Restaurant 1890 by Gordan Ramsay restaurant review
Gordon Ramsay's restaurant at The Savoy has a new lunch menu.
There are few greater London landmarks than The Savoy Hotel. Its ionic driveway and dazzling façade just off The Strand are known the world over. Home to hundreds of years of Hollywood and history, the hotel's hallowed walls have played host to anyone who's anyone, not that it likes to brag...
Inside, tucked away next to the American Bar (the longest surviving cocktail bar in London), The Savoy's newest dining destination, Restaurant 1890, opened in February 2022. This bijou, glistening gold space serves just 24 and has wraparound windows overlooking the Hotel's entrance. Until recently, it was open for dinner only – I visited to try the new 3-course lunch menu, now available on Friday and Saturday.
Our verdict
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Restaurant 1890's name is a nod to Georges Auguste Escoffier, the industry-changing chef who joined The Savoy in 1890 and the man responsible for inventing a whole host of delicious dishes, like the peach Melba, which he famously created for Australian soprano Dame Nellie Melba during his tenure at the hotel.
Today, multi-Michelin-starred chef Gordon Ramsay oversees all things culinary at The Savoy, including the modern French tasting menu at Restaurant 1890. Thanks to his foul-mouthed TV persona, it's easy to overlook Ramsay's culinary achievements, but there are many. His restaurant group has earned an impressive seventeen Michelin stars over the years and still holds seven, and I imagine that Restaurant 1890, helmed today by executive head chef James Sharp, might well be heading the same way…
Stylish surrounds
Lunch kicked off with a hot towel, a warm welcome, and a very elegant glass of chilled Edouard Pretrot Champagne. So far, so very good.
We were promptly informed that the restaurant prefers to serve each course as a surprise, i.e. there is no menu, which in a world of almost constant choice felt like a treat in itself.
The restaurant is a small, elegant space, breathtakingly beautiful, hugely romantic, and deeply serene. There's a relaxed soundtrack of upbeat jazz; contemporary gold ceiling roses and distressed mirrors make the entire space positively glisten, whilst well-designed lighting provides a warm, cosy glow.
Sumptuously intimate and oozing Art Deco glamour, there are perfect tables for two by the widow nestled between luxurious curtains and stylish scallop-edged blinds. Undulating sofa seats service larger tables, all simply adorned with sleek ceramic table lamps that add softness to the crisp white tablecloths. At either end, glistening gold bars proudly display twinkling crystal glasses and rare bottles of Louis XIII Cognac.
The food
A glass of deliciously rich Portuguese white arrived next, along with the first course: a beautiful white and gold bowl filled with a fresh Cornish crab salad, topped with a feather-light, silky smooth and utterly mouth-watering yuzu hollandaise. On the side, delightfully small and fluffy slices of mini English muffins.
We were told that the chef recommends mixing the contents of the bowl thoroughly before piling it onto the muffins, and I can confirm that his advice was absolutely spot on; the sweet, creamy crab mixture was a perfect match for the spongey, salty muffin, all perfectly punctuated by little pops of mooli.
This was followed by a true-to-the-original Escoffier creation; a small bowl of consommé à la Parisienne (or Rabelais, for those who prefer meat). It was so hearty, rich and flavoursome that you felt as though it was doing you good; the pleasing saltiness was beautifully balanced with the deep sweetness of onion and a medley of herbs and small, perfectly shaped balls of crunchy vegetables.
A picture-perfect square of warm, pillowy soft (and dangerously moreish) Parker House rolls came next, delicately flavoured with lemon thyme and black pepper, and served with a slab of smartly embossed butter from Ampersand Dairy in Oxfordshire.
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A Coravin system (the Keith Haring edition, no less) was expertly wielded at the table to produce two glasses of Bourgogne pinot noir bursting with red berries - the perfect accompaniment for the main course: a suitably seasonal squab pigeon with earthy beetroot, juicy blackberry, and a decadent Sauce Périgueux.
The meal's crescendo was an exceptional mille-feuille - crisp, caramelised feuille de brick squares containing luscious layers of sweet Sicilian mango, passionfruit white chocolate and vanilla custard. It was decadently topped at the table with generous spoonfuls of fresh passionfruit, which had been infused with kaffir lime and just a hint of chilli. My mouth still waters at the mere thought of it.
Final thoughts
As we digested and contemplated a cognac splurge, we kicked back and enjoyed our front-row seats to one of London's most iconic institutions.
Growling supercars came and went, smart luggage sets were loaded and unloaded, floor-length evening dresses arrived in trailing zip-up bags, and well-heeled guests discreetly slipped in and out as groups of excited punters arrived for afternoon tea. We watched on from our serene and glamorous gold cocoon, revelling in the understated opulence, excellent service, and exquisite food. In Restaurant 1890, Sharp’s skilful, precise, and creative cooking has found the ideal home.
Tea and perfect petit fours rounded things off nicely, particularly a shiny little cocoa macaron laced with Chivas XV.
It was by no means a cheap (although definitely cheerful) lunch, but if it's a truly memorable dining experience that you're after, somewhere that feels incredibly special and where attention to detail is everything, then I would say that it ticks all of those boxes, and more.
Despite its 134 years, The Savoy has lost none of its magic. In fact, thanks to Restaurant 1890, I think it might have gained some.
Lunch £95pp (Discovery wine pairing £110pp), served Friday and Saturday only, 12.30 pm - 2.45 pm. Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay, Savoy Hotel, Strand, London WC2R 0EZ. To book, visit https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/restaurant-1890/
