Gordon Ramsay Royal Hospital Road

[Pweaver1984]

I agree with you entirely Tom, the food on the site you mentioned looked a lot cleaner, fresher, and better presented as to the ones you experienced, which is a shame. Is Gordons TV work seriously beginning to affect his high standards in the restaurant?

[Gary Marshall]

Superb pics. Anyone else think his style of plating has - with a few exceptions - changed rather radically?

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i thought that too, also no lobster ravioli

[Lowblow]

The plating style has certainly changed since I worked with him, seems a little less regimented which isnt always a bad thing, nice photos by the way. Im hungry now.

Superb pics. Anyone else think his style of plating has - with a few exceptions - changed rather radically?

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[Jon Tseng]

What Mr Marshall said - Ramsay in no-giant-prawn-wonton-on-the-menu shocker!

Good to see the food moved on a bit (though Canon of Lamb or Filet a somewhat desultory choice on the main)

His scallops are some of the best in London IMHO (and no Vong-caper-raisin-cauliflower action! again vive le change!)

The cherry story is that he first tried doing perfectly ripe cherries as petit fours back in Aubergine but the customers rebelled ("we want our tarty petit four cake things... even if they don't taste as nice"). Cherries were done as petit fours at Menu I think when I went. Looks like now he is the fairy on top of the tree Ramsay is finally able to do as he pleases!

ta

J

[Basildog]

Hey, we've been serving cherries with coffee for years (seasonally) .Today, i was greeted by a big box ( i had only ordered 2lb) ,quick call to my veg man to be told that a few looked a bit old and tired, and he didn't have time to sort them .KERCHING £1.50 the lot, after sorting i lost about 15% of the box.

[Gary Marshall]

i've not come across fresh cherries as 'petit fours' before, where did the thought come from bas?

[Matthew Grant]

Gordon Ramsay via Joel Robuchon

[Andy Lynes]

Marcus Wareing always used to serve cherries at the old Petrus, along with a little treacle tart or something else sweet. God I miss that place.

[Pweaver1984]

I had cherries at Thackerys about a month ago, seems like everywhere has done/doing them?

[Andy Lynes]

As a result of the most recent report on this thread and the comments made about plating style, I spoke to Ramsay's PR company Sauce Communications today to find out if there was a particular reason for the apparent change.

They told me that Ramsay's style has continually evolved over time and that nothing is served in the restaurant without his direct involvement. They told me that Simone Zanoni (great name) is now head chef of Royal Hospital Road. Zanoni has worked within the Ramsay organisation for a long time and has worked with Mark Askew for a number of years. Mark Askew is now Ramsay's group executive chef but still heavily involved with Royal Hospital Road.

Sauce confirmed that there will be a major refurbishment of the dining room at RHR over the 2005 Christmas period, although there were no details of who the designer will be.

[Basildog]

i've not come across fresh cherries as 'petit fours' before, where did the thought come from bas?

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Elaine "Margot" always called petit fours "sweeties" and she liked fruit to be part of it.She also insisted on Cadburys Mini Eggs at Easter.

[cchen]

Hi all,

I'm from New York City, and am planning a trip to London in early January. I'd love to be able to dine at Gordon Ramsay, but I haven't seen the price of the menu listed anywhere. Can anyone tell me what the prices are for lunch prix-fixe and dinner prix-fixe? Also, I'll be coming with my mom and younger brother. Would it be advisable to bring a child there? And do they have any kind of other menu for a child, since I'm pretty sure my brother would not appreciate the regular menu as much.

[Jon Tseng]

Dunno exactly but you'll be in the region of 40 quid for lunch, 65-70 quid for a la carte (also available at lunch, which is easier to book and more chilled out) and about 80-85 for the tasting

Early Jan a good time to come, its relatively easy to get bookings in London in the post-Christmas lull

Though to be honest the most exciting high-end food in London at the moment is probably at Tom Aikens or the Greenhouse - which are both cheaper

ta

J

Hi all,

I'm from New York City, and am planning a trip to London in early January. I'd love to be able to dine at Gordon Ramsay, but I haven't seen the price of the menu listed anywhere. Can anyone tell me what the prices are for lunch prix-fixe and dinner prix-fixe? Also, I'll be coming with my mom and younger brother. Would it be advisable to bring a child there? And do they have any kind of other menu for a child, since I'm pretty sure my brother would not appreciate the regular menu as much.

