Gordon Ramsay At 68 Royal Hospital Road review by Loving Annie
Mhmmmm. Dinner was amazing !
The restaurant faces the street, with white flowers outside flanking the windows. A top hatted doorman opens the outside door, and then you pass through the second door, down a short hallway and into a small bar/reception area.
Immediately, the charm and stellar service begin. The entire Gordon Ramsay experience starts out with polish and panache, a precursor of a truly lovely dinner and evening.
The maitre d' greets me and ushers me into an intimate, carpeted room that appears to seat perhaps up to 50 guests.
Cream walls with a discreet edging of gilt, offset by equally tasteful mirrors subtly done.
Elaborate crown molding, silk and sheer shades on the windows, cunning small prism lamps on the walls, everything is soft, warm, intimate.
Double tablecloths on each table, 3 white rose buds in a silver vase, a glass oil lamp throws gentle light on the flowers.
There is a silver/gilt 'charger' plate on the table, the color of which harmonizes with the interior of the room. White bone china with rippling edges, and silverware heavy enough to feel real.
A refrigerated holder to keep your bottle of flat or sparkling water chilled. Lemon slices brought on a plate on the side. Already I am spoiled, and it just continues.
I think there were 4 different waiters just for my table alone. At least it felt that way - service is an art form here.
Plus a different waiter brought a selection of freshly baked sourdough, olive or wheat bread to the table. With stamped rounds of both salted and unsalted butter brought, each on a small silver plate with a butter knife.
The sommelier asked about my wine preferences. Not a flicker of dismay crossed his well trained face as I told him I'd just be drinking water :)
Everyone was so polite, helpful, solicitous. You can order a la carte, or they have different 8 course tasting menus.
I was in the mood for vegetables, so chef happily obliged... It is NOT Gordon Ramsay himself anymore.
An amuse bouche was brought, melt in your mouth avocado something in a tiny tuile. It was FABULOUS.
They kept replacing the silverware for each course. Quiet, pampering, this is an experience with a capital E.
Another amuse bouche - an individual, melt in your mouth ravioli in consomme with tiny diced vegetables, garnished with a nickel sized slice of black truffle.
Then a frisee of baby lettuce salad with artichoke heart, carrot, apple, and a truffle vinaigrette made me moan (quietly) with pleasure.
Asparagus risotto followed.
Every detail is perfect at this restaurant. It just doesn't get better.
Stuffed baby red peppers with ratatouille followed, with the thinnest of Pecorino shavings, basil puree and red pepper vinaigrette.
Dime sized potatoes that melted in my mouth. (I keep saying that, and it is true :)
Six tiny individual coils of onion rings as delicate as fishing wire garnish baby vegetables.
Broccolini, baby carrots, artichoke hearts, spinach, celery root and button mushrooms, each so fresh it tastes as though they were picked from a garden not an hour ago.
Exquisite jasmine tea was brewed for me at the table in a glass pot, where the tea was a flower bud that expanded in the water as it steeped.
And then, ohhhhhh yes, dessert. Or desserts, to be more accurate.
A small glass jar of creme brulee. But not just any ordinary creme brulee. The kind of creme brulee you'll remember for a long, long, long time.
So sinfully good, not too sweet, just a perfect blend of apple and pear, dusted with bittersweet chocolate on the top.
Then another dessert. An edible piece of art on a plate - a bitter chocolate and hazelnut cylinder, with ginger ice cream and blackberry granite.
Incredibly, more followed.
Pineapple and coconut 'soup' with chili syrup they had me drink through a glass straw. Silver dusted chocolate balls. White chocolate covered strawberry ice cream balls. Raspberry sorbet garnished with microfine chocolate stripes. Turkish delight lemon-flavored squares.
Somehow, I managed to try a bite of each :)
The attention to detail, the freshness of the ingredients, the presentation, the service, the atmosphere, all of it combine to make for an experience to last for a lifetime.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Overall rating 
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
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