I have mentioned in a previous blog that Heddon Street, London W1, just off Regent Street, was the location for the photo-shoot that provided the cover for David Bowie’s legendary album of 1972, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Well, there you go – I’ve gone and mentioned it again. Approaching 50 years later, the southern end of Heddon Street is occupied by Gordon’s Ramsay’s eponymous Kitchen, as shown below, offering outside dining only until we reach May 17, when we can again eat indoors. I was there last month, April, which is springtime. The weather seemed to think it was still winter.

Situated in a smart pedestrian-only street, this Gordon Ramsay establishment is very much at home in what is basically a thoroughfare of restaurants

We had a table outside, on the street, as opposed to one under the heaters. The two people immediately ahead of us in the queue were given one of the sheltered tables but, for some reason, they left after two minutes (nothing on the menu they liked?), by which point we had a table out in the cold and two other people had one in the warm. At least I felt prepared enough clothes-wise, unlike the poor young woman opposite who was dressed like she was off to a summer garden party. In all the circumstances, my choice of the dry-aged beef burger with Monterey Jack cheese was both inspired and suitable.

This starter course of spicy tuna tartare with wonton crisps and creme fraiche was the perfect way to get lunch underway

The burger came with triple-cooked chips, which were also on the menu at Julie’s in Holland Park, London W11. There I enjoyed them with grilled Tiger Prawns, chilli and garlic butter. Yum. Dominic’s chicken caesar salad looked better than average, too. I didn’t go for dessert (Dom did), which was in part because I had found the sourdough bread and nocellara olives way too irresistible.

So the upshot was that I had triple-cooked chips at a couple of meals that were probably too close together to be comfortable from a health perspective

Julie’s has quite a hedonistic reputation of its own; and also something of a rock-star heritage. Mick Jagger and Tina Turner have been habitués in the past, a past which dates back to 1969. I thought the image from the restaurant’s website, shown on the home page, was rather evocative of that age and the “distinctive decadent style” which Julie’s joyfully embodies.

After getting an idea of the external view of Julie’s from the image on the home page, this shows you the view looking out…a very agreeable neighbourhood for a very agreeable neighbourhood restaurant

After being closed since 2015 and failing to reopen on more than one subsequent occasion due to planning problems, Julie’s re-emerged from its unwanted hibernation in autumn 2019. We all know what happened shortly after that! Covid-19 means that it will have to be later in 2021 that I can return to appreciate the “stunning refurbishment” that has been carried out inside. Which for sure I will be doing.

Robert Green