York & Albany

Terrible way to spend our last evening in London. Arrived on time for an 8:30 reservation only to find the place was slammed. The staff appeared disorganized and uncommunicative. We were told to take a seat at the bar in the meantime which we did and ordered two cocktails. When we still hadn’t been seated at 8:50 we were assured the table was being set. Sat at 9:00 and had to ASK for menus at 9:10. We were offered bread from the waiter as a bartering chip for having waited which we later discovered was not «offered» but rather ordered and charged to us. The menu was not as expected as they were not serving their traditional Sunday menu for some reason. Once we ordered, we did not receive our underwhelming entrees until 10:00 or later. When we asked for the bill, the server attempted to offer us a complimentary glass of prosecco, coffee or tea which we turned down despite his insisting. At that point, too little too late. The only reason I am not giving York and Albany ONE star is because over the course of our trip, we had two redeeming breakfasts (consisting of porridge) and have had a nice meal in the past. Extremely disappointing.

I love this building! Its beautiful both inside and out (ah I’m sure somebody said that about me once, perhaps). The bar area is great to have a more relaxed meal and drinks in (the burger is recommended). For something a bit more intimate and womantic, as Jonathan Ross once said, the restaurant is a tip top choice for a slap up evening meal or Sunday dinner. We visited recently and they had a good vegetarian option on the menu for Sunday dinner too. Service was efficient and speedy. Even if this wasn’t one of my locals I would still visit again.

When you’ve built a majority of your career on helping other restaurants with issues, you’ve made quite a reputation for yourself. Needless to say, we had high expectations while visiting London on holiday and wanting to try out a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. We chose this one as it was the more casual of the lot, and none of us wanted to go out of our way to pack cocktail attire. To be safe, we reserved a table via Open Table for a late evening dinner on a Friday. We arrived a few minutes early and were given the choice of a drink at the bar or to be immediately seated. We chose the latter and were taken to a corner table in the back dining area.
The place wasn’t very busy for a Friday, but perhaps that’s because we arrived around the 9 o’clock hour. We sat for a good 25 minutes before anyone approached our table, and she only did so because she was told to by the manager. There was no greeting, just the server immediately asking how can I help you? No, «welcome can I get you some drinks?» Just «How can I help you?», as if we were in a retail store. We were all taken aback by this, but proceeded to order. My husband ordered a bourbon, and despite repeating himself several times, the waitress didn’t understand what he was saying. Instead of getting someone else to help, he sat drinkless for another 30 minutes until I got her attention and asked about it. She responded as if she had remembered and left to go get it from the bar. However, the manager came over and discretely told my husband that the server couldn’t understand what he was trying to order (Larceny Bourbon), and took the order for her. This would not have happened unless we had gotten her attention the second time.
MEANWHILE, our table sat drinkless, except for my friend that ordered Sparkling Water. That arrived 20 minutes after we ordered, but for whatever reason our caraffe of Still Water took another 20 minutes.
The food was prepared perfectly and was absolutely delicious (except for a friend that ordered the pasta dish, which she said was bland). To be honest, it was the saving grace of this review.
The service issues continued when we needed our bill. We had to request it after our server seemingly disappeared. We had given her a head’s up at the beginning of the meal that we needed to have separate checks, but we received one check. We then divvied everything up ourselves, and had them run cards separately.
It’s not a cheap restaurant, and sadly the service didn’t live up to the price and expectations.

