The Ledbury

Excellent meal by any standards

I've eaten here a few times, though not for a couple of years, and today's was the best meal I've had at The Ledbury. There aren't many restaurants thet can do better than this.

The food is the star here. The place itself is smart but understated , and there are quite a few restaurants that enjoy better premises. The service is polite, friendly without resorting to matey, and perfectly timed- about an hour and three quarters for three courses and coffee is about right in my book- by no means laborious but enough time to savour what was very good food indeed. To their credit the set lunch we ate today was clearly of similar quality and complexity to the main menu- you could eat this and get a good idea what the kitchen is capable of. The same is not true everywhere.

We both started with a complex dish involving rabbit, foam, vegetable crisp, wild mushrooms and a delicious jerusalem artichoke veloute with grated truffle. Altogether quite delicious and with the flavour of every ingredient discernable. I followed with breast of pigeon cooked very pink with red vegetable leaves and a little rhubarb. The confit legs and a brochette involving fois gras were served on the side. There was a much-reduced, intense but still light jus accompanying. My wife's turbot cooked with seaweed with grilled leek, all in a green-tea based sauce was according to her a ten out of ten dish, and not a bone in sight. Dessert saw us leave the set lunch menu in favour of the signature dish of passion fruit souffle with a sauternes Ice cream spooned inside it. I've eaten this before, and it was as delicious as I recalled. Very good breads and good coffee and petits fours. A decent Languedoc from the cheaper end of the wine list.

All told an excellent meal from a restaurant of considerable quality and on great form. I can't see it being two years before we're back.

Pure delight – if it where only easier to get a table at this outstanding foodie's paradise. The food is top notch with very attentative and good service. Brilliant place for a special dinner and to enjoy some of london's best cooking

I'm almost embarrassed to say that this was my third tasting menu in a Michelin two-starred restaurant in the last three months. I'm fair bursting with patriotic pride at the quality of our country's food. It's become clear, though, that at the very best British restaurants, certain things have become commonplace. My beef’s been bathed inside a plastic bag for half the week? I’m unfazed. The sous-chef scaled a cliff this morning to hand-pick those nettles on my plate? Unremarkable. The dish that looks like egg and chips is in fact made with cod and Rice Krispies? I’m stifling a yawn.

Of course I’m spoilt. The Ledbury was terrifically good. With certain dishes, their principal quality was staggering refinement: ceviche of scallops with apple jelly, seaweed puree and frozen horseradish was pure and delicate and wonderful. Roast seabass was gob-smackingly perfectly cooked. The blackcurrant tart had a firm egg custard that was the loveliest eggy thing I’ll ever eat. Other dishes stood out because – more than anywhere I’ve eaten before – the chef had created a compelling theme on the plate, with disparate ingredients brought together to make one marvellously rewarding dish. The quail with wet walnuts, fig, dandelion and truffle conveyed, unmistakably and utterly deliciously, ‘autumnal woodland floor’.

However I do have one criticism. Long ago I figured out that the principal weapon in the restaurant chef’s arsenal is loading as much butter, cream and salt as they can into their dishes. As an enthusiastic home cook, I consider it cheating. But can the pendulum swing too far the other way? Perhaps at times at The Ledbury it did. The clean flavours came at the expense of the blow-out factor you might look for in a big restaurant meal. There’s something wonderful about feeling satiated at the end of a great meal, and although I don’t want to feel like a duck being prepared for foie gras production, I’d certainly like a nudge in that direction. Only one or two dishes here had that quality, such as the buffalo curd with onion broth accompanied by slivered poilane toasts topped with cheese and truffle paste, or the short rib of beef with bone marrow. The rest – while brilliant – had a certain Protestant discipline and purity that I imagine you get in the fine restaurants of suicide capitals such as Copenhagen and Stockholm.

Beyond the food, it was good news all round. Staff were excellent; the sommelier was especially obliging, insisting on me trying wines before he served them, so that I might send them back if they weren’t to my taste (which I did when we couldn’t quite agree on a dessert wine, and the swift replacement was excellent). The room is bright and airy, and the level of buzz was good. However the Protestantism extended to the decor which, while classic, lacked anything in the way of verve. It was £105pp for the tasting menu, which for the meal and experience we had, was just right. I’ll be sure to return once I’ve become less spoilt again.

This really is a great restaurant. I won't go in to all the details, but every course (and the extras) was stunning. Especially memorable was the passion fruit souffle – in the top 3 best desserts I have ever had. Efficient, friendly service and a luxurious room. Very much worth the expense for a special occasion.

I had picked The Ledbury for my birthday dinner, mainly because it seemed very friendly and less stuffy than some of the other places. There is no specified dresscode and it has a nice website that doesn’t just focus on the Chef but introduces the entire team. Nice touch.

That friendly impression was further reinforced when The Ledbury got into the headlines during the London riots.
Looters broke into the restaurant and started robbing the customers’ wallets, phones and wedding rings, until the kitchen staff came out with rolling pins and frying pans to scare the looters away. As it seemed the looters might come back, they then locked the customers into the wine cellar and gave them Champagne and Whisky to calm their nerves. Quite a brilliant story, I thought.

The staff were indeed very friendly. Although I have to say that a few of them had rather broken English which seemed endearing and sometimes almost comedic, but didn’t give the impression of top-notch, professional service.
Plates were removed with a very friendly but rather funny: “You like?” and the pre-dessert became a “fruit of passion with some mousse”. Mind you, it was delicious whatever they might have called it.

