The River Restaurant by Gordon Ramsay

It is always a real treat visiting London’s iconic Savoy Hotel in the heart of London’s West End and Theatreland. And what better place to enjoy a fabulous meal with good company than The River Restaurant. I recently enjoyed a lovely, relaxed evening at this classic and stylish Gordon Ramsay restaurant overlooking the River Thames and Victoria Embankment Gardens.

The colour scheme of beiges and creams gives off a warm and elegant ambience, and the Art Deco-inspired space offers a relaxed all-day dining environment that seems miles away from the hustle and bustle of the city outside.

This upmarket seafood restaurant opened three years ago, in October 2021, and is the second of three restaurants at the hotel which are overseen by Gordon Ramsay. It has an excellent shellfish and seafood offering as well as an à la carte menu featuring the best of the British coast that should suit most tastes.

Offering all-day dining, The River Restaurant is the prefect place for a pre-theatre dinner with a special menu starting from £37 per person. There is also a reasonably priced Prix Fixe menu available during the week between midday and 5:45pm, starting from £37 for two courses.

The impressive à la carte menu will tempt you to try the very best fish and shellfish, from fresh oysters, ceviche and caviar on display in the central raw bar.  And how about a prawn and monkfish curry or Lobster tagliatelle with lobster bisque and the frequently changing dayboat fish.

However, if you re looking for something a bit more down to earth, then Mr Ramsay can offer you his classic fish & chips or generous fish pie. You can also order a good old prawn cocktail, something you don’t tend to see that often on menus these days.

We decided to mix things up a bit, ordering a delicious Whiskey Cured Trout from the Raw Bar, with house pickles, crème fraiche and a slice of warm soda bread and the Devilled Crab, Lemon Jam, Tomato Ponzu with tasty Sourdough Crumpets. We agreed we chose extremely well as both dishes made for a perfect start to the evening.

Rather than order a bottle of wine, which can be a bit restrictive if you are having a mix of fish and meat, we decided to pair each dish with a different glass if wine thanks to the help and excellent recommendations from the sommelier. I should add that The River Restaurant has an extensive wine list of around 300 bins and pretty has much something for everyone, as they have been adding new wines with the help of Coravin, meaning they are able to offer more premium wines by the glass which we took full advantage of.

So, we started with a surprisingly good 2013 German Riesling Trocken, Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg from the Rheingau region (£25) to go with the Whiskey Cured Trout and a gently oaked 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé, Pierre Desroches, Mâconnais from Burgundy (£19) to go with the Devilled Crab.

With so many tempting dishes to choose from for our main course we decided to go in opposite directions, my date choosing the beautifully presented and delicious Bouillabaisse a la Marseillaise, Red Mullet with Hand-dived Orkney Scallop.

Now I love my fish, but I also enjoy a good steak from time to time and chose a perfectly cooked medium rare and tender Beef Wellington with Confit Shallot and a red wine jus. But if fish doesn’t float your boat, then fear not, as Mr Ramsay can rustle you up a succulent Dry Aged Ribeye from the grill or you fancy something a little lighted, then a Spatchcock Baby Chicken may suit you better.

A side of perfectly cooked broccoli and BBQ Hispi Cabbage with Thousand Island Dressing along with some new wines made for a perfect main course and two well-chosen dishes. Being a Rioja fan, a beautifully smooth 2017 Rioja Reserva Vina Ardanza, La Rioja Alta (£21) was the perfect wine to go with the Beef Wellington, being full bodied. While a 2023 Hungarian Tokaji Dry Furmint from the Dorgo Vineyard, Diznoko (£13) paired well with the Red Mullet with its flavours of green apple, pear and lime rind drive the crisp, elegant palate.

We of course left just enough room to try one of the naughty but nice desserts and decided upon the lighter Lemon Posset topped with blackberries and a blackberry sorbet over the very tempting Sticky Toffee Pudding with For Fi Latte Ice Cream. Along with a pot of camomile tea and honey, it was the perfect end to a wonderful evening where we were looked after fantastically by the attentive and delightful staff. Although we did eat rather a lot, we both agreed that we did not feel overly full, which can often be the case after a filing three-course meal with wine. So, all credit to Mr Ramsay and his chefs.

I can thoroughly recommend The River Restaurant for a special occasion or pre-theatre dinner. And let’s be honest, you can’t beat the location. And if you are wanting to get together for a slightly larger celebration then you might want to consider hiring their rather elegant semiprivate dining room overlooking the River Thames that can seat up to 14 people. And if you are looking for somewhere a little more exclusive for an important early morning meeting, the restaurant is open for breakfast from 7:00am to 10:30am each weekday morning.

The Details

The River Restaurant by Gordon Ramsay, Savoy Hotel, Strand, London, WC2R 0EU, England.

Tel: +44 (0)207 499 0122

Website: www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com

Email: riverrestaurant@gordonramsay.com

The Savoy is conveniently located on the Strand a short walk from Charing Cross mainline and Underground station and close to a number of West End Theatres. The restaurant is open Monday to Friday from 7:00am to 10:30am, midday to midnight. Saturday from 8:00am to 10:30am, midday to midnight and Sunday from 8:00am to 10:30am, midday to 11:30pm.

Type of Restaurant: Classic British Seafood Restaurant

Price Band: High

Insider Tip: Allow the sommelier to recommend some wines you’ve not had before. Please also note that the restaurant has a smart casual dress code.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10/10

Author Bio:

Simon Burrell is Editor of Our Man On The Ground, a former member of The British Guild of Travel Writers and professional photographer.

Photographs courtesy of The River Restaurant by Gordon Ramsay