ロンドンの最新ミシュラン3つ星レストラン「ザ・レッドベリー」に行ってみた

ロンドンの最新ミシュラン3つ星レストラン「ザ・レッドベリー」に行ってみた

Just when everyone thought it was gone for good, this restaurant beat the odds 
and made a remarkable comeback. They held 2 Michelin stars for over a decade. Then, under the black cloud of covid, like many restaurants, they closed. And they were stripped of their Michelin stars. Many people thought they would never re-open. 2 years later, they rose like a sleeping bear. And, they were hungry. They opened the doors, and within 
one year, had both stars back. This year, 2024, they became London’s 
newest 3 Michelin star restaurant. It’s called The Ledbury. I’m really curious about this place, 
because this meal will be special. It was a name day gift from my wife. To my daughter and me. And lucky for us it takes us to one 
of London’s prettiest neighborhoods. Notting Hill. You might have seen the 1999 movie. Either by choice or against your will. It’s the one where boy meets 
girl, spills juice all over her, and somehow turns it into an unlikely love story. Besides a hit movie, what’s 
so special about this place? People say it has a story-book feel. With a mix of pastel-colored townhouses, 
cozy cafes, and charming restaurants. Like this one. The Ledbury. One of London’s newest to 
receive 3 Michelin stars. Stepping inside The Ledbury, the space 
is elegant with floor-to-ceiling windows and beautiful materials, 
right down to the tablecloth. When it was renovated in 2022, they reduced the number of seats from 55 to 45 to make space for the center serving table. However, I still find the 
tables are a bit close together. I can’t imagine what it was 
like with 10 extra seats. The staff are well-dressed, in good spirits, and get us started with a welcome drink. Sometimes I like to try new things, but tonight I want to start 
with something I know is good. So I go with a Krug 171 You may have noticed I am drinking from a 
Pinot Noir glass and not a champagne flute. This is one of the best choice of glassware 
to experience the champagne’s full expression. Olivier Krug once said that 
drinking champagne from a flute is like going to the opera and wearing earplugs. Looking at the wine list, 
they have a nice selection, as well as an interesting pairing with wines 
from 7 different countries for 160 euros. But tonight is special. So I have brought a little something with me. A 2010 Batard Montrachet Grand 
Cru from Domaine Leflaive. Domaine Leflaive is a Burgundy region all-star. They are the most prestigious 
winery in Puligy-Montrachet. With an impressive amount of vineyard holdings. Including 5 hectares of premier 
cru and 13 hectares of grand cru. This bottle retails for over 1200 euros, and it’s one of my favorite big hitters. Some restaurants, especially newer ones, don’t have a huge wine list with 
all the vintages under the sun. So to help serve the guests 
in the best way possible, they let the guests bring their own wine. Then the sommelier takes over from there. They chill it, open it and serve it. It’s a great way to accommodate the customer if the restaurant has a limited wine list. And since They are work with 
it, cool it and serve it, They charge a corking fee. Here at The Ledbury, it’s 90 euros 
for a standard size bottle of wine. So it’s a win-win. The menu here at The Ledbury is a fixed, 
8-course tasting menu for 260 euros. It comes in a printed folder that 
makes me wonder if Batman is nearby. Looking at the line-up of courses, 
I’m really looking forward to this. Especially the Iberian pork. Our first bites arrive. A chestnut biscuit, and cured meat, and then a scallop tempura with 
seaweed mustard and lobster emulsion. Nice range of flavors and textures here. Solid openers. Next, our server presents some 
Australian black truffles. For an extra charge of 45 euros, they will add them here and 
there throughout the menu. I’m in. Two more bites arrive. A lobster tartlet with 
bisque jelly and N25 caviar. and a rye pancake, with 
pancetta and black truffle, has a nice combination of salty and umami. I don’t often have cured meat or such 
heavy and fatty bites at the start. At first, I didn’t quite 
understand these rustic dishes, but then the first course arrived. Chef Brett Graham swings by our 
table to present our first course. It’s marinated trout, with 
raspberry, salted cherry blossom, frozen spring flowers, and freshly grated wasabi. This course beautifully transitioned 
from the richer, fatty bites to a light, delicate flavor profile. It was like the beginning 
of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony starting robustly, then transitioning 
into a more delicate, romantic part. Explosive flavor profile and a great 
example of different textures here. Next is seabass, shaved 
asparagus, oyster, and elderflower topped with buttermilk sorbet 
and dusted with kaffir lime. It looks like an art piece. It’s a complex dish with delicate 
ingredients executed perfectly. So many textures and temperatures. They put a lot of work into this dish, and in the end we get a very 
delicately composed set of flavors. Bread is next. We have a rye-based sourdough with oats and a brioche with cheddar and honey. Served with goat’s whey 
butter covered in molasses. The bread was good quality but 
was missing that nice crunch. Veal sweetbread hits the table next. With vin jaune, English peas and vadouvan. Finished in a foam with 
lemongrass, ginger, and coconut. I like it. Chef Graham is in and out of the kitchen steady. Greeting people, plating dishes, and 
at the same time, really enjoying it. It’s clear that he has a 
connection with his guests. Chef Brett Graham was born 
in Newcastle, Australia, and began his culinary journey at 
age 15 in a local fish restaurant. His passion for cooking led him to Sydney, where he honed his skills at Banc 
restaurant and earned himself an award. Josephine Pinolet Young Chef of the Year. Soon, he was on his way to the UK, where he trained under Michelin star 
