The Ledbury

 As good as ever

Grilled 10 years old oyster with caviar 

The Ledbury is my no1 choice for fine dining in London, and I am pretty sure in the 2023 Michelin Guide, it will regain its 2 Michelin star status. No doubt this is a restaurant that doesn't rest on past success, as chef-owner Brett kept on pushing and he has developed some really interesting things while in lockdown, with an in-house mushrooms aging device, as well as working with farmers directly on animals development. For my 17th visit, I opted for the long-tasting menu as usual. 

Chicken liver canapes

Egg, truffle, trotter

Turbot, roe and hollandaise

The giant oyster is a classic of the restaurant, so it was amazing to revisit this dish but with a twist. The oyster was grilled just right so it still maintain that lovely moisture and a touch of caviar acted as a lovely umami seasoning. The turbot in hollandaise sauce was an interesting one, it had a fresh lemongrass taste while the buttery texture of the well-seasoned fish goes hand in hand with the hollandaise. The Cornish beef fillet and short ribs with wild garlic were heavenly, the bold taste from the aged beef was remarkable and super tender. Also I also really enjoyed the baked celeriac, it had such a softly sweet, earthy note, which worked so well with the beef.

Beef tongue

Aged beef shortribs, fillet, baked celeriac, garlic

Sweet woodruff tart, strawberries vanilla

Despite the restaurant being shut for almost 2 years, I found the overall quality hasn't lost a beat vs before. It managed to retain most of the core team and Brett is as close to running things in the kitchen as ever, to ensure the quality of the output would be exceptional. In a way, I am glad right now it has yet regained its Michelin star status (only opened recently), because I know as soon as it does, it will be much harder to book and the price will be shooting up too.

Food 5/5

Executive chef: 
Brett Graham


Average cost without drinks and services:
Tasting menu: £185


27 Ledbury Rd, London W11 2AQ

http://www.theledbury.com/