With quality people with experience and knowledge like Mark Askew, Jean Claude Breton running the ship and the brilliant young Head Chef Calre Smyth this is one hell of a team.
Ramsey was a great Chef and is now a great restaurateur. I have eaten in many of his company's restaurants and pubs both in the UK and abroad and have always found high levels of quality and consistency at all levels be it pub or 3 Michelin stars.
I have been lucky enough over the years, to eat the food he cooked at Harvey’s , Aubergine as well as Royal Hospital Road.
Gordon may well be over exposed and a target for the Red Tops but those who understand food and price to quality ratios will always be satisfied.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Gordon once in a Sauna of all places in the old Champneys Piccadilly and found him to be an engaging, charming and knowledgeable man.
The sous vide beef cheek stew which he serves at his entry level eateries is actually quiet delicious and the fact it is prepared in a central kitchen in South London totally irrelevant.
Here at Royal Hospital Road you will find superbly executed dishes using outstanding and yes sometimes very expensive ingredients. The staffs are top-notch professionals from stoves to front of house and in this respect this is the benchmark for The Square Hibiscus and Pied a Terre.
Enough praise though in the world of 3 Michelin stars he has not managed in my humble opinion to reach the heights of MPW in his heyday (sad to see him promoting Knorr stock cubes now) Nico Ladenis or indeed Pierre Koffman's La Tante Claire on the same site. Anyway the aforementioned are enjoying a well-earned retirement.