Came here for afternoon tea week and really enjoyed my experience! The service was amazing and the food — for the most part — was great too. We had reservations for 3 pm and were seated right away in at a lovely table by the window. I (unsurprisingly) ordered the afternoon tea set with green tea. Within 5 minutes the tea came out and within another 5 minutes our tower arrived. My goodness, I was SO excited when I saw it — everything looked beautiful, from the sandwiches to the raspberry trifle.
Now onto the actual taste. I enjoyed the sandwiches for the most part (salmon was definitely my favorite but I love salmon anyway), but the bread was softer than I would’ve preferred and it often stuck to the roof of my mouth which I didn’t like so much. As for the sweets, the trifle tasted amazing — just not the whipped cream on top, which I thought made the dessert a bit too heavy. The pistachio macaron was… let’s say, interesting. It wasn’t your traditional macaron — the inside was very runny and the shell wasn’t soft on the inside, which is a requirement I have for good macaroons. The taste was decent, though. The éclair was pretty good, but perhaps had a little too much chocolate drizzle on the top. The blueberry tart had a great taste — I just wish the texture would have been softer/​easier to cut through. And the scones… I don’t know what it is about British scones but that’s the part of afternoon tea that I always look forward to most! These scones did not disappoint, and neither did the clotted cream/​jam. The flavor was on point and although the texture could have been softer/​more melty on the inside and perhaps served warm as well, I enjoyed it.
Overall, I’d recommend this place for afternoon tea. While — looking back — the food was decent but nothing particularly special, the service was spectacular and so was the tea. Definitely try to come here for afternoon tea before the week ends! It’s an incredible offer for what you get.

Wasn’t really that impressed. Went for a Sunday roast and food was just ok. I got the chicken and found it a bit bland. The bread sauce had absolutely no flavour and the food didn’t come out hot.
For the £18 price tag for a mediocre roast I don’t think I’ll be rushing back

Dropped in for lunch — not knowing anything about the place. Pleasantly surprised. Great food. Nice staff. Family friendly (had my kids with me). Definitely will be going back.

While our main waiter was perfectly pleasant, he was basically absent. It took an hour to be able to order (having taken 30 minutes for the cocktail menu to appear and we were the only one’s in the restaurant at that time) and then another 45 mins to pay the bill — we finally went up and asked. This was a shame, as the food was good and was brought by the serving staff in good time. For a meal that costs as much as this one does, I expect a lot more.
As a party of 6, we were having a lovely time, so weren’t that distressed (except about the cocktail menu — not ok!), but it did take us 4.5 hours to have dinner.
The food was fantastic, but it’s not cheap and I expect service to match the food and prices, which sadly it just really didn’t.
Oh side note: Don’t order off the cocktail menu — they have a full bar, but they don’t seem to really know how to make off-​menu drinks. The four people who ordered on menu had lovely cocktails, and the two of us who tried something else were a bit let down.

My cousin and I came here for dinner after work to wait for the rush hour to die down before heading back home. As we were dining early we chose the set menu they had available until 7 pm. Very good selection and I had the plaice which was cooked to perfection. Had the brownie and caramel ice cream for dessert which was also good. Great dining experience. Service was good and friendly.

This is a difficult review, as not only had I been here and thought that it was a major let down, but my friend had been here 5 times only to be let down either by the food or the service. We were invited to the winter shed at the back of the pub, and this was a freebie to make amends for the previous poor outcomes. Obviously the setting and décor of the pub is very impressive, but when you are paying for a pricey menu, then you want value for money. This is difficult to review as obviously it was free.
The venue in the back shed felt like we had just come off the ski slopes, and I enjoyed the novelty factor. We were due finger food and drinks. Starters was a chicken and sundriedbtomato sausage rollwhich I have to say was lovely and although initially reminded me of school days and a sausage roll became more once it hit my palate, well balanced flavours revealed a simple but delicate little snack. Our menu changed and we then had a slider, which was simple and nothing more. I wasn’t major impressed by the arranging and the beetroot and goats curd tartlets came out with dessert, I am a little uncertain what was going on. In short a couple of dishes were missed and the food came fast and ready.
So although the food was better this time, and it is obviously a different kind of experience in a ski lodge at the back of camden, I was uncertain about the mismatch, hopscotch of the experience. We had fun and the drinks were good, so I cannot really complain. Will I return for dinner again, well that is the question. Reading some of the latest reviews suggest that there may have been a turn and something you may expect from the Ramsay factory. We shall see!