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[Scott]

Dunno exactly but you'll be in the region of 40 quid for lunch, 65-70 quid for a la carte (also available at lunch, which is easier to book and more chilled out) and about 80-85 for the tasting

Early Jan a good time to come, its relatively easy to get bookings in London in the post-Christmas lull

Though to be honest the most exciting high-end food in London at the moment is probably at Tom Aikens or the Greenhouse - which are both cheaper

ta

J

Hi Jon,

your price estimate are about right; but I couldn't disagree more with your suggestions. I never used to be GR's biggest fan but a couple of meals had recently have been utterly superb, far and way clearer, more precise, more enjoyable than any of the over complex, posturing dreck served at Tom Aikens. (sorry, if that's a bit strong, but I feel TA is still living in the early 90's with his style of food).

I think cchen would be well advised to seek out at least lunch at RHR.

[Andy Lynes]

Prices are listed under "Information" at Gordon Ramsay's website. Greenhouse and Tom Aikens are £10 cheaper for a la carte (£60 as opposed to £70).

[Jonathan Day]

Hi all,

I'm from New York City, and am planning a trip to London in early January. I'd love to be able to dine at Gordon Ramsay...I'll be coming with my mom and younger brother. Would it be advisable to bring a child there? And do they have any kind of other menu for a child, since I'm pretty sure my brother would not appreciate the regular menu as much.

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I don't think they have a child menu -- it's not that kind of place. I've always found the staff at RHR friendly and accommodating, but the room is not large and the menu is ambitious. Definitely worth a call beforehand, to check on the kitchen's flexibility, and on pricing. You could end up with a very expensive dish of pasta and cheese...

Or why not send your brother to a group like Pippa Pop-Ins to relax while you enjoy your meal?

[fabienpe]

After a moment of checking, they offered me a table for 1:45. Do they like Americans more than Brits?<p>I arrived right on time. My table wasn't ready and they sat us in the small waiting area. The place is much smaller than I imagined it. <p><p>

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This reminds me my first and last visit (July 2002): arrive on time, table not ready. This is simply unacceptable. GR is the only 3 Michelin star restaurant I know, doing this. In fact GR (and Petrus) are the only Michelin starred restaurants I tried where this happend to me.

Add the ironing of tables when we (and other tables) started our dessert and this did not leave me with the best impression; regardless of the sweetbread, pigeon and coffee soufflé I had.

Fabien

[Jon Tseng]

regardless of the sweetbread, pigeon and coffee soufflé I had.

Not one dish I hope!

[MSchmidt909]

As a result of the most recent report on this thread and the comments made about plating style, I spoke to Ramsay's PR company Sauce Communications today to find out if there was a particular reason for the apparent change.

They told me that Ramsay's style has continually evolved over time and that nothing is served in the restaurant without his direct involvement.  They told me that Simone Zanoni (great name) is now head chef of Royal Hospital Road. Zanoni has worked within the Ramsay organisation for a long time and has worked with Mark Askew for a number of years. Mark Askew is now Ramsay's group executive chef but still heavily involved with Royal Hospital Road.

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squeeze bottles, evolved..... I thought those were old hat in the late 80's,

in America at least

[Andy Fenn]

There hasn't been anything posted on this thread for a while now, which I find surprising, so I took it upon myself to book lunch for 4, which we had on Thursday. I might add that I booked a full month before, as is often obligatory for RHR, and have been in 'training' for it ever since. I'll leave the marathon training to my girlfriend - Ramsay was to be my 26 miles.

This was my fourth meal at RHR, and I have been surprised to hear the criticism levelled at the restaurant on this and other threads. Most of the comments are directed towards a cuisine that is potentially unexciting in London's modern context. To me, this always seemed like a 'Pete Sampras is so boring' kind of criticism. But Sampras was the best, and up until my last visit there a year and a half ago, so was Ramsay, in my opinion.

His position at the top of my tree has since been usurped by Arzak and then the Fat Duck, so I went to Chelsea with high hopes that Ramsay would regain his crown.

The room is as has been described many times on this thread, and I won't repeat it. Jean-Claude, the maitre'd, explained that the refurbishment of the restaurant has now been pushed back, and would take up all of July and probably some of August. He told me that the bar and waiting area would be changed and that there might well be a chef's table in the kitchen. Now that would be something.

With 3 of us having taken afternoons off to go to the restaurant, we had always had it in mind to do the lunch menu, which was £40 for 3 courses. However, one of the party started getting excited about the Menu Prestige - 7 courses for £90. Another joined in his enthusiasm. We were at stalemate. There was only one option - heads or tails? Tails for tasting, and the prestige it was.

