#throwbackthursday review: The Ledbury, London

The Ledbury’s reputation preceded it and we were prepared to be disappointed, but it truly lived up to its hype and then some. Looking back on it, it's definitely one of the greatest dining experiences we've had to date.

We had the tasting menu which at about £100 a head, was actually really good value. Yes, that is expensive but many restaurants of its calibre charge significantly more, and the food and the service justified it. This is simply not the case with a lot of these 'modern', Michelin starred, hatted, top 100 list-esque restaurants. Yes there are many great ones, but there are also many that don't justify the prices they charge and don't deserve the accolades. The Ledbury sits firmly in the 'great' camp.

The experience was truly memorable. Everything was just so creative and utterly delicious. We started with (three?) amuse-bouches and the house made bread which was generously dished out throughout the evening. My favourite  proper course of the night was the mackerel while the simple pre-dessert of a clementine granita with meringue is up there with the Torija at Tickets (review to come) as the best dessert I've ever had.

But while the food deserves the abounding superlatives thrown at it, it's the Ledbury's service, ambiance and overall 'experience' which truly sets it apart. In contrast to that at Pollen Street Social, the service here, while unmistakably refined, was not at all stuffy and pretentious. The service was just genuinely friendly, warm and not at all in your face. The sommelier who served us was sympathetic to the mild stomach complaint I brought with me that evening and diligently got me a ginger ale to calm my belly. M still talks about the amazing Americano coffee he was served here and the way they poured it right at the table. It was definitely the perfect antidote to what was mostly very mediocre coffee throughout the continent. What also contributed to the overall experience was the low-key glamour of the restaurant's fit out and how perfectly the place absorbed sound; sitting there in a packed restaurant, you could have honestly heard a pin drop—even though most of the clientele were having animated conversations. But what really completed the evening for me (not so much M who has a rather perplexing aversion to fruit) was the addition of fresh clementines (so fresh that I suspect they were straight off the tree) with our petit fours. I am a huge fruit lover and being given two fresh and perfect little fruits to complete my meal just completely won me over.

We left the restaurant completely satisfied and gushing madly, plotting how soon we would be back.