A Hypothetical 4 Stars

[Mayur]

I haven't seen a report yet from anyone who has dined at both Royal Hospital Road and The London Hotel. Are they in fact equal?

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No, at least IME. The RHR resto's execution was far more consistent than that of the one at the London, and achieved moments of brilliance that were sadly lacking in my meal at GRNYC two weeks ago. That said, I wasn't as impressed with the RHR restaurant as some other folk of my acquaintance have been, and it was probably the weakest Michelin 3-star I've eaten at in the UK (Nico at Ninety and Marco Pierre White delivered better meals back in the day). So Ramsay's approach and my palate may be unhappy with each other anyway.

[Sneakeater]

Jesus Christ. I never read A.A. Gill before. At least Frank Bruni doesn't go on about off-the-menu penises.

[BryanZ]

Think of it as dry British wit, however black and bloated it may be.

[jeffreys1]

I have dined at RHR and two weeks ago at GR at the London. I found the meal and service to be excellent but at a level below RHR. I plan on returning in several in several months to see if they have improved since RHR was the best meal I have ever had.

[leviathan]

The RHR resto's execution was far more consistent than that of the one at the London, and achieved moments of brilliance that were sadly lacking in my meal at GRNYC two weeks ago.

Okay, Ramsay might not be the best example. But, from what I've heard regarding Michellin Stars, you don't need to necessairly show the same innovation as you need to do to garner four stars from the NYTimes. From what I've read, Bocuse and Blanc aren't doing anything especially innovative today, and they're still getting three stars.

[oakapple]

Okay, Ramsay might not be the best example. But, from what I've heard regarding Michellin Stars, you don't need to necessairly show the same innovation as you need to do to garner four stars from the NYTimes. From what I've read, Bocuse and Blanc aren't doing anything especially innovative today, and they're still getting three stars.

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I think the Michelin 3-star ranks, especially for restaurants gaining that honor for the first time, puts a premium on innovation, which perhaps can be overcome in exceptional cases.

Comparisons to the NYT are difficult, because the Times is limited to New York City, and hence there are only a handful of restaurants where there is the potential for overlap. All three Michelin 3-star restaurants also carry four stars from the Times. The Times also gives four stars to 2 restaurants that Michelin has at the next lower tier: Daniel and Masa.