Gordon Ramsay’s Warrington

93 Warrington Crescent, London, W9


For those who may know him, as I didn’t not so long time ago, Gordon Ramsay is one of the most famous British cooks, and, by a long way, the fouler mouthed one of all. At the end of the day he is not famous because of his several -many- Michelin awarded restaurants, or because his several pubs, each even better than the previous one. What he is better known for, and in that he wins hands down every other cook, is because of the incredible way he swears in every single TV program he presents, and he has presented several. Hell’s Kitchen -a contest like Big Brother, but with young cooks hosting a restaurant in Brick Lane- or Kitchen Nightmares – where Gordon’s visits a desperate restaurant losing money and manages the recovery and resurrection of it- are my favourite ones, mainly the former. One of his mightiest moments, here with this petulant French Chef:



Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I met my friend Rima and we decided which pub to go, in Maida Vale -North West London, really close to Paddington. This area, where by the way one of my favourite friends used to live five years ago, is a pretty good example of how the best and the worse and dodgiest areas in London are divided just by a single street. As is, the posh side of street has several –not too many, though- pubs where you may enjoy an overprized pint, and the rough other side is just fried-chicken-opolis and kebapopolis. After a while walking, we decided that the posh option was quite better under the present circumstances and we entered in the Warrington.

How to summarize it? Well, quite easy: just the most beautiful pub I’ve been in London yet. Definitely not the most charming one, and very likely not the most surprising or impressing, but if it is beauty what we are talking about… well, this is the place.

The main characteristic of the place is its incredible Victorian decoration, with a great fireplace, a marble rounded bar, marble columns and crafted wood all over the place. The best of all, though, is that it is really a very comfy place to drink in, and indeed a very warm one. Patrons are just middle class, not the too upper class you may expect in a place like this, and the lack of music –otherwise it wouldn’t be a proper British pub- is really concealed by all the simultaneous and friendly conversations that take place around.

About the drinks? Not pricey, I have to say. Around 3 pounds per drink, so expect Central London prices in the Warrington… what is somehow logic, as you are still in Zone 1 and in a particularly expensive area. They have four five real ales, plus Guinness, London Pride and Fosters. It was a real pity no Carling was served, as the real excuse to meet again with Rima was sharing some of those, but you cannot have everything in life, however hard you try.

And about food… well, this is a Gordon Ramsay’s pub. So even as they are not so stupidly high as in the restaurant in the first floor, the pub food is still too overprized and, even while I will not justify the quality of it, I’m not the one to pay 6 pounds for some ham and cheese in bread.
So forget about the food, get a pint of Pride, sit down in a table, if possible close to the chimney, and forget about everything else. A great experience.