The Gourmands return to familiar ground: Mayfair, a London neighborhood that simply reeks of privilege.  Braving the snow and ice of Britain's 'Big Freeze', the Gourmands were keenly anticipating a log fire and some fine dining.

As the Gourmands sauntered down New Bond Street, discussions turned to a chap called Gordon. Just two years earlier the dour Scotsman could do no wrong. His popularity had climbed to new highs, his name was fêted across the land, and his furrowed face stared out at us from every poster, paper and television, like a benign Big Brother. His position at the top of his profession seemed unassailable. Who would have thought that such a risen star could drop from the firmament?  The Gourmands were, of course, referring to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, whose fortunes to some extent seem to have mirrored those of his foul-mouthed namesake.  Whilst Brown was single handedly saving the world from financial Armageddon, Ramsay was single handedly saving his eatery empire from the same fate, dipping deep into his pockets in lieu of his thinning clientele.

 

Claridge’s is an art deco cocoon that truly removes one from the pressures and brashness of modern life.  The understated elegance of the dining hall’s spacious double cube offers plenty of elbow room and excellent acoustics. 

 

Following a brief lecture by an attentive waitress on the senior personnel staffing the kitchen, an amuse-bouche arrived: a carrot and cardamom velouté, garnished with mushroom and parmesan.  This was a welcome winter warmer and bought some extra time for the Gourmands to deliberate over a set lunch menu.  Three courses,with three options for each.  Three proper, generous options - not the stingy offerings that plague some set menus.

 

The selected starters were pumpkin and sage tortellinis, and smoked trout.  The tortellinis were well lubricated with a parmesan velouté, the second velouté of the meal.  The pasta portion size was well judged and the flavour as rich as is possible with vegetarian ingredients.

The trout hailed from the fresh clear waters of the Longford Estates fishery in Hampshire, a most pleasant county much frequented by the Gourmands when the hustle and bustle of Mayfair grows wearisome.  The menu claimed that the trout was "home smoked", though we found it difficult to imagine Mr Ramsay spending much time in a smokehouse in his garden.  The trout was finely sliced, full of smoky wood flavours and topped with beetroot and grape dressing.  The pièce de résistance was the generous dollop of horseradish ice cream to the side, which gave the dish a cold yet fiery flavour and paired wonderfully with the fish.

 

Plaice and organic chicken breast were the preferred options for the mains, with the lamb en croute left on the shelf.  The plaice was beautifully presented, although the precarious balancing of cockles atop a clock face of winter vegetables appeared a little laboured. The dish was a delicious fusion of subtle, light flavours, including endive.  It was accompanied by a ‘blanquette’ that might also have been called avelouté – making a hat-trick of the velvety sauces. 

The chicken breast was tender, with a thin and crispy skin providing taste and texture.  It was accompanied by purple broccoli, chorizo and capers.  The chorizos were sliced into massive cubes the size of gambling dice, and considering their intense and spicy flavour should have been given a more pancetta-like chopping.  Chorizo and chicken are a proven pairing, but the balance of the two flavours could have been improved.  

 

By this stage we had grown accustomed to the excellent service – understated, elegant, polite: much like the building itself really. CCTV cameras have been installed to enhance the service further.  Perhaps Gordon has a joystick to control key staff remotely.  The room was populated by an eclectic blend of all ages and backgrounds: dowager duchesses smiled at well behaved children whilst suits and ties sat in conference.

 

It was somewhat foolhardy of the Gourmand who had overdosed on veloutés to opt for the passion fruit bavarois for desert, but this he did.  The dish was a triumph however: a complex, layered concoction that used a wafer-thin membrane of white chocolate to separate a rich banana cream from a passion fruit coulis.  The coconut magdalenas to the side of the cocktail glass were superfluous. The other dessert order was a mille feuille of Gianduja chocolate with a pear sorbet.  The mille feuille resembled a miniature chocolate Walls Vienetta and was very sweet and stodgy, its layers of pastry a tad too heavy for a mille feuille, but the excellent pear sorbet compensated for this.

 

Michelin has just docked its star from Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's.  Despite this, the Gourmands’ poll suggests that, come June 2010, Ramsay has a greater chance of being reelected to centre stage than Brown: truly a first class dining experience. 

 

Gourmands’ Rating: 8.75 /10

Brook Street, London, W1K 4LY