Union Street Café

Union Street Caféwas a restaurant, owned by chefGordon Ramsay, inSouthwark, London. It was the first of Ramsay's restaurants to be opened without the involvement of Chris Hutchinson, and at one point was backed by footballerDavid Beckham.  The Café servedMediterranean cuisine, with mostlyItaliandishes.  The head chef,Davide Degiovanni, designed the menu, which was changed daily.  Before the Café was opened, it received more than 10,000 booking requests, with seating filled to the end of the year.  Food critics' reviews have been mixed, with differing opinions of thevealsaltimboccabut agreement in dislike of a dish of octopus,borlotti bean, and'ndujasausage. Union Street Café was replaced by Gordon Ramsay Restaurants in December 2020 with their third Street Pizza Location,joined at that address in May 2021 by their second Bread Street Kitchen & Bar location for London.
The Union Street Café was the first restaurant opened by Gordon Ramsay Holdings without the involvement of Gordon Ramsay's father-in-law, Chris Hutchinson.Initially English footballerDavid Beckhamwas an investor in the restaurant, but he withdrew his support prior to launch.
The interior of the restaurant is decorated in an industrial style designed by Russell Sage,who had previously created the interior of Ramsay'sBread Street Kitchen.It has revealed concrete columns, ventilation shafts and without tablecloths on the tables.The location was formerly a loading bay, and the interior design incorporated several original elements into the dining space. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of Harling House and contains space for 99covers.
Following the launch of the restaurant's website, it received over 10,000 requests before opening. At launch, it was said to be fully booked until the end of the year.The launch party was held on 16 October 2013.
Due to the restaurant's location, prior to opening it was saidthat they would use fresh produce from suppliers in nearbyBorough Market. These include items such asmusselsfrom Wales andclamsfrom Cornwall. The menu is described by the restaurant as "Mediterranean", but was said to be predominantlyItalianby reviewers.The menu itself is changed on a daily basis, and designed by head chefDavide Degiovanni.He and Ramsay developed the initial range of dishes together.
Food criticMatthew Norman attended the restaurant on the day after opening. He said in his review forThe Daily Telegraph, that thevealsaltimboccawas too salty, and found other courses "blisteringly average" or "forgettably adequate".Norman also did not see the point of the Parmesan skin appetisers, saying that they were "bemusing".He gave the restaurant two out of five stars.John Walsh, forThe Independent, found the linguine vongole to have "most buttery pasta [he had] ever eaten",and said that the saltimbocca was "astonishing" and that "the chef deserves a medal for keeping this dish simple, dramatic and irresistible."He gave Union Street Café four out of five for both food and service, and three out of five for ambience.
In the review inTime Out, the portion sizes were said to be "considered meagre in the boot of Italy" but certain dishes such as the Parmesan skin appetisers and the chocolate and peanut butter cake were singled out for praise.Marina O'Loughlin wrote inThe Guardiansaid that the mushroomrisottowas excellent, as was the homemadegelato. Her only criticism was towards a dish of octopus,borlotti beanand'nduja. However, she found that her enjoyment of the restaurant was troubled by the sheer expectation of a new Gordon Ramsay restaurant and the media campaign that preceded the opening. She gave it seven out of ten for food, atmosphere and value for money.
David Sexton in London'sThe Evening Standard, described thecrudoofstone bassas "excellent" and found that thetaglioliniwith rabbit was the best thing on the menu.He also disliked the octopus dish, saying that the 'nduja overpowered the rest of the ingredients. Sexton felt that the cafe was a fully fledged restaurant and gave it three out of five stars.