Diners left swearing as Ramsey’s eaterie gets 3,000 inquiries

CULINARY kings and queens were left staring dismally at their unused ladles this week. It seems every gourmand and novice chef must wait a little longer to taste the most raved about supper in town.

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey’s long-awaited restaurant has been booked out for days.

Bookings have even been made for next spring. Those looking to test their taste buds on the modest chef’s cuisine will have to wait until at least next week for a sitting.

When the restaurant opened its doors for the first time on Monday, all sittings were booked up until October 10. The floor-to-ceiling, glass-fronted premises attached to the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Powerscourt has received more than 3,000 inquiries about sittings from members of the public.

The €200 million hotel will be officially opened by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today, who may be lucky enough to tuck into some of the British chef’s much vaunted fare.

The Wicklow hotel has been inundated with requests to try some of Ramsey’s signature food at the 140-seater premises, which offers stunning views of the Sugar Loaf mountain.

The menu on offer includes lobster ravioli, fillets of john dory with crab and monkfish tail wrapped in prosciutto.

Other features at the restaurant include two private dining rooms and an opportunity to dine inside the kitchen at the chef’s table while watching Ramsey’s professional team at work.

Other dishes at the prestigious eatery include roast sea scallop with crisp pork belly and tagliolini carbonara and loin of Wicklow venison with pickled red cabbage, chocolate gnocchi and red wine sauce.

The British chef, as renowned for his swearing as his cooking, has appointed Paul Carroll as his chef de cuisine at Powerscourt, who worked for almost six years in London having started his career at the Clarence Hotel in Dublin.

Ramsey, famed for his fiery temper, visited Ireland in May to meet local producers of organic food, which he wanted to use in his menu.

Andrew Nasskau, general manager at the Ritz-Carlton, explained:

“We have received over 3,000 booking inquiries to date for Gordon Ramsey at Powerscourt, and we look forward to welcoming all of our guests.”

Two-course tasting lunches cost €35, while average three-course lunches cost €65.

A normal three-course dinner costs arbout €85.

lwww.ritzcarlton.com