Jean Claude and his brigade of staff were charming as always. I am hardly a regular, but he remembered my face and made us feel at home. His descriptions of food display a great sense of theatre, and you can't help but grin to yourself when he presents you with the plates.

Note: I took photos but am having trouble uploading. Hopefully they will be up soon.

The amuse was the ubiquitous pumpkin veloute with wild mushrooms and parmesan, with a cute little puff pastry spoon holding a quenelle of truffled butter on the side. This was a little disappointing. The pumpkin flavour and the texture of the dish was good, but the parmesan was a little overpowering and the mushrooms added little. The spoon was very cheesy and the puff pastry not as light or crumbly as I would have expected. The amuse I had at my last meal was pumpkin soup again, but was infinitely better; a puff pastry 'stirrer' with parma ham wrapped around accompanied the perfect veloute, which contained a beautiful truffle tortellini.

Course 1: Mosaique of foie gras with Peking style duck

This was taken by two of our party, and they enjoyed it. I tried a little, and the flavours were pleasant, but I wasn't sure the hoi sin esque preparation in the duck complemented the foie particularly well.

Alternative: Terrine of pigs trotter and ham hock

Rian and I took on this alternative, which came with hollandaise dressing and another dressing, both squeezed out of a bottle in the emerging Simone style. A version of a ham and cheese croque madame accompanied, comprising fried quail's egg, parma ham and cheese. The terrine was wonderfully piggy and unctuous, while remaining light. The accompanying sauces were forgettable. The croque just seemed a little out of place on a 3 michelin star menu. Its cheesiness dominated when on the same forkful as the terrine, so I munched it separately. I am, however, a sucker for runny yolk, and I happily coated a few mouthfuls of terrine in the sticky golden pool which had spread across my plate.

Course 2: Pan fried sea scallops with smoked salmon and horseradish

I had this dish, along with another. The scallops were very pleasant, and the tiny sliver of smoked salmon added a surprisingly punchy marriage with the shellfish. Why didn't both pieces of scallop have one? However, the scallops did not evoke the ums and ahs that I expected. They sat on a bed of creamed savoy cabbage, which again was well seasoned and pleasant, and the horseradish sauce added subtle spice. But for some reason, this dish lacked the distinction and balance of dishes in the past.

Alternative: Lobster and Langoustine Raviolo with a lobster and tomato reduction

Rian had this dish, and I tried some. The reduction was superb, packing a powerful shellfish and tomato punch. But again, this version wasn't as 'perfect' as it was a few years ago. I'm sure Rian will add his opinions.

Course 3: Sauteed fillet of turbot, tagliatelle, coriander and citrus veloute

We all had this dish, and a good thing too - it was the dish of the day. The tagliatelle consisted of coriander flavoured pasta and carrot julienne. The veloute was made from white and pink grapefruit. The fish was expertly timed and seasoned. The meaty chunks had a buttery taste and were a joy to devour even on their own. However, it was the veloute which elevated this dish to the ethereal. It was sweet, light, bitter and buttery all at the same time, each sensation competing but not overpowering. The pasta was almost translucent and proved the perfect tool for mopping up the rest of the veloute. Superb - this brought memories of previous visits flooding back.

Course 4: Roasted fillet of Angus beef with braised cheeks and Barolo sauce

You will see by now that our meal was following a very similar path to that reported in November. No matter - we all opted for this dish and were very much looking forward to it. The lamb was on the prestige menu I had 4 years ago, and I wanted to see what else was on offer. The fillet was perhaps a mite over the medium rare I requested, but was nicely seasoned and well flavoured. The confit onion and spinach on which it sat were superb. The accompanying jus was also very refined. The pommes puree was buttery and smooth, as one would expect, and I liked the braised ox cheek. The anise flavour could have been a little more subtle, but in principle, I liked it. Overall, this was a good dish, but once again, it failed to set my tastebuds alight.

Course 5: Cheese or pre-dessert of black pepper creme brulee with pear

Rian and I had the cheese, which was fine. It was from premier cheese, and not up to the standard of Bernard Antony's selection I had at the Capital a few weeks ago. Again, I'm sure the standard of cheese was higher a couple of years ago.

The brulee was fantastic. The black pepper really worked, and proved a wonderful foil to the creaminess of the custard and the sweetness of the pear. I wish I had chosen this.

Course 6: Charentais melon with fromage frais and mint

This was similar to the 'strawberry milkshake' shown on this thread a while back. It did its job very well. The melon was extremely refreshing and excited us for the final dessert.