This was now my second year in a row visiting London in September and I really wanted to visit a place owned by Gordon Ramsay to check out if the hype was worth it.
In this case it was well deserved.
Making a reservation is simple through the website.
This is Gordon Ramsay’s Camden Town «low key» pub location.
I didn’t think there was anything low key about it however I still wore jeans and a t-​shirt to both dinners here.
They had an amazing creamy corn soup that was divine. If you aren’t a meat eater I believe it came with prosciutto in it which they were fine leaving out by request.
Seared Ahi tuna dish was good but I could’ve lived without.
There was a truffle risotto dish wish was divine and they whipped up for me on a day it wasn’t shown on the menu.
Goat Cheese and Fig salad was lovely as well.
Crème Brulee? Yes please.
Service was attentive, the dining room was dim and romantic, and I didn’t think the prices were out of the ordinary compared to other restaurants in the neighborhood.
I will definitely return!

One of the Ramsey empire and a very excellent joint to check out for a few chilled out drinks.
I chose this as the spot to celebrate my Mum’s birthday last week and I was rewarded with a spot in her good books. The table service for drinks were great and all the waiters are obviously well trained in what they can offer.
A very extensive and defined cocktail menu gives you a lot of choice and a nicely stocked beer, wine and cider list also help. We helped ourselves to a few bar snacks and for a Friday evening it was filled with a good amount of people. Averagely busy but not too loud and overpowering.
I’ll be back to check the grub out. Cheers Gords.

Good food although they do charge the full price it is worth. This is where the good looking, wealthy and showy people go. If that is what you want then 5 stars.
The staff are friendly, impeccably dressed, smart and well groomed
It is fashionable but not so achingly trendy that there is mo one over 30. This restaurant and bar is for all ages.
However when I wanted to call them in the evening, neither their restaurant or the company’s central booking line picked up. Also their service did seem to fall apart at one point which was a tiny bit annoying. It is only that which made it 4 stars.
So in conclusion, if you want to be in a glamorous place with wealthy, good looking and showy people of all ages this is for you.

I discovered this place by chance after finding everywhere else in Camden was busy. And this place had lovely outdoor seating at the front and amazing restaurant seating inside with an open kitchen and a beautiful bar.
We tried their unique cocktails and ordered again and again. Plus their freshly made pizza and the chunkiest hips ever was a perfect unplanned dinner. On a second visit tried the sea bass with the mash potatoes baked perfectly. Would recommend to anyone.

Not your usual pub, so I am not sure how to rate this. A pretty fancy pub and the menu is more directed to an upscale restaurant. Don’t know if Ramsey was under pressure because he is so known for Hell’s Kitchen and Master Chef, but I didn’t get any pub feeling from this place. Not to discount the food though. Everything was pretty acceptable. The appetizer fried octopus was on the salty side, even for me, but I still ate it and liked it. The rabbit terrine was not as I expected, but it was still pretty OK.

