Luxe London dining on the Sunset Strip.

by Mar Yvette

Those hoping to catch a glimpse of (or at least a four-letter soundbite from) "Hell's Kitchen" culinary maestro Gordon Ramsay are going to be waiting a reeeeally long time at this eatery inside the glam London Hotel (formerly the Bel Age). That's because the TV chef's involvement with this resto is in name only. (Originally, he was going to stop in the kitchen from time to time, but his recent financial issues have rendered this outfit sold.) Despite this kitchen nightmare (sorry, couldn't resist), the sparse yet somewhat wacky space designed by Brit David Collins--think powder blue tooled leather seats, distressed white wood, plastic gold louver blinds and monkey wallpaper--still reels in a mixed bag of fancy foodies, deal-making richies and world-weary wannabes. Views of the city provide the backdrop while the menu of haute dishes is both satisfying and artful. Seasonally-inspired dishes range from scallop carpaccio with king crab beignet to celery root gratin with roasted purple artichoke.

04/15/09

Simply Spectacular!

by Minimax

There is nothing more regrettable than paying good money for a bad meal especially in these financial times, but there was not a single regrettable moment in my experience Ramsay's restaurant last night, and honestly...I went in expecting one. The wait staff was outstanding from the moment I stepped in, to say nothing of the beautiful ambiance throughout this hotel. My friends and I selected the "wine & dine" option from the dinner menu which allows you select four items from several delectable options and includes a wine selection recommended by the sommelier. The portions initially seemed small but at the conclusion of the wine and dine we were all full and elated. Every single item was perfection, from the aromatic starter salad with divine truffles and parmesan shavings to the perfectly cooked sea bass with just a dollop of caviar. Do not even get me started on the caramelized banana dessert that just melted in my mouth. I came into Ramsay's a cynic, but my experience was proof positive that there are a few occasions in life when you can believe the hype.

• Pros: Food and Service
• Cons: If you're anti-valet...good luck parking.

03/03/09

BAD!

by lesliegerard

The restaurant and hotel have the worst service - in LA and NY

The restaurant and hotel have the worst service - in LA and NY

02/23/09

This Restaurant Should be on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

by jonzie23

Being a fan of Gordon's successful television shows I was truly excited when friends invited me to his restaurant to celebrate my birthday. The hotel makeover is beautiful and the hotel staff were friendly, efficient and engaging. Arriving at the restaurant the hostesses were very sweet. Then we entered the bar and all goes down hill from there. The bar staff was present but aloof, they seemed bothered that they had to actually take drink orders (chardonnay at 19 a glass). We then ordered appetizers; the braised short rib croquette with sauce gribiche and the okonomiyaki dumplings, they seemed intriguing on the menu, then they arrived at the table...we asked the waiter what it was and he said it is what we ordered, we then asked what was in the sauce, he had to ask. Falls short of the standards of the television show. We took pictures of the food to have our friends later guess what it was, even looking at the menu it was hard to tell. The croquettes were overcooked and tasted like hushpuppies, and the dumplings lacking in flavor and high on cost. We ended up cancelling dinner since we could barely stomach what we had just had. Would never return and would never recommend.

• Pros: the hotel staff before entering the restaurant
• Cons: everything else

12/30/08

Fantastic afternoon tea service

by rshpringer

I tried the Sunday afternoon tea service, and it was awesome! We went with a group of girls and had tons of little appetizers and desserts to nibble on while drinking tea. With T+T it was only $40 a person. Totally worth it!

• Pros: Great atmosphere, good food, great staff
• Cons: Not many!

12/08/08

Good food, average service

by ranita717

My expectations going into this restaurant were high, which was my first mistake. I must say that the Hotel staff is VERY friendly and helpful. The restaurant hostesses the same....our wait staff not so much. They all seemed as if they had better things to do then get us our food. I waited ridiculously long for my drink and finally had to flag someone down to get it for me. Our waitress was knowledgeable but never seemed to be around when we needed her. I think she secretly watched us and only came over when we had food in our mouths so we would not be able to ask for anything. The food was good, but I wasn't blown away. Overpriced? Yes, but were expecting that so no surprise there. Overall it was and average experience, with good food and below average service.

• Pros: Friendly hotel staff, Valet parking
• Cons: bad wait staff, overpriced

10/24/08

overrated

by destaylor

I don?t usually review restaurants ? but I felt that people should know that this place is overrated. For the price you are paying, you should expect to be full and to have been inspired by the food and surroundings. I found the food ?GOOD?, but hardly exceptional ? especially when you consider the portion size is borderline comical.

I was asked if I wanted water, and a yes to ?still? water I got charged $12! More than the glass of wine (that had sediments in it).

