The Ledbury
127 Ledbury Rd, London W11 2AQ, United Kingdom near Nottinghill Gate station
Indubitably the best meal in London for us this time round. Awarded with two Michelin stars, rated as one of the top 5 restaurants in London, it is no wonder that the seats are usually snatched up the moment the reservation dates are released for the next month. Booked a month in advance and we failed to secure a weekend table at The Ledbury (it is really that competitive), I actually felt lucky that a Friday lunch slot was available! Largely painted in white while the service crew are all clad in black, it does render a plush ambiance yet still a relaxing one as the restaurant is filled with banter and laughter from the fully filled tables.
And we started the set lunch (£50) with this refreshing glass of cucumber kiwi juice.
French being themselves, the teasers served before the actual set was quite sensational indeed. Seaweed crackers and meat jelly pastry served, we were particularly impressed by the latter as meat was tasted in that jelly while the savoury moussed pastry was filled with an intense roast flavour.
A slight Asian slant over here as this dumpling was served with sour plum sauce on top of it.
Crapaudine Beetroot – Smoked bone marrow, pickled rose and rhubarb. Kicking the meal off with the lighter but vibrant starter that is perfumed throughout with the therapeutic rhubarb fragrance and balanced off adequately with the heavier tasting bone marrow.
Not to worry as the bread isn’t a course in the menu but definitely deserves a mention here. Freshly baked to a beautiful crust yet still retaining the pillowy texture within, this is made even more exhilarating with light tasting goat milk butter and sea salt that renders a creamy delicious slather for that perfect bread.
Roast Cauliflower – Crab butter, Parmesan and Basil. You can feel the flavours building up already in the second course as this tasted intense. Umami savoured in the cheese slabs, they were thoroughly infused with crab roe fragrance while that yellow, creamy crab butter sauce was emanating a heavy crustacean flavour, all these giving a much fuller body to that crunchy cauliflower.
Red Ruby Beef – Short Rib, New Season Garlic, Celeriac and Brussel Tops. Impeccably braised beef over here that has all the essence locked tightly within already and finished off nicely with that bed of smooth mash underneath, you know the lady was floored from her repeated exclamations.
Chocolate and Mint with Madeleines. Dainty madeleines served warm, while the smooth minty ice cream makes a refreshing finish to the entire meal.
And with another Asian touch over here again, the petite fours were simply fabulous. Yuzu with caramel waffle roll while the huge favourite was the yuzu with white chocolate that is coated with crunchy crumbs. Substantial yuzu taste there that is rightly balanced off with their sweeter counterpart, we love.
And the hand shot I thought looks interesting with The Ledbury hook.
Yes, a marvelous lunch we had here definitely that was filled with quite a few surprises along the way. Not just serving the set lunch menu, you could also opt for the degustation one or customise your own set from the ala carte menu! My utmost favourite of all – that lovely crab dish there!
Verdict: An excellent restaurant 4.9/5
Hola! Barrafina it is as the next foodie stop in London. Crowned as restaurant of the year by timeout (I think), they have definitely attracted a huge beeline even before 6pm, when it could still be teatime for many. We joined the queue at 6 and were told very passionately by the waitress that there is a 2h wait.
If food and friends are the reasons why I extended the trip in UK, then I just have to grit my teeth and wait. It was lucky for the foodie buddy and I as it turned out to be a 1h20min wait before we were seated right in front of the head chef himself. Big hugs to the buddy who waited with me despite it being his third time here. Boisterous, bustling, these are the usual characteristics that you would expect from a Spanish restaurant but holding that spirit up for the entire lunch or night, I salute them. So much energy and passion flowing through every service crew’s body and even the ushering waitress, she uses all her mighty strength when she wipes every single dirt off the bench, ensuring that it is squeaky clean before it is set for the next pair of customers.
So amazingly plump these fried squids are that they had the perfect springy consistency while the light fluffy batter didn’t grease things up. It was good but perhaps needed a few speckles of salt more.
Gambas al Ajillo – A Catalonia cuisine that is flavoured up beautifully by the stir fried garlic and chilli, that yields the perfect sauce nicely assimilated into those crunchy prawns there. The strength of the fire was controlled so well that the shells turned edible for me, oh that crisp in the shells! £8.
Looking like a pillow or hand rest, the classic tortilla is really one of the must-order. It has always been the case for me at every Spanish restaurant I go to but out of so many in Singapore, only 
Ham Croquetas. Bitty ham smothered by the thick, savoury cream and finally all presented in that rotund crispy ball. Barrafina’s way of perfecting it? That thin crispy skin that makes the delectable fillings even more substantial. £4.50.
Pollock a la Romana – Two slices of lightly fried fresh, plump pollock cut through by that lovely capsaicinated sauce! £7.80.
Chicken Thigh with Romesco Sauce. Precised, spot on, that crispy skin was actually quite unbelievable and definitely on point! And that romesco sauce gave the tender meat a fuller, extra nutty body! £7.80.
Iberican Pork Fillet – Just fragrantly seared on the outside, the inner chunk was actually quite raw. This really isn’t beef we thought but that taste was completed together with the tangy dark sauce, and we grew to love it as we slice through that reddish tender meat. £10.80.
With that crazy buddy that evening! Still the same despite not meeting up for almost a decade!
The title says it all, doesn’t it! What else could beat a £10 flat iron steak in London when everything isn’t exactly cheap? But the caveat holds, as the sides, sauces and desserts could push your bill up to £20 eventually which was what we did. No regrets though as that steak was just beautifully done at Flat Iron. Infamous for their relentless long queues at the one near Oxford Circus, we decided to make our way down to the much quieter Tottenham Court Road branch that Sunday! Quality ensured, yet without the crowd, we had a great lunch!
Getting into that rustic, brick walled restaurant, and you realise it’s quite a hipster place actually. Laying on the table – Old fashioned mugs to fill your free popcorn appetiser which you munch on while waiting for the friend who is utterly late, a cute pepper grinder to spice up your beef, and that immensely cute chopper knife by the side (for what use I’m not so sure as the beef have been thinly sliced!). How creative could these cutlery get?
And there we go, the £10 steak we have all been waiting for. Devoid of fats, they were amazingly tender and juicy while beautifully grilled on the surface to yield a lightly charred fragrance.
While the Hong Kong buddy was satisfied without a sauce which I reckon could be eaten on its own, I preferred a traditional peppercorn one to cut through that meatiness. Very delicious, and with 4 other flavours to choose from, I will recommend the Bearnaise as that clarified-butter-emulsified-in-egg-yolk sauce sounds a decadent one to give it an extra umami body (Peppercorn was chosen as this was just one of the many less healthy restaurants intended). £1 for the sauce.
OK, I need my sides and there we got the Dripping Cooked Chips (No fries over here I’m afraid as this is British pride!) (£2.50) and Today’s Market Green (£2.50) – Poached broccoli salted lightly, this was cooked simply but tasted so fresh and crunchy. Delicious! And yes, we did end the meal with a rhubarb compote dessert that tasted so fresh and elegant!
Not exactly a £10 restaurant, I was still satisfied even when the bill added up to about £20 each! Great service and food, how could we not recommend!
Simply foodolicious! おいしい! 好吃! 맛있는! délicieux! delicioso! 好食! 