Union Street Cafe, 47-51 Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0BS

Union Street Cafe, 47-51 Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 0BS

09/11/2013

www.gordonramsay.com/union-street-cafe/

She said: Despite the ridiculous hype around ‘that’ footballer and billions of people trying to get a booking we had no trouble getting a table on the day at Ramsay’s latest offering. Union Street Café sits a short walk from Southwark station, occupying a corner with, yes, Union Street. I was immediately pleased with the lovely warm room which contrasted with the cold, wet outside – especially given the industrial-chic interior. We were warmly greeted and shown to our table with comfortable, rounded leather chairs. The room felt intimate yet open, with lots of dark wood, pop sculptures and a smart bar. The semi-open kitchen was on a platform up a few stairs where additional dining tables were available. I think I liked the fact that Union Street Café hadn’t tried to ram in as many tables as possible and the dining room felt very well spaced out without feeling empty. I say ‘think’ because it is unusual for business to not try to maximise capacity without some impact on pricing. The menu was presented in pretty printed calligraphy which I found illegible so had to ask the waiter to read and interpret but found him incomprehensible, though I must say service was friendly and attentive. I managed to order a starter of artichoke, olive and pecorino which was subtle but a good intro and finished with a perfectly delicious ravioli with ricotta, rainbow chard and walnuts. I had read complaints about portions being small but they were the right size for me and I was glad I ordered the ‘main’ ravioli size which was a real highlight for me. At just under £30 per head I enjoyed Union Street Café and it’s a great new addition to the constantly transforming Southwark area.

He said: You see where it is on the map, and hear the name Union Street Café, and you’ll be forgiven for thinking that you’re going to that greasy spoon from The Apprentice, where all the losers go to recriminate over Styrofoam cups of builder’s tea. But no, this is a Ramsey joint! And a very good one at that. Potty Mouth did a great job matching his brand to the area, which is more murder alley than Mayfair. The designer somehow managed to deliver a posh urban dining room, and Gordon cleverly settled on an Italian menu: the most democratic of cuisines that you can also charge a packet for; everybody knows they like Italian, even if, like me, they have no clue what Ovuli Crudi or Guazzetto might be (I liked both). And because Il Duce is behind it, everything works smooth as silk. My only gripe is that the portions are small for Italian, a cuisine famed for generosity, and the prices on the high side. It all feels a little bit greedy given the postcode. But I suppose that is Union Street’s unique proposition: there are not many upscale eateries so close to Tate Modern (millions of visitors a year), and Ramsey just plugged that gap. If you’re not hungry, there’s a very good basement bar.