After being told that there were no available reservations for 8pm, we arrived at 7pm and saw many vacant seats. To our request to find a seat not shared by strangers, we were told the only other seat was next to other customers ? (even in full view of empty tables in the center). Those multiple seats remained vacant well after 8, 9 and 10pm.

That kind of service makes you feel as if they're waiting for someone "more special" to fill them because our special occasion wasn't good enough.

I found the decor to be comparable to any nice hotel ? but nothing special, nor nothing reminiscent of London, or even England. The food, while good, was again, nothing special ? other than the portion size and price.

In the end we left let down? not just by the astronomical prices for the average food and ambiance, but also paying $10 for valet parking (AFTER validation from the restaurant).

I felt embarrassed for Gordon?s restaurant, as I really wanted to be impressed. He talks a good game, but sadly misses the point.

• Pros: the hype
• Cons: over priced, parking fees, portion sizes

10/11/08

Weird, spotty service

by emilyfoxy

We are huge Gordon Ramsay fans and looked forward to trying his new place in LA but were sorely disappointed in the service. The atmosphere is pleasant and the menu is interesting, but the service was spotty and sort of strange. Our server was very nice though sort of a bit breezy and casual, and she seemed to forget about us periodically - like after bringing us some water, we sat for about 15 minutes waiting for her to come take our dinner order, and she only arrived after we asked the bus boy to send her over. Throughout the evening, we kept having to ask other servers to send her back to us. This was kind of annoying. I don't like when waiters hover, but I do like when they show their faces once in a while.

When we managed to order and the courses started to arrive, they made a big production of placing all the dishes down at the same time, which is a formal touch, but this formality did not extend to the rest of the service - water glasses being refilled constantly and awkwardly, plates whisked away either too quickly or not quickly enough.

Most of the food was decent, though we expected better. The bread tasted refrigerated. Our server sold us hard on a special dessert, a tarte tatin, only to return 10 minutes later to tell us they'd sold out (by 10pm!).

And then the final cardinal sin - our server brought the check before we'd asked for it, and then failed to come back to collect our credit cards. One of our dining companions wondered why we hadn't just gone to Pinkberry.

Overall, I'd recommend this place if you want to enjoy some pretty good food and you don't require impeccable service.

• Pros: beautiful dining room, varied menu
• Cons: odd service, overpriced

10/01/08

Lame

by aurory13

I was not impressed by this place at all. We started at the bar with a drink. The bartender didn't smile, didn't say hello, she looked miserable. We were seated promptly and ordered after what seemed like forever. The food was ok. Nothing really stood out to me. Everyone that worked there seemed miserable. Maybe Chef Ramsay had just yelled at everyone in the back. Oh I should also mention that the waitress confirmed that there were no clams in the seafood casserole, but there def was as my allergic reaction kicked into high gear. She even checked with the chef! Needless to say I'm not going back, there are so many better unpretentious places in that area where the wait staff doesn't look suicidal and you can actually enjoy your meal.

• Pros: Cute atmosphere, prompt seating
• Cons: Miserable staff, not knowledgable about ingredients, overpriced, etc.

"Hell's Kitchen" star Gordon Ramsay brings luxury dining to Hollywood's glam set at this posh hotel tucked just off the Strip.

by Martha Burr

High-end foodies and an offbeat assortment of rich and famous are flocking to the mod London Hotel (formerly the Bel Age) in West Hollywood, hoping to get a glimpse (or at least a four-letter soundbite) of the "Hell's Kitchen" culinary star. Even if they don't, the room itself is an eyeful--designed by hipster Brit David Collins, it's modern and whimsical with pastel-tooled leather seating, distressed white wood and quirkily adorable monkey wallpaper. L.A.'s shiny, dubious aristocracy--celebs, agents, execs and laconic rockers--rub elbows over a twinkling vista of the city. As for the menu, it just may trump the sum of creative talent in the room with haute dishes like smoked pork belly with Scottish langoustine, honey-and-soy-roasted quail, and loin of Connecticut rabbit.

High Marks
"I had the Chef's tasting menu and it took me on a exciting culinary adventure." (amandduuhh, Citysearch user)

"The waiter is very attentive and knows the the menu and specials, and the sommelier is very helpful in choosing the right wine." (Monchet, Citysearch user)

"Gorgeous space... possibly the most gorgeous restaurant, asthetic wise, I've ever been seen." (dewtrell, Citysearch user)

Low Marks
"...food should be like a taste bud explosion every bite of the way. But the experience was far from what I had in London." (thankyoufood, Citysearch user)

"GR fare is Tapas-styled; code for small portions but in this case, really small." (tannic298, Citysearch user)

"Service Staff still getting up to speed..." (sunehri, Citysearch user)