The Ledbury: An Inspector Visits a Restaurant as Loveable as it is Acclaimed

"Set in Notting Hill, this Three-MICHELIN-Star restaurant blends superb ingredients, technical mastery and exquisite balance with a genuinely joyful atmosphere — I saw many smiling faces and found it to be as much a happy, wholehearted experience as a brilliant one. Brett Graham’s understated ethos is evident from the discreet canopy and modest signage to the calm, low-key dining room and his down-to-earth presence, serving courses without seeking the limelight; his stated aim of being people’s favourite restaurant seems to have been achieved. The success feels like a true team effort: Head Chef Tom Spenceley’s kitchen produces highly detailed dishes that marry complexity with restraint, and front-of-house, led by the warm Jack Settle, delivers attentive service that never feels aloof. Highlights from a lengthy tasting menu included a langoustine with lobster salt — tempura-coated and presented as a lollipop to be dipped into a hollandaise balanced with finger lime and puréed sea buckthorn; a playful two-part bread course (a laminated bow shaped like a bow tie filled with parmesan and truffle béchamel, then a Parkerhouse roll glazed with honey and bee pollen served with goat’s milk butter); the signature Mushrooms From the Cabinet (warm truffle royale, house-grown shiitake in a slightly jellied dashi with nettle sauce added at the table and tiny ricotta-filled pasta parcels); a hay-aged Anjou pigeon carved at the table with a croustade of liver and confit wing, a butter-soft breast, green peppercorn and cherry-kernel sauce, bitter baby turnips and a smooth vadouvan; and inventive desserts such as a fresh take on crème caramel with salted liquorice ice cream, blackcurrant sorbet, semi-dried beetroot and a brandysnap tuile. Make sure to admire the mushroom cabinet on the stairs, and if you can, visit during game season when the hunting-inspired dishes are especially superb." - The MICHELIN Guide UK Editorial Team