We’ve been around enough tasting menus to know when something is style over substance. But The Ledbury? It’s the kind of place that quietly whispers, “We know exactly what we’re doing”, then proceeds to blow your socks clean off, neatly folded and returned to you with a glass of something French and fabulous.
Nestled in the backstreets of Notting Hill, surprisingly right around the corner from Dorian (you can read that review here), The Ledbury reemerged in 2022 from its pandemic hiatus like a culinary phoenix; sharper, sleeker, and even more committed to seasonal wizardry. Chef Brett Graham’s three-Michelin-starred temple to modern dining doesn’t scream for attention — it earns it, course after impeccable course.
For our wedding anniversary, Elldrew secured a prime corner table, the perfect spot to peruse the entire restaurant. The tasting menu kicked off with a medley of scrumptious appetisers including a sublime tempura scallop skewer and delicate foie gras mille-feuille.
What followed were six amazing savoury dishes, with an emphasis on garden to gourmet. We were Googling ingredients to fully understand and appreciate the complexity of each dish. Dishes included Ike-jime ChalkStream trout with English wasabi (shaved at the table on shark skin no less), Mylor prawns with a green fig and lemon verbena, Royale Vendée quail with wild garlic and smoked miso, Cornish dover sole with Hoshigaki and N25 Kaluga caviar, mushrooms from the [Ledbury’s own] cabinet with tamari and 36 month aged Parmesan, and Herdwick lamb with yuzu and black sesame amazake. Served with homemade bread and curd and savoury pastries.
And if you thought it was all coming to an end, the dishes kept coming, with two perfectly balanced desserts; Alphonso mango with Anyhoe Park honey and black winter truffle, and Tomlinsons forced Yorkshire rhubarb and Yorkshire Parkin, followed by a special anniversary sweet plate and a mix of petit fours (so make that 4 or 5 desserts in total!).
For just one of the many reason the Ledbury deserves all its accolades, the staff had asked us if there was anything on the menu that we were concerned about and Drew mentioned not eating mushrooms, to which the kitchen supplemented his with a mouthwatering slow cooked pork dish! But; not just that, as his pork was accompanied by a rhubarb reduction they followed up with another substitution, replacing his rhubarb Parkin with a delicate chocolate mille-feuille.
Service was attentive without being intrusive — think: polished, charming, and equipped with encyclopaedic wine knowledge. Brett worked the room and made each table feel special. And the dining room? Understated elegance. Muted tones, soft lighting, and a gentle buzz of conversation that made us feel like part of something special, not just spectators. Worth noting; it’s not dressy – for a Michelin Star restaurant – T-shirt and trainers are perfectly fine – plus you’ll want to be in something that allows room for an expanding waistline!
Was it pricey? Yes.
Did we leave already plotting our return? Absolutely.
The Ledbury isn’t just a dinner — it’s a moment. And trust us, it’s a moment worth having.
127 Ledbury Rd, London W11 2AQ
For other restaurant reviews check them out here.