Eat & Drink
Originally published on Thursday, 13th October 2011
Bread Street Kitchen
Ramsay’s Kitchen Dream
One New Change, 10 Bread Street, London, EC4M 9AB - 020 7592 1616
7am – 11pm Mon-Fri, 9am-11pm Sat and Sun
www.gordonramsay.com/breadstreetkitchen
Location
Turn right at Mango, left at Next, continue past EAT and Oliver Bonas. No, not that big, celebrity chef-backed restaurant beginning with B - the other one. In other, less facetious words: Gordon Ramsay’s new restaurant is located in the City of London’s newest shopping destination, One New Change, opposite Jamie Oliver’s Barbecoa.
Vibe
Pretty great, actually, considering you’re in a shopping centre. In fact, a fellow diner who came in at the street entrance didn’t even realize the restaurant was part of One New Change, and likened the discovery to chatting up a woman in a stylish cocktail dress only to notice that she’s wearing office shoes underneath. The vast, gorgeous space transcends its corporate surroundings: the area might be business lunch central but the restaurant has the slightly languid, decadent feel of the Wolseley.
Flavours
It’s easy to forget that Ramsay is a multi-Michelin-starred chef as well as a shouty brand, and lots of what we ate was extremely good indeed. Unlike the vintage desk lamps that decorate the room, the all-day menu has no obvious angle – in fact, its categories of Raw Bar, Hot Kitchen and Wood Stone are mildly confusing. Best think of it as whatever the boss fancies putting on there, from ceviche to crispy pig’s head. On the whole, meat seemed a better choice than fish: a simply roasted fillet of plaice was lovely, whilst a rich, highly savoury braised pork collar with mustard glaze was amazing.
Décor
This is one fabulous space: think equal parts Art Deco brasserie to Meatpacking District warehouse, with fresh touches. The designers, Russell Sage Studio, are into lighting as props, such as the aforementioned Anglepoise lamps, stage lighting over the bar and balloon-like clusters of antique glass shades hung from the industrial ceiling. Banquettes are dark sea green or yellow leather; a wine balcony runs the length of the room. A lot of money has been spent here – what recession? – but, unlike other high-end joints, here it’s totally worth it.
Upshot
The City may not be your usual stomping ground, but Bread Street Kitchen is worth a detour, if only for a cocktail and a gawp at the space.
