Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
After a decade, Gordon Ramsay's eponymous restaurant in a quiet Chelsea back street retains its position at the heart of one of the world's most dynamic fine dining empires. A £1m refurbishment in 2006 may have transformed the dining room into, as Ramsay put it, the culinary equivalent of a Chanel handbag, but hasn't altered the essential nature of the place.
Maître d' Jean-Claude Breton is still there to greet you at the door, explain the menu and even quietly sing Happy Birthday to You, while the food is as precise and delicious as ever. Not surprising when you consider the kitchen is a hothouse for talent of the calibre of Mark Sargeant, Simone Zanoni (soon to head up Ramsay's Versailles restaurant) and recently appointed Head Chef Clare Smyth.
Ramsay's menus never stray too far from the French classical foundations he laid while working with the likes of Joël Robuchon and Guy Savoy. He serves roasted Scottish Lobster Tail with a light Bouillabaisse Sauce, Buttered Cabbage and Ratatouille, and Sautéed Foie Gras comes with Roasted Veal Sweetbreads, Cabernet Sauvignon Vinegar and Almond Velouté.
The restaurant's cellar is more than a match for the cuisine and is so extensive there's a separate list for all 72 champagnes and sparkling wines.
Behind the stove:
Executive Chef Mark Askew and Head Chef Clare Smyth
What they say:
"Sensitivity, passion, strength - these are the words to define Gordon Ramsay, a man who has helped to bring cooking to a point we could only dream of a few years ago." Ferran Adrià
New dish this year:
Line-caught Turbot Fillet Studded with Périgord Truffle, Boulangere Potatoes, Leek Ballottine and Civet Sauce
Not a lot of people know that:
Gordon Ramsay's first job was as kitchen porter in a curry house in Stratford
68 Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4HP, England+44 (0)20 7352 4441
www.gordonramsay.com
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