Crab tempura at Heddon Street Kitchen

For all the years I’ve been dining out in London, I can’t believe I haven’t been to a Gordon Ramsay restaurant until now. In fact, Heddon Street Kitchen is one of the newest additions to the chef’s expanding empire, having opened in November 2014. Similar to Bread Street Kitchen in the city, the establishment is more relaxed and affordable than Ramsay’s other ventures.

The restaurant is spread across two floors with an outdoor terrace in the buzzy pedestrianised Heddon Street. We were shown to a booth in the 1st floor dining room, with its wooden bar, tiling and exposed ceiling pipes giving the venue a New York-loft feel. The menu offers European dishes with an Asian influence, with plenty of familiar favourites peppering the choices. We booked our table for the good value set menu deal, which came with a carafe of wine each.

For starters, I opted for the Tempura soft shell crab, served with coriander, sesame, yoghurt and watercress. It tasted pretty amazing – the mix of flavours and light batter really complemented the freshness of the crab. The presentation was good too, as I often find tempura can look a bit of a mess in other restaurants. My friend went for the Salmon Rilette with Avocado Mousse, which I had a taste of and was impressed. There was a generous helping of salmon for a starter so fans of the fish will be pleased.

Generous portion: Salmon Rilette with Avocado Mousse

Rigatoni with roasted pepper, ricotta and rocket

When it came to ordering my mains, I decided on the Rigatoni with roasted pepper, ricotta and rocket. It was quite nice, but the pasta was too al dente for my tastes. My companion fared better with the Roasted Hanger Steak with Spring Onion Mash and Peppercorn Sauce, which she said was succulent and tasty.

Finally, the reason I went off the set menu was the allure of the Chocolate fondant with salted caramel and amaretto ice cream. Fortunately it did not disappoint. As much as I love chocolate desserts, I often find them too rich and end up sharing them or leaving them unfinished. This time, it wasn’t an issue and I must confess I wanted to say ‘no’ when my friend asked for a bite! The fondant oozed gorgeous chocolate sauce and the ice cream served on a bed of salted caramel was sweet and more-ish. I have actually been back to Heddon Street Kitchen a second time since my visit and have again eaten the fondant. I actually sent my compliments to the chef via the waiter over the dessert which is very out of character for me, but that’s how much I enjoyed it.

Overall, we had a good experience. The starters and dessert were what made my meal for me. The service was friendly and attentive and the booths incredibly comfortable for us girls to have a catch-up over dinner and wine. I’ve already returned once and I expect I will do so again, if not only for the fondant!

• Heddon Street Kitchen, 3-9 Heddon Street, Mayfair, W1B 4BE. Nearest station: Piccadilly Circus or Oxford Circus. For more information and booking, visit the Heddon Street Kitchen website.

Indulgent: Chocolate fondant with salted caramel and amaretto ice cream

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