Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at the London, New York

We spent the last of our free plane tickets on a holiday weekend to New York. As soon as we’d decided on NYC, Ben was immediately on the phone to get reservations at Gordon Ramsay at the London Hotel. Earlier this year, we had a dining experience (yep – it’s worthy of that cliché phrase) with Mark and Fiona at Ramsay’s restaurant in Chelsea and were excited to compare. Entering the restaurant was interesting. We checked in at Maze, which is another Ramsay restaurant. We were escorted through the noisy, busy restaurant into a more secluded dining room of about 16 or so tables. The comparison was amazing. It was loud, colorful and lively in Maze and subdued, monochromatic and quiet in the Gordon Ramsay dining room. We chose the Menu Prestige with wine pairings. Although pricey, we couldn’t imagine not doing it all the way!

Sautéed Maine Diver Scallop The menu says scallopS, but it was just one giant scallop. I usually eat about half a scallop and give the rest to Ben. He didn’t get ANY of mine this time! It was topped with a small piece of kelp that was surprisingly yummy.
Roasted Hudson Valley Foie Gras Orgasm on a plate. ‘Nuff said.
Mediterranean Sea Bass The sea bass was awesome. I’ve never been able to get into octopus, so Ben appreciated that I shared mine. We’re still trying to figure out where the Buddha’s hand was. Let us know if you can spot it.
New Season Colorado Lamb The lamb was great, but I was also impressed by the accompaniments. At the Chelsea location, Ben lovingly shared one of his potatoes (the best potato EVER!), so I was able to return the favor and share one of mine this time. I also really enjoyed the cauliflower and I’m inspired to try more cooked cauliflower at home.

and the rest:


The Menu Prestige	Amuse-bouche	Roast Breast of Duck

Bing Cherries with Steal Cut Oats and Marzipan Ice Cream	Venezuelan Chocolate Mousse	Popcorn, Honeycomb and Candy! In a Three Michelin Star restaurant!

Comparing Chelsea to NYC? Ok, this is hard. Points to NYC for better menu choices (for Lisa) and wine pairing. Points to London for truffles and better dessert. We also felt that service was slightly better in London, though we’re not able to figure out exactly why.