London House by Gordon Ramsay

Relaxed, understated, elegant.

Amazing tasting menu and service.

This is fine dining without the pomp and snobbery - wonderful, friendly, welcoming atmosphere and stunning food with fantastic service.

Everything here was great, the only (very small) quibble was that the amounts of everything on the cheese plate were very small for £9.50.

We were a party of four at London House on 1 May and the service we received was exceptional; food delicious and the wine recommendations perfect. We will definitely return.

The new Gordon Ramsay restaurant is great – even greater because it is in Battersea and not in Central London. It had just opened and there was still a faint smell of paint, but we had a great night. Decor is lovely, cocktails delicious and the staff very friendly and professional. Food was perfect. Not a cheap night out but priced well for the quality – definitely recommend for a special night out

I am a tiny bit miffed that London House has taken on this site because I have moved out of the area and this is so much better than the previous occupant, the woeful Bennet's, which managed to open up and shut down in my time. To avoid the same fate, this venue needs to be destination dining good enough to draw the crowds from North Chelsea to South Chelsea (or So Chi as I now call it, you heard it hear first); I think the food here will merit the journey for most. My starter of pig's head croquette tasted as delicious as it sounded horrible: plenty of hearty meat in a crisp coating with a fantastic sharp but delicate sauce and salad to cut through it. We waited what seemed like a finger-drumming eternity for the mains to come out but boy was it worth the wait: the beef fillet was tender and melted in the mouth with barely the need to chew and came with the most exquisite potato gnocchi stuffed with an intense rich stewed meat which I think was beef cheeks, again so much tastier than it sounds. On a roll, the dessert was an amazing parfait, sweet and crunchy meringue on the outside, with a perfectly judged mango sauce. Service was generally good (for example bread brought swiftly for me when they realised I was sat alone waiting for tardy friends) but the long delay for the mains spoilt it a bit and made us wonder if there's some inherent problem in the kitchen layout which would explain why Bennet's had also been so crap at getting the food out. I was glad to see the copper topped bar survived the refurb but the new dark colour scheme it is a bit too oppressive for me especially at lunchtime when candles don't just create an intimate evening atmosphere but are necessary for extra light. Still, the 3 course lunch menu (with a very good range of choices) at £28 was bloody good value; I imagine an evening meal would be more fitting but pricier. It's only a matter of time until Made in Chelsea films here. So Chi has arrived.

Had an impromptu late Sunday lunch yesterday at London House and couldn't have been happier. After a very warm welcome we were quickly seated in the bright open area of the conservatory (if that's what it's called), by a slick and courteous staff. I'd called 15 minutes earlier at 3.00pm to ask if the kitchen was still open, and they couldn't have been more obliging. Excellent homemade bread and butter to whet the appetite, a reasonably priced Albarino off a simple but very good wine list to open the palate and we were ready to gorge ourselves. I had the crab tortellini in broth (light and exquisite) and my friend the pigs head croquettes with caper sauce and quails eggs (delicious combo of textures and taste). Main course for me was sea bass with fennel and a sardine beignet – utterly sublime combination of flavours. My friend was less fortunate with the baked haddock in squid ink – the fish was superb but was completely blown away by a cockle and lemon sauce – the bitterness of the lemon was far too overpowering for the gentle haddock. Cheese followed; a delicious Irish Blue, an English Goat and the ever tummy warming Lincolnshire Poacher. Battersea Square has a new top dog, and the ever challenging site looks like it has finally been filled with an enduring formula. Apart from the haddock affair, my only other observation would be a lack of meaty treats on the main menu – chicken, beef or venison it was, and whilst delicious I'm sure, it would be good to see something a little more adventurous. Either way, we both strolled the 10 minutes to home in a state of foodie contentment.

A very friendly, unhurried and attentive service, all the way from the front door. Pleasant atmosphere, surprisingly so being near a busy road. Spacious layout in an actually pretty big place. Nice bar/lounge to try out too before the meal. Starters creative and delicious, especially pig's head; chicken wings a bit so so – although the greens on the side were excellent. Mains ok but a bit mixed – green sides and purees being the tastiest parts, along with the pretty good steak. Filled pasta ‘rolls,’ on the other hand, a bit soggy, greasy and missing flavour. Agnolotti a nice new experience, a bit heavy though. Bread excellent. Desserts very big – could share a portion between two (or just indulge) – and satisfying. Nice selection of cheeses a good alternative as the other options are pretty sweet. Only option seems to be to have three courses, even at lunch – so you will eat a lot given the large portions. Maybe worth choosing one or two dishes from the lighter end of the scale to be able to enjoy it all and feel good afterwards. Will try again in a couple of weeks to see how the mains have ‘matured’ – as it clearly has potential and offers very good value.