In 1998, Gordon Ramsay and his wife sold their home to open a restaurant in Chelsea. Three years later, it had three stars. At 68 Royal Hospital Road, lobster ravioli is still on the menu.
In this story · 5 sections
To raise the money for his first restaurant of his own, Gordon Ramsay persuaded his wife Tana to sell their home. On 17 September 1998, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay opened at 68 Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea, in the premises where La Tante Claire had previously been located. In 2001, the restaurant was awarded three stars in the Guide Michelin, and Ramsay became the first Scottish chef with three stars.
In the Guide Michelin Great Britain & Ireland 2026, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay still has three stars, a quarter of a century after it first received them.
Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
- Address
- 68 Royal Hospital Road, London SW3 4HP
- Distinction
- Three stars, Guide Michelin Great Britain & Ireland 2026
- Opened
- 17 September 1998
- Three stars
- First in 2001
- Chef patron
- Matt Abé (since 2020)
- Seats
- 45
- Dress code
- Business smart
01Gordon Ramsay – trained by Roux, White and Robuchon
Long before Gordon Ramsay became a television name known worldwide, he was a chef with a classic French training. According to Elite Traveler, he worked for Albert Roux, Marco Pierre White and Joël Robuchon before opening his own place. The restaurant in Chelsea was his first as owner and chef, and it still bears his name.
The kitchen has been described as a lighter interpretation of classic dishes. And one dish has been on the menu since the very first day: the lobster ravioli.
02The chefs who followed Ramsay
As Ramsay's empire grew, he left the day-to-day kitchen to others. Clare Smyth became head chef in 2007 and later chef patron, and she was the first female chef in Britain to lead a three-star restaurant. In 2017 she opened Core in Notting Hill, which today also has three stars.
In 2020, Matt Abé became chef patron. According to Wikipedia, the kitchen is today led by head chef Kim Ratcharoen. In 2023, the restaurant celebrated 25 years with a special lunch and the book A Story of Excellence, written together with Abé.
03A 45-seat Art Deco room
The dining room has been redone twice. In September 2006, a renovation costing £1.5 million was completed, and in March 2013 the restaurant reopened with a new Art Deco-style interior. The room seats 45 guests.
The dress code is business smart, and tables can be booked up to three months in advance. The critic Giles Coren wrote as early as 2002 that the best restaurant in Britain might only ever disappoint – a comment that says more about expectations than about the food.
04Chelsea at the Royal Hospital
Royal Hospital Road is named after the Royal Hospital Chelsea, Christopher Wren's home for veterans, and the Chelsea Physic Garden is on the same street. Chelsea is part of the borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and the whole of London can be found in VERA PI's London guide. London's other three-star tables are in our guide to London's Michelin restaurants 2026, and a walk along the King's Road is a few minutes away.
05Planning your visit
Book up to three months in advance, dress business smart and ask for the lobster ravioli. Take a look at the Royal Hospital Chelsea before dinner. The restaurant has no children's menu. Check opening days directly with the restaurant.