The décor once again wasn’t really to our taste. A bit better than at some of the other places, but still lacking style or charm.

But those are really the only slightly negative comments I can make about the place. The food was absolutely superb. Actually, the best we’ve had so far.

We had the tasting menu, with matching wines.
Every single dish was fantastic.

The ones that stood out were probably the flame grilled mackerel with avocado, Celtic mustard and shiso.
We’ve had mackerel a couple of times on the menu, last time at Le Manoir, but this one was fantastic, perfectly grilled, the avocado and shiso giving it an interesting Asian touch that was pleasantly surprising for what is often classified as a French restaurant.

“Celeriac baked in ash with Hazelnuts, wood sorrel and a Kromeski of middle white pork” already sounded very intriguing. It got even more interesting when a small perfectly baked pastry was brought to the table. Beautifully shaped with baked thyme and rosemary twigs on top. The pastry was sliced open to reveal the celeriac baked in ash. I would have happily tucked into the pastry, but it was only used to give flavour and then removed. The dish actually tasted great and was paired with a Sherry. I’m not the biggest fan of Sherry, but it absolutely worked.

Another highlight was the roasted breast and confit legs of grouse with red leaves and vegetables, foie gras and cherries. So rich, but so good. It tasted of winter and Christmas and countryside as the grouse melted away in your mouth. Beautiful.

The only slight disappointment was the dessert. Figs with milk yoghurt, fig leaf ice cream and citrus beignets. Meh. It was fine, but didn’t live up to the standard set by the rest of the menu.

The wine pairing was fantastic. We tried some beautiful wines and the Eastern European sommelier had that typical Eastern European dryness, -a bit like the girls in Harry Enfield’s Polish café – but was very friendly and knowledgeable.
And judging by the rather merry, one could even call it slightly tipsy, state in which we left the restaurant, it was actually not bad value for money.

By chance friends were sitting just a few tables away and were equally pleased with the whole experience.

The tasting menu with wines is £145 a head, so with tip the bill came to £330. I’m kind of getting used to these prices, which is a bit scary, and thought it was actually good value for money. Or at least well worth it for the exceptional food.

I want to go again.

Love love love The Ledbury.

Only difficulty is what to choose from the menu. Always intrigued by some of the food combinations but absolutely KNOW that Brett will have it nailed and it will not only surprise but satiate.

Don't tell everyone as it becomes harder and harder to get a table here… shhhhh

This place is amazing! I don't even know where to start! A group of 4 friends and I went for lunch and were highly impressed by everything – the service, the food, the lot! We all ordered off the a la carte menu.

For starters I had the Hand Picked Crab with Wakame Oil, Thinly Sliced Courgette and Frozen Parmesan which was a burst of flavours! My choice of main was Loin of Roe Deer with Beetroot, Blackcurrants and Bone Marrow which I couldn't fault! Dessert of Caramelised Banana Galette with Salted Caramel, Passion Fruit and Peanut Oil Parfait was to die for!!

Four of us had ordered dessert and the waiters brought our 5th friend a dessert as he didn't want her to feel left out… it's the small touches like this that make a good restaurant great! We finished with a cheese board of the most interesting and different cheeses i've had in a long time.

This place is great! I can't wait to visit again very soon!

Surpassed my (already high) expectations in every way. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. Service was attentive without being intrusive. We had a lovely meal. I would highly recommend for a special occasion.

We returned to the Ledbury last night ( 7 May 2011), having loved the meal last year.
The tasting menu with wine was excellent, the wonderful wine selection complementing the delicious and interesting food.The cheese selection and accompanying port was a lovely addition to the dinner, though did cost extra.The only disappointment was the main meal of beef rib-tasty, but would have a preferred a more substantial steak or lamb dish.The atmosphere was relaxed, the staff enthusiastic about the food and the Australian sommelier very entertaining.
Quite a pricey evening, but thoroughly enjoyed.

Came to the Ledbury from out of town on the recommendation of friends. And wow. What a recommendation. We don't eat at this level in England very often and in our neck of the woods consider le manoir to be the benchmark of excellence.
Until yesterday. We were first in for lunch on the dot of midday and had it not been for a 3pm table of two would have been the last out. If much-loved wife hadn't insisted on some shopping I would probably still be there now.
Everything was beyond repproach. The welcome, the table, cleanliness, the staff, and of course the food and service. Several things stood out for me. Each of them I guess are things you expect at this level but to get them ALL correct is rare indeed. Firstly I expected being the first seated that we would maybe be a little rushed through with our tasting menu. (talking to the kitchen afterwards we were the only table on tasting). But the timing from start to finish was perfect. The food was sublime and just did not miss on any course. My chablis was decanted (without it being requested) and served at a proper temperature. Almost unheard of nowadays. WELL DONE SOMMELIER. Staff were engaging and smiley without ever being intrusive. At no time did we have to wait for any top ups but again noone hoverred. A couple of additional menu requests were dealt with (as in the chance to try a couple of bits off the carte) and no additional charge was made. And to top it all off the sous chef chatted for a good 20 minutes with us afterwards whilst the rest of the kitchen brigade tore around getting ready for dinner service.
I'm a no spring chicken and both my wife and I have been in love with food and drink for the best part of 30 years. This is the best lunch we have eaten in this country in all that time and ranks a very very close third to Troisgros and Fontjeancouse on our all time list. Well done all of you. You thoroughly deserve your success. Long may it continue.

John & Julia
The Leatherne Bottel