T B's review of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Despite all the recent media attention, I decided that I would return to RGR having been once before for lunch some 12 months previously, when I came away very impressed by the entire experience. Most people are familiar with the décor and can easily view the images on line. I think that in terms of the style it is trying to set, it fits in perfectly well and delivers a refined and modern finish; smart and formal. Jean-Claude Breton was not working on this particular evening, so there was a new face on the front of house, although I must confess to not getting his name. Overall the service was very engaging and friendly and he took a genuine interest in our evening. Toping up of bread and water was faultless. None of the staff came across as overbearing or intrusive and all were warm and friendly. It’s a difficult balance to strike and I think this aspect of the service remains some of the best. Having previously been to the Square, I found the service there very cold and aloof, with the staff taking little interest in you as the diner; it was all rather mechanical and routine. However, we did experience an oversight in that we were only presented with one amuse bouche, the kitchen having forgotten to send the first one out. I’m not sure where the slip occurred and we didn’t realise it until late, by which time we weren’t sure how to raise the issue; being stoically British we decided not to complain at the time, rather wait until the end. The Maitre‘d was very apologetic and we were presented with additional petis fours to take away. He did say that if there was a problem we shouldn’t have been afraid to say so at the time, otherwise he doesn’t know and can’t correct the fault. That will teach me! At the end of the meal we took drinks in the bar and I was served a cognac in what I would describe as a port glass. Although I might be mistaken, I think this was wrong and lacked attention to detail. My biggest gripe would be that I noticed 2 guests dressed in jeans with shirts not tucked in taking their table. Although this might sound snobbish, the restaurant says that it operates a strict dress code and as a paying customer who adheres to this, I would have expected others to respect this and for the restaurant to have the courage to enforce it. If others can be bothered to make the effort, then why are the standards not upheld for all?

On this occasion we went for dinner and opted for the Menu Prestige. Although I had an early reservation, this was better given that a sitting of this sort takes several hours. I asked the Sommelier to select glasses of wine to suit each dish and we received a wide variety of excellently matched wines to compliment each dish. The courses were well spaced so that we never felt rushed and were able to enjoy and savour the dishes Without going into each dish in detail, suffice to say that all were brilliantly executed and well presented. The standout dish for me was the scallops with poached quail egg and peas with a pea veloute. The scallops were perfectly timed and the brilliant taste of fresh peas came through, giving the dish an added sweetness. I can’t fault the cooking but do agree with some comments I’ve seen that the cooking lacks that certain X factor. Such an opinion is very subjective and hard to explain but having returned it didn’t quite hold the same magic as the first visit. Reading the Michelin Guide criteria, it is hard to see how you could separate some of the 2* and the 3* in terms of cooking and wonder why there aren’t more 3* restaurants in London.

Name aside, the team behind the stove have been able to retain 3 Michelin stars, and shown their collective capability. The debate about chefs, celebrity, bias and recognition could go on forever; however, the negative press hasn’t seemingly affected the restaurant, which was full and showed no signs of suffering from the current backlash that is affecting GR’s public image. RGR definitely remains one of the finest dining establishments in London, but on this occasion I think that the lack of attention to detail let the level of service down poorly. The food is excellent across the board but apart from one dish, nothing really stood out as memorable. I will return, although I expect that I would wait some time before doing so. In terms of value for money, I think you can get better at places such as Pied a Terre.