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.

York and Albany, 127-129 Parkway, London NW1 7PS

York and Albany, 127-129 Parkway, London NW1 7PS
6/4/12
http://www.gordonramsay.com/yorkandalbany

She said... Perched on a corner before the lovely Regent's Park, York and Albany is a gastro pub belonging to the Ramsay empire, so it was fair to expect a certain quality of cooking. Arriving at the unassuming facade around lunchtime via the cafe entrance, there was a lovely country feel with stone flooring and fresh breads on display. As we wondered into the pub again we were pleasantly surprised by a bright and open contemporary space which led into a smart dining room with a large skylight. On arrival there was just one couple already seated so when the waiter went to seat us right next to them and my husband noticed a baby's high chair ready to receive a screaming child next to where we were being seated we asked to move; at first we were told the rest of the empty restaurant was reserved but then he swapped us with a table that had not yet arrived. Service was 'relaxed' but then turned into absent with my husband having to get up every time we needed a waiter (or our food). We had to ask for the set menu which I had found out about online (only a la carte was given to customers suggesting the £18 set menu deal was being kept a secret). The starters got us excited about what was to come - I had perfectly cooked fishcakes with a fennel salad - just right. But disaster struck when I ordered the tagliatelle with mushrooms - the pasta was overcooked and drowning in a slop-like sauce. My heart sank - we skipped dessert. A restaurant with the Ramsay brand behind it should surely be able to cook pasta and not expect customers to have to jump up and find a waiter when they want to order or receive their food within a decent time. Won't be going back to this one.

He said... The time finally came to give this place a shot, having driven passed it countless times on the way through North London and wondered just as many times why anyone would open a restaurant in the middle of what is basically a traffic circle. Truth is the location makes a lot of sense when you consider that it's basically one bread roll's throw away from Regent's Park and a bunch of very expensive houses. Walking through the doors Y&A certainly makes a good first impression, especially if, as we did, you come in through the retail annexe where the pizza oven is roaring away. We settled-in fast, scanned a well-formed menu with something for everybody, from fussy rug-rats who will open their loveable gobs only for pizza and burgers, to dads used to work paying for lunch,  via unrepentant veggies. Ordering was a challenge, with waiters nowhere to be found, but when my starter arrived it really set the tone -- a mildly curried parsnip soup with a perfect onion bhaji on the side. I was really psyched for the rest and thought -- wow, maybe we hit paydirt here. Main was salmon on shredded celeriac, with some swiss chard or maybe it was spinach. It was meant to come with samphire, but judging by the three strands on evidence on my plate the harvest must have been apocalyptic. This dish was ok; I thought the pickling of the celeriac overpowered it, but it was alright. Wifey's pasta being overdone was totally ridiculous for a Ramsay joint, but my main gripe with the place was the service which was way too slack. Having said all that, I might go back - it is convenient, and could be really good, but I'll hit the less formal side near the bar which is a nicer room, and has more of a vibe.