso. Shiso is a quintessential Japanese ingredient, so we were pleasantly surprised to find it on the menu. This palate cleanser was super refreshing and delicious. The apples were tart, but that tartness was balanced by the mint and citrus flavor of the shiso leaves. Yum!
English Peppermint Soufflé with Bitter Chocolate Sorbet
My mother enjoyed the "lemonade parfait with honey, bergamot, and sheep's milk yogurt sorbet." This dish had almost an ethereal look to it. So beautiful to look at! My father ordered the "smoked chocolate cigar with blood orange and cardamom ice cream." The chocolate cigar was yummy, but a bit hard to eat neatly. Although dad's dessert tasted delightful, I liked the plating more! So colorful and creative!
Lemonade Parfait with Honey, Bergamot, and Sheep's Milk Yogurt Sorbet
Smoked Chocolate Cigar with Blood Orange and Cardamom Ice Cream
Just when we though the meal was over, we were surprised with a final treat. Suddenly, our maitre'd appeared with a small smoking bowl. Literally, billows of smoke covered his hand as he approached out table. I was of course both excited and intrigued. We learned that this was a final treat from the kitchen: Strawberry ice cream balls, dipped in white chocolate, and served on dry ice. Very Heston Blumenthal!
So cool and delicious!
The final surprise was a private tour of the kitchen! We started chatting with our maitre'd and my mother told him how much of Gordon Ramsay fan I am. I talked about meeting him a few years back, and being inspired to cook because of his many television programs. We also told the maitre'd that we love Gordon Ramsay at the London in NYC and how we have toured the kitchen there several times. That's when he offered to show us the kitchen at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay! I can't even begin to describe my excitement!!!
The kitchen was small, compared to the Manhattan restaurant, but it was beautiful. You can tell that this place is also run like a well coordinated machine. Each brigade of chefs is in charge on a specific part of the meal (protein, veg, etc…) and once each dish is delivered to the pass, they are tasted and evaluated by the head chef. It was like watching a culinary ballet. Everyone's movement complemented the next chef.
Assessing the dishes that are about to be served
Plating some dishes
My mother and I learning about Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and how the kitchen runs
I know this is probably really nerdy of me to admit, but being able to tour the kitchen and chat with the maitre'd --- that was the highlight of my dining experience at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. Everyone was so lovely and I am grateful that our gracious maitre'd (pictured above) was generous enough to take the time to show us the kitchen. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I will always treasure this memory!
What can I say, dinner at Gordon Ramsay was beyond amazing. It always is. The food was perfect, the service was superb, and the ambience was idyllic. Gordon Ramsay never disappoints. I had the most wonderful evening at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and I look forward to my next visit! Who knows, if I'm really lucky, the man himself will be there!! *Fingers crossed*
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