Course 7: Lime parfait with honeycomb and chocolate sauce

Only one of us had this, due to the alternative offered (see below). I had a little taste, and the lime flavour was the correct level of lightness at this stage of the meal.

Alternative dessert: Tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream

We were told this was one of the restaurant's signature dishes. It was a great disappointment. Splitting it into three portions at the table added a sense of theatre, but the taste failed to deliver. The equivalent tarte tatin I have had at midsummer house and at the Waterside absolutely knocked the socks of Ramsay's version. The apples lacked caramelisation, were too big, the tarte fell apart, and the pastry was poor. An indication of the quality of the food I'm eating is often how slowly I eat it; the better it is, the longer I want to have it in front of me. I wolfed this down.

Coffee and petits fours were good. The little white chocolate balls with strawberry ice cream inside have been called 'orgasm balls' by my girlfriend. How would she know? But they were good nonetheless. And the chocolates from down the road at Artisan du Chocolat were fine.

Overall, I left the restaurant feeling a strong sense of disappointment. Not even the turbot came close to my best dish of 2006 so far, the white onion veloute with langoustines at the Capital (thanks for the tip Matt).

Ramsay's cuisine is never intended to be shocking or electrifying. But this never bothered me in the past; the flavours were so clean and so delicately balanced, that I had no urge for green tea foams and bacon ice cream. I didn't feel it needed to differentiate itself as a 3 star restaurant because its 3 star status did that alone; this is not Paris, where the best part of 10 3 star restaurants compete for top billing in one city. But to pull this off, everything must pull together in complete harmony. When I go to Tom Aikens, there will always be something that lets it down. But I always want to go back. But there was nothing there yesterday that made me feel the same way, apart from my memories of a bygone age.

But I do want to go back, to have the lunch menu and give RHR a chance to win me over once again. I won't be turned away that easily. But if I have another meal that fails to deliver, it is perhaps unlikely that I will return.

[Rian]

Since I was one of Andy’s companions on this visit, the photographs (should he get succeed in getting them up) in his post are of the same meal I had. I’ll forgo any comments about the room and the service, since these have been adequately covered previously. To the food…

Thursday was my first visit to RHR. We booked a month in advanced. We trained hard, slogging through 1 and 2 star spots to prepare ourselves for Gordon’s golden goose. I took the day off work. This should have been big. This should have been something. This could have been a contender. I digress. Despite the flippancy of our coin toss, it was time to get serious.

An amuse bouche of pumpkin and parmesan soup arrived with a cute spoon-shaped biscuit. The soup was, well, pumpkin and parmesan soup – no more, no less. A swirl of truffle oil. A smattering of soggy mushrooms. Truffled butter.

I forwent the long-standing mosaique of foie gras for a pressed terrine of pig’s trotter and ham hock. The terrine was moist and delicate, with the smoky backdrop of pork. The ubiquitous streaks of which Andy spoke were hollandaise and balsamic vinegar reductions, both of which were sharp enough to lend structure to the softness of the terrine. The accompanying croque was unremarkable, for two reasons. Firstly, despite the vividness of the photograph, the yolk was a little bland, not the liquid sunshine I was expecting. Secondly, a slice of unadvertised black truffle was rubbery and virtually tasteless.

I also sampled the foie gras, which I felt was unsuccessful. I see the point – the hoi sin accompaniment taking the place of the usual sweetness in a foie preparation. But the whole slab was slick and wet, glistening to the extent that I thought it might slide off the plate into our companion’s lap. I like my foie gras served with relative simplicity. As Keller says, the great thing about foie gras is that it’s foie gras. If it’s good, then there should be no messing around: ‘your job is to try to make it show what it really is’. Here, the foie gras was given no chance to shine.

I swapped out again here in order to try the signature dish of langoustine ravioli. Technically faultless, I felt it lacked a little punch. The centre of the ravioli was almost too delicate – the texture of the crustaceans was there, but I wanted to taste the sweetness of their shells and the clean saltiness of the sea. Casing was textbook – perfectly al dente. Lobster bisque was reduced to the extent that I almost had to peel it off the plate, a recurring theme. Perhaps a result of too much time at the pass? Nonetheless, this had the intensity of flavour missing from the ravioli itself.

