Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road

Yesterday was my birthday. By way of a present and a celebration, my girlfriend took me to Gordon Ramsay's flagship restaurant on Royal Hospital Road.

It was incredible. Easily one of the best meal I have ever had.

I have longed to go there for years. To me it represents the pinnacle of modern British cooking. The best it can get... And then a bit better.

It didn't disappoint. It surpassed even my wildest dreams.

The food was unparalleled. Flavours, textures, aromas, appearances and even temperatures were subtly and expertly combined to yield mind-blowing results. Everything was done with a forensic attention to detail from the initial amuse buche to to final mouthful. The only word I can think of to describe it is perfect and even that doesn't really do it justice.

The staff were amazing too. All of them were charm personified. There is an old joke about the more expensive a restaurant is, the more rude the waiting staff are. This couldn't be further from the truth. All were extremely good company providing good conversation and gentle banter to supplement the service. All were also clearly passionate about the food too; explaining the dishes perfectly (we were also very amused by one of the waiters who slipped from a French accent to his native Glaswegian when he got excited and passionate. It was nice to hear a voice from home!).

I must admit, I was nervous when my girlfriend told me where we were going. I thought the whole experience might be a bit stuffy and intimidating given the reputation of where we were going. Fortunately, I needn't have worried. The staff put us at our ease at once and ensured we had a wonderful night throughout. It can be summed up in one incident as the table was being set for dessert; my girlfriend and I were holding hands (as you do) and made to get out of the way. The waiter responded before we had managed to move, "Don't worry, a romantic moment is a romantic moment; the cutlery can move!"

What sealed the night as one of the best ever was the attention to detail. My girlfriend mentioned once, in passing, that it was my birthday. At the end of the meal the maitre d' came out bearing a fresh sorbet with a candle in. Once we had finished, he gave us a personal tour of the kitchen and introduced us to Claire Smyth (who I have admired for years). Getting in there and seeing the brigade in action was incredible. According to my girlfriend, my eyes looked like they were about to fall out of there sockets. Unfortunately an upshot of this was that the well chosen, eloquent words of praise and gratitude I had prepared on the way in completely deserted me and I barely managed to grunt out a sentence. It is one of the very rare occasions in my life where I have been totally and utterly speechless.
Think what you will of Gordon Ramsay (or his media persona at least), the man can't half run a restaurant. Royal Hospital Road has been bestowed with many accolades (not least three Michelin stars) and, in my opinion, richly deserves all of them and more. Last night was a truly sensational and magical experience. I'm still struggling slightly to comprehend it. If you get the chance to go, go. Go without hesitation. If you have something to celebrate; there's your excuse. If not, the one of the best dining experiences in the world should be cause enough for celebration.

JR