chef Phil Howard at The Square in London. A sister restaurant was opened in 2005, 
with Chef Graham behind the stove. They called it The Ledbury. The first Michelin star came a year later, followed by star number two in 2010. In 2011 it was voted best restaurant in London. All was well, but in 2020, 
they took a turn for the worse. Like many restaurants around the world, The Ledbury was hit hard by COVID. And Chef Graham made the tough 
decision to close up shop. Causing The Ledbury to lose 
both its Michelin stars. A big renovation soon followed, 
and they re-opened in 2022. One year later, both Michelin stars were returned. And this year, in 2024, they got number three. One thing is for sure, they know 
how to create a good atmosphere. The service is precise, and the food 
we’ve had so far has been really good. The only thing I don’t like is 
how close together the tables are. Next to us is still empty, 
but probably not for long. My Batard Montrachet has 
been performing beautifully. But as we get closer to the main course, I ask the sommelier to surprise 
me with a red wine to go with it. This is Wild Turbot, roasted on the 
barbeque and smoked with chamomile. Served with Scottish girolles and young peach. and topped with Australian Black truffle. The sauce is made with yuzu and chamomile. Next up is Mushrooms from the cabinet. Here at The Ledbury, they grow their own mushrooms, 
with everything on display. This dish centers around a ravioli 
filled with porcini and truffles. It’s served with a vegetable sauce made 
with shiitake and oyster mushrooms. We also have potato, buckwheat koji, and watercress with the whole thing 
topped with fresh black truffles. It’s erupting in umami. I love it. and here comes the red wine. It ’s a 2017 Cabernet Franc from the 
Chinon appellation of the Loire Valley. It was chosen for its acidity and earthy notes that are sure to go well with our main course. Which is Iberian pork. With English cherry, black olive, 
liquorice, amazake, and shiso. Chef Graham also has an Iberian pig farm. Besides his restaurants, he also supplies many other 
top restaurants in the country. Here we can taste different cuts of pork. I found it too intensive due to the aging process. and personally i didn’t feel the balance here. Otherwise, it was a good dish, 
well-made with a lot of effort. Although my daughter liked it very much, compared to the others, 
this dish fell short for me. Desserts are next. Our first dessert is called Gariguette Strawberry. It’s fromage blanc, crunchy meringue, and nasturtium topped with strawberry granita. Dripped over top is 12-year-old balsamic vinegar. The balsamic was super strong and 
really overpowered everything. It wasn’t for me. The main dessert is up next. This is mille feuille and mango, 
lemon verbena, stem ginger, and mint. It looks so pretty and then… The cameraman gets butter fingers. My daughter wasn’t very empatetic. Even though the presentation was destroyed, the dessert itself was really good. The cool parfait is also nice, 
with just the right acidity, and I liked the variety in textures. The creaminess and the crunch make it fun. The kaffir lime shows up again 
and comes through as well. The sommelier jumps into action to ease 
the pain with a dessert wine from Hungary. This 2017 5 puttonyos aszú from Royal Tokaji. The server noticed my little accident, and probably everyone else in the restaurant. To my surprise, they give me another. But this is something new. And it’s super creative. Jasmine custard flan with fresh almonds, peach and sake sorbet, and fig leaf ice cream. Amazing. The peach flavor really stands out. This is why you should throw around your 
phone in 3 Michelin-star restaurant. I think I will do it more often. Just the petit fours are left. Here we have mushroom fudge with sea salt. Cake with passionfruit verbena. Chocolate and hazelnut choux pastry. and Orange jelly. Before we go, we are given a 
quick peek into the kitchen. Even in a 3 Michelin star restaurant, when it’s Eurocup time, the English have to watch. I also get a chance to talk with Chef Graham. He tells me he is against using 
A5 Wagyu and similar beef. He has a problem with the cow’s food. They need a lot of feed. And some of what they eat is food fit for humans. He believes in raising animals on 
feed that humans cannot consume. So it transforms those 
nutrients into food we can eat. And saving valuable resources 
suitable for human consumption. He is a man of principle. I like that. It’s almost time to say goodbye to The Ledbury. But first, the bill. Our total for today is 860 euro. But the gift from my wife 
took up a huge chunk of it. Thank you! So what are my final thoughts on The Ledbury? The service was flawless and precise. I really appreciated them 
surprising me with another dessert after I fumbled my phone into the first one. It gave us a funny moment. I really liked the chef’s presence and energy, and how he created a very welcoming 
atmosphere in the dining area. I also enjoyed the high complexity of the dishes. I’m really happy I went. In my opinion, The Ledbury in London is 
a really good 3-Michelin-star restaurant and definitely worth a visit.

Our restaurant for today is called The Ledbury. This year, 2024, they became London’s newest 3 Michelin star restaurant. It’s located in Notting Hill, one of London’s prettiest neighborhoods.
The head chef is Brett Graham.

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Watch me critique my restaurant – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN7PHoTyCmE

Follow my journey on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexandertheguest

My name is Alexander. I’m the co-owner of a ONE Michelin star restaurant, and I’m on a mission – to find inspiration in gastronomy. I love fine dining, good wine and sharing what I know with other people.
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Check out my restaurant:
https://www.instagram.com/42restaurant/