Next was fillet of turbot with tagliatelle, coriander and citrus veloute. The outstanding dish of the afternoon, and the only one that added up to more than the sum of its parts. Turbot was moist, delicate, and punchy at the same time, the surface of the slick, bright flesh burnished to the colour of buttered toast. Atop this rested a few crunchy juliennes of mange tout. The base of the dish was a coil of coriander tagliatelle and sweet strands of carrot. The pasta resisted the tooth and was lightly fragranced with coriander. Veloute, poured at the table, elevated the dish: smooth in texture, sharp in taste, and lingering with candied citrus fruit, it harmonised the disparate tones of the dish.

All of us plumped for the fillet of Angus beef with braised cheeks and Barolo sauce. Another signature dish, I was eager for it to justify its long-standing inclusion on the menu prestige. The pictures you see are of my beef, which I ordered blue, and felt was a hair overdone, but no more. The flesh was tasty enough, but would have been unremarkable in the absence of a bed of treacle-sweet confit onions muddled with spinach. Braised cheeks were as rich and soft as expected, but their fragrance had been overplayed by too much star anise. Mash was, well, mash. This accompanying tower carried a lid of further unadvertised slices of black truffle, as redundant as those thrown in with the terrine. As with the veloute, stocky gravy was poured at the table, spiced with Barolo.

At this stage Andy and I opted for cheese in place of a pre-dessert of crème brulee. Cheeses were from Premier Cheese. Our server was excellent – knowledgeable, and with decent recommendations. Although, when I quizzed her about the age of the Comte, she informed me that ‘you can’t really say’. It’s true, you can’t say if you don’t know.

Our palate cleansing first dessert was chanterais melon with fromage frais and mint, served in a champagne flute with a cute glass straw. This was a Ronseal dish – it did exactly what it said on the tin, and was all the better for it. The essence of melon was there; the taste of the sun.

My excitement was piqued by the offer of tarte tatin as an alternative dessert, to be shared amongst 3 of us. It was served with the requisite theatre, entering on a trolley and sliced at the table. The moment of slicing sowed the seeds of suspicion – the pastry crumbled too easily and hunks of fruit dismounted from their base. In addition we each received a scoop of vanilla ice cream peppered with black dust. As I’ve said before, I’m a sucker for hot and cold combinations in desserts, so this appealed to me. But the tart was simply disappointing. Chunks of apple lacked caramelisation and texture, and the pastry collapsed, dry and chalky. Vanilla ice cream was ok, but missing a depth of vanilla flavour.

By this time the staff were beginning to iron the tablecloths for dinner service, so we moved to the seating area to take coffee. Andy’s aforementioned ‘orgasm balls’ were indeed quite moreish, though I was more turned on by the light discs of chocolate laced with passion fruit from L’Artisan.

My overriding emotion since last Thursday’s visit has been disappointment. Almost everything we ate worked, but none of it worked miracles. Service was impeccable, ingredients amongst the very best, and technique largely flawless. But it wasn’t enough; it didn’t come together in the symphony I was expecting. Perhaps I didn’t have a right to such expectations – but I was £100 lighter when I left, without wine. I know that Ramsay’s cuisine is not about fireworks. What it is about, as I gather, is hitting the target, bang on, without exception, every single time. It’s about consistency, technique, delicacy. When these fail, what remains?

As I write I realise that I am in danger of opening up a discussion many of you have already had (re: Chez Bruce) on the subjectivities of the restaurant experience. Whilst I followed that thread closely (more as an English graduate than anything else), I failed to relate it to my own experience until Thursday. Did I want too much from RHR? Why was my meal at the Ledbury the next day so much better? Was it because it didn’t have to carry the huge weight of expectation nurtured by branding, Michelin, et cetera? In comparing RHR to The Fat Duck, my only other 3* experience, am I being unfair?

That said, when I step back, these things in mind, I still believe the meal should have been better than it was. At the least, everything should have been technically spot-on. This is a menu prestige that the kitchen has been fine-tuning for years; this should have been 7 courses of pure Ramsay. Is it the case that his cuisine doesn’t lend itself well to a tasting menu format?

I concur with Andy’s observations about Tom Aikens: it isn’t always on the money, but I still want to go back there more than anywhere else in London right now. I didn’t want Ramsay’s cooking to be something else, to be like someone else’s, to be crazy or innovative. I just wanted it to be Ramsay, all present and correct. It wasn’t.

