After having recently come from Hell’s Kitchen in Las Vegas and tried some of his other restaurants in London in the past, I was positive about Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen in Southwark. Was it any good? Time to find out…
Ideal for:
When you cannot get a table at the popular St. Paul’s or City branch.
Having a hearty dinner before heading to the Southbank for drinks.
Beef and steak lovers as they have a plethora of choice.
Ambience & Décor
Bread Street Kitchen (“BSK”) had an Instagram-able façade with festive, wintery flora forming an archway around the entrance, coupled with the neon “Gordon Ramsay – Bread Street Kitchen” sign that was synonymous with this chain (see left). Inside, it was less pretty. It looked like an industrial loft conversion with exposed metalwork & pipes, shabby walls, supported with discoloured concrete pillars. Quirky lighting added character, but this interior felt an afterthought. Some say this was chic – I used another C-word. BSK tried to posh it up with a contrasting colour scheme; dark flooring, tables, and chairs with light-coloured everything else, which partly worked. The premium chairs added to the classy feel BSK was aiming for. The restaurant was busy, so it created a lively vibe for a Saturday night.
Service
The service was patchy. BSK Southwark really needed to cope with being busy better as that is a hallmark of a fine dining establishment.
Food
The BSK Espresso Martini had the twist of salted caramel in it, but it did not work – it made it too sickly sweet and overpowered the actual coffee and Kahlua. The Dry-aged Rib-eye steak and Creamy mashed potato (see left) were the biggest disappointment. The steak was not cooked evenly throughout, despite being well seasoned and tasted premium. Well-done meat was a crime. The mashed potato was creamy as advertised, but horrendously salty. Desecrating mashed potato for a fine dining restaurant is totally unacceptable – I wish I had the Mac and Cheese. The Béarnaise and Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert were the only real crumbs of culinary comfort. I was thoroughly disappointed with BSK and for £90, I expected a Hawksmoor/Goodman level meal, and it was so far from that, hence the D rating.
Photos of Bread Street Kitchen and more can be found on Instagram here.
Final grade: D
Final comment: Forget this BSK branch if you want a true Ramsay experience. Terrible!
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