Ramsay, never knowingly promo shy, barely seems to have done publicity for this place. Has he even been here? But fair enough, after his recent Michelin push, Ramsay does TGI Fridays is hardly the best look. Perhaps it is an intended cash cow, a 250-cover canteen meant to offset any losses elsewhere in the company. It certainly costs: a cheap night out this is not. Of the eight mains, six are north of £40, with the signature beef Wellington at £65 (the next day I lunch at Chelsea’s upmarket NoFifty Cheyne, £59 to share). Sides include a £22 lobster tail. Cocktails are mostly £17; the wine list’s opening gambit is champagne from £105-a-bottle, with just three still wines under £50. Wines they pour at speed and in large portions, edging you towards a second bottle. It is easy to resent this sort of avarice encouragement. Ramsay’s Savoy Grill costs about the same for a similar menu, only at the Grill there is a sense of history and far fewer bandanas. Oh, and I’ve never eaten there worried the table might collapse.
Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, London, review: TGI Fridays (at twice the price)