Edited April 2, 2006 by Rian (log)

[GastroChick]

I have read with interest the previous comment regarding GRHR. Here is my take on it;

Gordon Ramsay is a chef that I have always respected and admired. I once ate at Aubergine and had an almost transcendental culinary experience - at the time I declared it to be the most exquisite food that had ever graced my lips. That was almost 10 years ago. The restaurant still exists, under different management, and represents an era when Ramsay was still relatively unknown to the masses and had yet to adopt the celebrity chef persona he has today. Nowadays it is impossible not to see his wrinkled yet ruggedly appealing face lending itself to yet another product, reality show or magazine article. Apart from being an exceptional chef some media hot-shot must have recognised the obvious entertainment value in producing documentary style programmes portraying this chef as a rude, obnoxious, git responsible for terrorising his kitchen staff and diners. Interestingly however, despite his obvious short comings, notably his explosive temper and obvious ego-centric quirks, his passion and love for food shone through and the public developed a particular fondness towards him. His new status also enabled him to build a restaurant empire on his lucrative name which has become synonymous with exacting and vigourous standards and has launched the careers of some of Britains most promising chefs.

Whilst I have had the good fortune to have eaten at a number of Ramsay establishments - Maze, The Connaught, Claridges and the Boxwood Cafe, it was the experience at his restaurant Gordon Ramsay on the Royal Hospital Road that I truly longed for. It is London’s sole 3 star Michelin and has received acclaim and honour from some of the most eminent critics and writers. It is the restaurant to which Ramsay has given his famed name and thus lures in gullible punters like myself with the inference that he is out back in the kitchen cooking your meal.

It’s reputation means that it is understandably a drag to get a reservation. Reserving a table requires the sort of timing reserved for a stand up comedian, entailing phoning on the dot of 9.00am and then being put on hold for half an hour in an attempt to secure a table in exactly one months time. After a few attempts my husband finally managed it, albeit at the rather unenviable slot of 6.30pm .

Despite the greetings from the convivial staff I could not fail to notice the complete lack of character afforded to the beige coloured, faux-opulent dining space. The only hint of design came from a spell-bindingly hideous glass screen which ran the length of the room and would have been more at home on a cross channel ferry. Admittedly Michelin starred restaurants are rarely bastions of style fit to grace the pages of Wallpaper, however they should at the least be vaguely pleasing to the eye. Lighting is particularly important as it can cast unflattering shadows, in this case it came from some badly positioned overhead spotlights which had the effect of making both my husband and the food look less than their best.

We chose the Menu Prestige comprising seven small courses we hoped would show off the kitchens much lauded and documented skills. To begin an assortment of amuse bouche’s were brought- the most notable a pumpkin Veloute which was delicious despite being searingly hot.

The first course, peking duck and foie gras terrine worked harmoniously together, the chinese five spices and sweetness of the duck cut through the buttery, velvety texture and richness of the liver. Ravioli of lobster whilst visually appealing failed to impress , the pasta dough was a little too doughy and lacked the requisite lightness. More successful was a perfectly cooked fillet of wild turbot atop an interesting citrus reduction.

A meat dish comprising beef fillet and beef cheek atop truffle mash was without doubt the winner of the evening. The fillet was amongst the most tender I have ever tasted, sublime, whilst the cheek was rich and unctuous.

A huge selection of excellent French cheeses from the Fromagerie were ceremoniously wheeled out before the dessert - a pannacotta of such richness and magnitude that neither of us could eat more than half of it.

Ramsay’s restaurant fulfils every requirement one would expect from a 3 star Michelin restaurant. The service is impeccable, the dishes (on the whole) perfectly executed and the wine list extensive and balanced. Yet my main critiscm would be that it ers too heavily on the side of caution. The food lacks any distinctive or original flair, it uses all the luxurious ingredients one has come to expect such as foie gras, truffles…. in a predominantly predicatable and uninspiring fashion. The meal at Aubergine lingers in my memory because it captured my imagination and introduced me to flavors, textures and combinations that I had never been exposed to.

[MobyP]

Since I was one of Andy’s companions on this visit, the photographs (should he get succeed in getting them up)

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Might this happen any time soon?

[Gareth]

Hmmm. Some mixed reports setting in. After a decade at the top is the RHR crown beginning to slip, or is it still the haut pooch ? Can’t have this kind of confusion on the e-gullet board, so I’ve booked in for lunch next Thursday to resolve the matter. Dulce et decorum est.

[Rian]

Since I was one of Andy’s companions on this visit, the photographs (should he get succeed in getting them up)

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Might this happen any time soon?

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I keep encountering problems with this. The pictures were taken with an 8MP camera and I think the files may be too big to upload. Very irritating, since we got some good shots. Will keep trying.

Does anyone know whether there is a maximum file upload size?