You will find a range of articles about London’s famous people who own restaurants – like David and Victoria Beckham’s pub in Notting Hill, around the corner from Park Grand Kensington Accommodation, or Usain Bolt’s Jamaican restaurant Tracks & Records in Spitalfields. However, what is sometimes overlooked is the number of restaurants in London owned by famous chefs. If you are finding this notion confusing, here is a clear example: Jamie’s Italian, a chain of restaurants by Jamie Oliver, were not places where Jamie himself cooked – which makes sense, given how far reaching they were in the UK. Here are the best London-based restaurants owned by famous chefs, which you should seriously consider heading to as soon as you have dined in the Park Grand London Kensington Restaurant.
Marcus Wareing
Marcus Wareing is a prime example of a “famous” chef rather than just a talented one, or a Michelin starred one. Alongside Monica Galetti, he hosts and judges MasterChef, making his face one that many would recognise even if the name isn’t instantaneously familiar. Marcus owns a number of restaurants, and it is always impressive when a chef has both creative culinary skills in the kitchen with a pragmatic mind for business.
The Gilbert Scott is his King’s Cross based restaurant, with a modern British menu, and a distinctly Victorian decor and feel. It is modern, but still paying homage to the skills and traditions that have kept fine dining alive and well since the start of the 20th century.
Address: St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Rd, London NW1 2AR
Tredwell’s is his Covent Garden restaurant, which he owns alongside famous New Zealand chef Chantelle Nicholson. Tredwell’s serves up remarkable British food, which is undeniably intertwined by international influences. There are three floors of the restaurant and yet with all that space, you will hardly find it empty.
Address: 4A Upper St Martin’s Ln, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9NY
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay is the chef famously known for his liberal use of the “f” word in the kitchen, and calling people things like an “idiot sandwich” on his television show, “Hell’s Kitchen”. Though people may vary in their views on his recipe for success, nobody would deny his success – Ramsay is the chef that people either love, or love to hate. And he has a number of restaurants in London which he runs and owns (or it bears his namesake), despite the fact that he won’t be seen (or heard) in all of these kitchens.
York & Albany are simple but consistently good – the kind of pub-style cuisine that is leagues above its competitors. They have an afternoon tea option, too, but truthfully, you really shouldn’t bother with afternoon tea unless you are getting the Indian Afternoon Tea Park Grand. From York & Albany, you are offered British staples like fish and chips or a celeriac soup starter, as well as the slightly more fancy dishes like a flat iron steak with truffle mash. Like we said – simple pub environment, but the kind that Gordan Ramsay heartily approves of – and that is saying something of weight!
Address: 127-129 Parkway, London NW1 7PS
Gordan Ramsay Street Pizza is where you get a killer deal and authentic Italian pizza – always served with a healthy spread of toppings and a friendly attitude from the staff. The pizza comes in square slices (as it would in Italy) and it does not stop coming until you say so. So, perhaps a disclaimer is necessary: those with wavering self-control when it comes to pizza ought to be supervised by an adult (one who, preferably, is not also equally rubber-armed when it comes to doughy-goodness).
Address: 127 – 129 Parkway, London NW1 7PS
Ground Floor, 10 Bread St, London EC4M 9AJ
Monica Galetti
Did you think Monica Galetti’s mention was going to be limited to her co-hosting role with Marcus Wareing on MasterChef? Well, the truth of the matter is, her restaurant Mere is far too incredible not to get its own section in this best-from-the-bests listing. This modern European fine-dining hotspot centres around the techniques of French cuisine with heavy influence from the South Pacific, where Monica is from. Though she is the chef proprietor of this establishment, she is not the head chef – meaning she isn’t guaranteed to be there every time you visit, but you can rest assured knowing that she gets a lot of say in everything that goes on from this Fitzrovia gem.
Address: 74 Charlotte St, Bloomsbury, London W1T 4QH
Jun Tanaka
Jun Tanaka is a famous American-born Japanese-British television chef who appears on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen as well as (you guessed it…) MasterChef. He is considered one of Britain’s greats of the culinary world. He has a restaurant on Charlotte Street – The Ninth – and it is safe to say it is a flaming hot success. This restaurant is a triumph of French cooking, and is the first restaurant venture that Jun has undertaken alone. Expect modern chic paired with traditional flavours and techniques, as well as the kind of dishes you might only dream up rather than actually see on a plate.
Address: 22 Charlotte St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2NB
There you have it – a simple and comprehensive list of the must-see’s of British dining that are specifically owned or run by famous chefs (though they do not necessarily have them in the chef’s hat behind the hob). Grand Park London Kensington is centrally located so you can make a trip to any of these delicious venues easily. As you may expect given the calibre of these chefs and the high-quality dining experience they produce at these various locations, you may want to call ahead and book a table to avoid disappointment. If you need help with this, don’t hesitate to ask your concierge for guidance.
