Gordon Ramsay's Restaurant

Take one positively phenomenal chef, add all of the following: a £25,000 tab that the bistro "elite" occasionally splash out on a lunch in his illustrious London dining establishment, recently voted the Best Restaurant in the UK by fellow restaurant owners, a large dose of classic styles, tastes and bona fide panache and finally... a waiting list for which patience is part of the menu and you have Gordon Ramsay's, an indulgent restaurant unlike any other.

Gordon Ramsay is no ordinary chef. He just won his third coveted Michelin star, propelling him into the super-league of world cuisine. Not one to bask in solitude, international superstar Gordon Ramsay was the centerpiece of the hit U.K. reality television show Hell's Kitchen, which reached over 10 million viewers weekly. In London, Gordon Ramsay, the once-and-future enfant terrible of English cuisine, is the very model of a modern major chef.

Gordon Ramsay is also cleverly franchising himself à la Ducasse, Vongerichten, Puck, et. al. Gordon Ramsay is the epitome of top-rated world-class restaurants and the posh state of London's most high-image restaurants. That is not to say that with a pleasant companion and a good bottle of wine to wash down the fare you can’t have a satisfying dining experience. Regardless of the company, this is the only way to have lunch when your concern for your delicate palete far outweighs anything else.

When Ramsay took over the dining room at Claridge’s in 2001 there was talk of the six-star Michelin man (duplicating Alain Ducasse’s two three-star restaurants). The current combined “stars” is more like it. The Art Deco room is capable of any number of stars (those being of the celebrity nature), and for reasonably modern revisits of classic French fare, say poached poulet de Bresse and confit de foie gras, pressed with Parma ham, carrot and sultana pickle…or tortellini of this and pan fried that, this oasis of the tasteful soul is simplistic yet upper-class and oh so refined.

Despite Gordon Ramsay’s plethora of dining establishments, he manages to maintain standards of unsurpassed perfection across the spectrum, which is no mean feat. And Claridge's is certainly the jewel in the crown: the Art Deco room is gorgeous, with various private rooms and a leather-walled cigar bar (the fumoir) but what people come for is the food. The Ramsay classics that made his first restaurant, Gordon Ramsay's London, such a destination are on the menu here, such as the rich soups like velout pumpkin with wild mushrooms.

Having already redefined the jam and peanut butter sandwich as a gastronomic delicacy, Gordon Ramsay's is also offering its take on the humble pizza, serving up the Italian favorite in several self-indulgent ways. Described as the "most decadent" pizza ever created, the dish, cooked up by Ramsay and his protégés, is liberally sprinkled with shavings of fresh Italian white truffle. The dish is a novel way to experience the Italian delicacy, which is more usually grated over fettucine or scrambled eggs.

At Gordon Ramsay's London, foie gras might appear as a splendid mosaic with smoked goose breast, and baby spinach salad; a tian of Cornish crab comes with fennel, rocket and herb salad. Cornish roast cannon of lamb with confit shoulder is meltingly tender and is served elegantly with white beans; baby leeks and rosemary jus. The fish dishes, which Gordon Ramsay treats so well, appear as pan-fried dorade fillet with grilled asparagus, artichokes and vanilla sauce. Desserts are equally impressive, such as a rich Valrhona chocolate fondue. There is a suitably impressive wine list to accompany the menu, and the service is impeccable. The unexpectedly charming prices are also an added value when visiting Gordon Ramsay’s Restaurant.