Ramsay Loses Top Ranking

Harden’s London Restaurant Guide has demoted Gordon Ramsay’s flagship restaurant from the number one ranking as the best overall London venue for food, ambience and service. The new honour has gone to another of Ramsay’s restaurants, Petrus, run by top chef Marcus Wareing, who is undoubtedly gloating about his victory over his former mentor. Ramsay’s flagship restaurant has also lost out to Chez Bruce, which clinched the accolade of the highest rated restaurant food in London.

But how much of an impact does this make? What does it all mean? Well, not a great deal. As Zoe Williams of The Guardian succinctly puts it, “Really, with food as intricately tended and expertly conceived as this, unless something has gone very wrong, the distinctions are so fine that you're talking about the space between "amazingly delicious" and "unconscionably delicious". Ultimately, you're critiquing the atmosphere, and not even that of the establishment. Rather, the way that particular chef makes you feel.” (The Guardian, 28th August 2007).

So bon viveurs need not worry. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at 68 Royal Hospital Road is still a Mecca of haute cuisine in London and we should not forget that it is still the only restaurant in London with the outstanding accolade of 3 Michelin stars. Harden’s have rightly decided to give the pole position in their guide to some other contenders, perhaps in a response to Ramsay’s continuing business empire and brand name which is not to everyones taste, unlike his food.