First Taste: Gordon Ramsay at the London

11.28.06

Back home in London, Gordon Ramsay’s got a whole handful of Michelin stars. But he’s not satisfied. "It’s the burning ambition of every top chef in the world to succeed in New York," he says.

That must be why he’s just opened Gordon Ramsay at Manhattan’s new London NYC hotel. And everybody’s asking whether New York is going to take to the place or turn suspicious as we did when Alain Ducasse first descended on our city.

I’m betting on the latter. Because this turns out to be a stunningly proper sort of place (sneakers are discouraged), where you find yourself straightening your spine and lowering your voice. If you somehow manage to snag one of the 45 seats (they are reportedly fully committed for the new few months) in the seriously staid dining room, you first have to walk past all the people in the London Bar. They look like they’re having a lot of fun. But as you swivel into the world’s most comfortable dining chairs, a hush descends. Perusing the menu, you find that it is filled with the rather classic French food that made Ramsay’s reputation. It’s pretty flawless stuff, the service is impeccable, the wine list is wonderful… and nothing will wow you. 

Well, there was that gorgeously constructed mosaic of bouillabaisse that looked like a Florentine paperweight and tasted like a Mediterranean dream. But cappuccino of white beans was merely pleasant. Hand-dived sea scallops with vinaigrette of black truffle were perfect—and perfectly boring. The cannon of lamb ("because it looks like a cannon," was our waiter’s answer to the obvious question) was deeply inoffensive, with its confit shoulder and candied onions. Lovely cheese trolley. Dull apricot souffle. Pretty little candy course at the end.

Personally, I was expecting a little more in the way of fireworks from the guy who’s known as the foulest-mouthed chef in Britain. Anybody can get stars, but that’s one reputation that is not easily earned.

(The number is 212-468-888; if you forget, try calling information and asking for the Rhiga Royale, which is what The London NYC used to be.)

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