Even when it acts otherwise, London has always taken its cuisine seriously. You can sense it when you stroll through Mayfair on a Tuesday night: the subdued buzz of eateries conducting serious business, the suited employees moving with the practiced efficiency of people who know exactly what’s at stake. Behind those doors, the chefs are more than just cooks. They are often brands unto themselves, creating empires just as much as menus.
For more reasons than just being the loudest, Gordon Ramsay is the obvious first choice. Since 2001, his flagship restaurant in Chelsea, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road, has consistently earned three Michelin stars; most chefs would be willing to pay a high price for this level of reliability. Even though Ramsay is now more of a television personality than a chef, the restaurants continue to exist and, in certain situations, even prosper. The brand may be strengthened rather than weakened by the media attention. In any case, the stars still exist.
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, on the other hand, works in a completely different register. This isn’t just dinner when you walk into that dining room, which was designed by Jouin Manku and has an ambiance that is calibrated to a very specific kind of luxury. Périgord truffle and native lobster. Cornish turbot with clementine and chestnuts. Every choice has a purposeful quality that implies the kitchen views itself as somewhat apart from the cacophony of contemporary London dining culture.
Of them all, Richard Corrigan at Bentley’s in Mayfair is arguably the most subtly enduring. Since taking over in 2005, Corrigan has shucked over a thousand oysters every day, creating something that feels more like a legitimate institution than a celebrity project. It’s difficult to ignore the fact that Bentley’s feels loved rather than controlled thanks to the wood floors, the artwork on the walls, and the linen-covered tables.
A completely different model is represented by Jason Atherton. Atherton, who operates Berners Tavern inside The London EDITION in Fitzrovia, has created what could be called an accessible sophistication—all-day dining for those seeking quality without the formality of a tasting menu. Additionally, he has publicly acknowledged the strain Brexit has put on restaurant staffing, being refreshingly open about the business realities behind the glamour. In a field that often uses poor lighting to hide its issues, that level of candor is still rather uncommon.
Over the years, Vivek Singh at The Cinnamon Club, located inside the former Westminster Library, has accomplished something truly intriguing: he has made Indian fine dining feel natural in a city that previously regarded it as a completely distinct category from “proper” restaurants. The walls are still lined with books. The room still bears the burden of its past. Even those who believe they know what to expect are still taken aback by the kitchen.
The celebrity chef scene in London isn’t quite the same as it was in the early 2000s, when it seemed like every well-known brand was rushing to open a new location. A new energy has emerged, one that is quieter, more concentrated, and perhaps more forthright about what restaurants can and cannot be. It’s still unclear if that indicates maturity or just a tightening market. The names at the top of London’s kitchen hierarchy didn’t get there by accident, and the majority of them don’t appear to be leaving anytime soon.