My happy place.
Went with wife and son when we were in town earlier this month for dinner. Hadn’t planned on going but when I discovered that our hotel was a short cab ride away, just the other side of Regent’s Park, well, I made sure to have our concierge make reservations for Friday night dinner.
Reservations were a bit early for me, i.e., 6:45, but what the heck. Appeared on time, were warmly welcomed by the hostess, and was immediately impressed with open, airy, space on the first floor, the large bar area, cool art adorning the walls, and huge windows/​french doors opening onto the balmy London eve. Also noted that this must be a pretty cool place to come based on the appearance (very nice) and attire (classy but not OTT) of the other patrons. With our 14 year old son accompanying us, I initially felt a bit out of place.
We were seated downstairs with a view of the open kitchen so I got to see the chefs at work, hear meals being prepared, and wow, what a totally cool, not-​to-​be-​missed experience. So, if they seat you downstairs, don’t fret, it’s not because they don’t like you or think you’re too uncool to sit upstairs, no, it’s because that way you get to appreciate the wonder that is a Gordon Ramsay kitchen. Seriously, the place was cleaner than a surgical theater and probably more efficient.
Not to worry, our very energetic, friendly, knowledgeable waiter (and knowledgeable about everything on the menu), Michael, put us at ease. I had some bourbon-​based cocktail with red wine (specialty of the house) that was sweet, smoky, and kind of berryish. Menus arrived and we ordered starters, I had a tomato salad and wife had a mixed greens, both fresh, excellent, and my tomatoes, man oh man, those things were perfect: Salty, sweet, juicy. Oh yeah, presentation was gorgeous.
Next came time to order our main course: Son (king of the picky eaters) was a bit put off by the complexity of the courses. Never fear, Michael to the rescue. «Oh, and we have kids menu that has pasta, chicken fingers, pizza. Would you like to see that?» Son’s eyes light up at mention of pasta. So, all the way to London from Chicago to a Gordon Ramsay joint, and he orders plain pasta. Sigh. I ordered the fish special, I believe it was bream and the wife also ordered fish, sea bass. We could hear and see our food being made and saw it appear in the window and the chef looked right at us, nodded, and said with a grin, «It’ll be there soon.»
Wow. Mine was perfect and perfectly presented: Skin charred just right on a bed of pickled greens with EVOO, salty yet creamy and crunchy and buttery and round and I’m going to have to stop now as I’m drooling on my keyboard. My wife’s was excellent as well, or so she said. I also ordered white wine with dinner; Kentish wine, as I was told. And shockingly, yes, shockingly, it was very good. I actually had two glasses. And it went perfectly with the bream. Go figure.
Dessert too, was a treat. Son had mint chocolate chip covered in fudge sauce and wife had a toffee/​coffee crust vanilla ice cream creation that touched all the bases: Crunchy, sweet, creamy, salty, a little bitterness from the coffee. That dessert was perfection itself.
As the meal was winding down, the manager, Nigel, came down and chatted with us as did the hostess/​assistant manager (I didn’t catch her name). We talked Kentish wine, food, travel, and accents. I’ve never before been told that I have a «lovely» accent. Heh.
As we left, we thanked the chef and talked to her for a bit.
What a truly phenomenal, once-​in-​a-​lifetime experience. If you go, and you should, savor it. It’s worth it.

Extremely professional kitchen, impeccable fare and very attentive service.
I recommend this place…

Popped in here for a few drinks with work colleagues
We sat outside, just cross the road from Regent Park. We ordered a few drinks which were nice. The staff were friendly and very efficient. The service was brilliant.
We also ordered a few starters to share. The ribs were nice, the calamari was also nice along with cut fries.
Definitely somewhere you should check out if you’re ever in the area!

Hmmm. Great service but I was not too impressed by the meal. Very salty and nothing remarkably above the rest. The attentive service from the bar staff made up for the disappointing meal. My reservation was lost (or not on the books) when I arrived, so I ate at the bar.
Overall, I expected much more from such a high rating on «Yelp» and the Ramsay connection, but oh well… it is London and I’ve learned never to be surprised.

Very satisfied with early supper experience at York and Albany while in London last year. Walked in without reservations on a weekend, no problem, Great food and ambiance. The service matched the food:
Impeccable. I am not just saying that because i am american and usually dine at Burker King and Subway ;)
Everything was fresh, the wine list phenomenal and we look forward to our next visit!

One of the best meals I had during my holiday to London. We were seated near the kitchen, so it was literally hot. The bar area was busy with a young crowd. The drink menu was very creative, though our bartender was slow in pouring and not to friendly in the beginning. She later lightened up after she realized that she needed to work for her tip. Our waitress and the bus boy were spot on throughout the entire night. Both were very personable and friendly, sharing their stories with my table.
I enjoyed my starter dish of the assiette of rabbit. The rabbit was tender and served with several small raw pieces and an inner as well. I think it was kidney. My main was the partridge. Not having partridge before, I didn’t know what to expect that it maybe tasting like chicken. Served with savoy cabbage, the flavor of the partridge melted in my mouth with every chew. I savored each bite and knew that I really liked this bird.
We topped dinner with desserts: they treacle sponge pudding with anglaise and the pineapple and passion fruit cannelloni. Both were good, but the entire table preferred the sponge pudding. Everyone was fighting for the dish and each persons scoop was larger than the next until there was nothing left.
Tough I had concern of eating at a Gordon Ramsey restaurant due to the current state of his empire, I am glad that I did. As this meal did not disappoint and ended my holiday on a proper note.