The Ledbury

Good to be back

Egg, truffle, pig trotter

When The Ledbury decided to shut down back in 2020 due to Covid, it was a sad moment for me as I personally feel it is the best fine dining restaurant London has on offer. There is a reason when I first discovered it back in 2012, I became a super fan and managed to visit there every once or twice each year. 10 years later, after 14 visits, I was overwhelmed with joy that chef-owner Brett has decided to reopen the restaurant with an interior makeover. He has also got his core front-of-house team back in town so it was just like the old days. It only offers a tasting menu and I was really excited to see what will The Ledbury be serving in its new form.

Crab, lemon and cream

Cured mackerel, white beetroot and seaweed

Cauliflower cream and caviar

Bread

Black cod, honey, turnip

There are many familiar dishes on the menu, with some new adaptations. The hen egg dish was similar to what I had in the past, with the ham switched to pork trotter and grilled cabbages. It was a flavour harmony and everything worked so well together, with the right balance of texture, it was for sure an upgrade vs the old version. The beef cooked in two ways was the best beef dish I have encountered so far in 2022, it was blessed with bold taste from the garlic and wasabi, but not overwhelmingly strong, just at the right level to uplift the savoury taste of the beef fillet. It was a dish full of technical skills and understanding of how flavours work, it might look simple visually but for sure a lot of hard work went into it.

Mushrooms, potato and rosemary

Beef, wild garlic, celeriac, wasabi

Verjus meringue, olive oil

Raspberries mille-feuille 

Artichoke tart, caramel and cinnamon

My return, as expected was a pure delight. The Ledbury didn't have a complete reset with the food, instead, it was mostly an upgrade of the classics, staying true to the restaurant's style in doing things clean, simple and refined, no over-the-top presentation, just great tasting food with a touch of sophistication. Our server on the day Xavier was also at top of his game, he was one of the old guards so it was good seeing him again, along with the like of Jack the manager. It was good to be back and I will be returning in the near future for sure.

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/