I guess everyone has to eat, even in a recession. When the light appears at the end of the tunnel, though, appetites get bigger ... and more discriminating. In London, upscale eateries are seeing the investment banking crowd come back, and the wine is once again flowing. The cities top chefs are still worried about what will happen after Christmas, but for now, they're happy to see their creations gobbled up by the city's financial sector.

Marcus Wareing has had what he calls "a fabulous year." The waiting list keeps getting longer, and he says, "There's a good vibe." Tristan Welch's Launceston Place is seeing more wine flow, and demand is picking up. Pearl's Jun Tanaka remains cautious, "We'll really know in the first quarter 2010 if business has returned ... I don't know if it's a trend or a hiccup."

Across the city, there's a mix of optimism and trepidation. Le Gavroche, Wahaca and Le Café Anglais, for example, offer some variation of "Business is good" or "Business is booming, and Gordon Ramsay tells Bloomberg News, "There's an increasing air of confidence, which has been particularly apparent since the beginning of September." Michelle McGuire of The Palm said the restaurant had its busiest week three weeks ago since its opening in May, "with record takings." Sam Hart, of Fino, Barrafino and Quo Vadis, on the other hand, calls the improvement "fragile."

Nonetheless, this is a far cry from the angst that characterized the fine dining world a year ago. When people start to eat well, you know that things are turning for the better.

It may be better to be a Gordon Ramsay protege than to be Ramsay himself. Consider the results of the latest "Harden's London Restaurants 2010" guide, two of the choicest categories, best new restaurant and best overall restaurant are headed up by Ramsay-related chefs. The best newcomer is Murano in London's Mayfair area. It is run by Angela Hartnett, who has been part of the Ramsay stable for years, first launching Gordon Ramsay's Amaryllis in Scotland in 2001, then Verre by Gordon Ramsay in Dubai and Menu and The Grill Room at The Connaught in 2002. She also starred with Ramsay in ITV's 'Hell's Kitchen'. Murano is part of the Gordon Ramsay group and serves hearty fare with an Italian slant. The best overall restaurant title went to former Ramsay protege Marcus Wareing whose restaurant Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley proves that Wareing is doing just find since splitting from Ramsay last year to open up his own restaurant.

Meanwhile, what restaurant garnered the top slot for being most overpriced? That would be Restaurant Gordon Ramsay which also took the number four slot for most disappointing cooking. Several other Ramsay properties appeared in the more negative categories. The full list is available at the Harden's website.

[via Bloomberg]

It certainly hasn't been the best year for either Heston Blumenthal or Gordon Ramsay, two of England's most famous chefs. Blumenthal endured a food poisoning scare that shut down his famed Fat Duck restaurant and Ramsay flirted with bankruptcy. But now both chefs have some good news to celebrate: they were voted the two best chefs in UK according to the Good Food Guide. Blumenthal took the top slot earning ten out of ten points for the second year in a row for his Fat Duck restaurant. Ramsay was given nine points for his Restaurant Gordon Ramsay on Royal Hospital Road, in Chelsea, London also the same rating as last year. No other chefs scored as high.

Reality television shows can make a career, they can also be a huge distraction. Responding to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, Gawker called celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, "the Donald Trump of Food," a phrase that could be taken as a compliment or a slur depending on how you look at it. One thing is certain is that Ramsay has had a rough time of it lately. Earlier this year when describing the news that his accountants wanted to put his business into administration and that he owed more than £7 million he called it "the worst bollocking ever" and told the London Times it was "the worst year of my life." Now in an interview with the Wall Street Journal he is similarly gloomy saying that he had "his own personal nightmare" a phrase no doubt co-opted from the many writers who've used phrases from his televisions shows "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares" to make puns about Ramsay's current financial state. In the fallout from the tumbling of his financial empire Ramsay has sold his restaurants in Los Angeles and Paris back to the hotels they are in and has left Prague behind. Rasmay says he has fired around 15 percent of the staff and is using cheaper cuts of meat. The Wall Street Journal article says that Ramsay earns around £10 million in annual revenue from television, publishing and endorsement contracts (he has published many cookbooks and has lines of kitchen and dining goods) and has put around £12 million of his media earnings into his restaurant empire.

Is Ramsay just a high-profile victim of the downturn in the restaurant world? The troubles of Ramsay seem particularly intriguing since many chefs with television careers seem to be doing okay (Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse spring immediately to mind). These days part of being a top chef includes a book or two, restaurants in multiple locations and, if not your own television show, at least a gig or two as a guest judge on a cooking competition or a slot on a morning show. So what makes Ramsay different? Is it the global expanse of his network which includes restaurants all around the world? Is it the sheer size of his empire with over one thousand employees spread out? Or is it something else. I think in many ways the expectations for Ramsay's cuisine are higher than those of the other telegenic chefs? After all, Ramsay isn't just a chef, he is a Michelin-starred chef, a designation that carries certain weight and expectations. It must also be noted that Ramsay hasn't exactly made a lot of friends in the restaurant world. He's had feuds with his old mentor Marco Pierre White, another celebrity chef Mario Batali, and his former protege Marcus Wareing. His crotchetiness isn't just a television stunt, a marathon runner and former soccer player, he's deeply competitive and it may be that desire to be the best that led him to overextend himself in the first place. He also may have lacked a firm restraining hand in the form of a business partner. Ramsay owns 69 percent of his company while his father-in-law is the chief executive of Gordon Ramsay Holdings and owns the other 31 percent.

Over at our sister blog, Daily Finance, Alex Salkever questions Ramsay's future and if he will file for bankruptcy? I think Ramsay's actually on the path to recovery. He's focusing on what he knows, opening a new version of Petrus restaurant in the Belgravia area of London that will serve the modern French fare that got him into the spotlight in the first place. And when he expands into other areas he's now doing so through agreements where he sells off his name, menu advice and expertise. By switching some of his restaurants to being licensed establishments rather than enterprises wholly owned by his company he may have lost some control but he's gained more cash and cut his total risk. In the Wall Street Journal interview Ramsay says that he's learned a lot about business in the past year. If he can surrender his ego a bit and learn his lessons then he may be in good shape for the future. If not? Well, Hell's Kitchen just got renewed for another season in the U.S. so he has that to fall back on.

Gordon Ramsay may have just come off the worst year of his life but that doesn't mean he is giving up on opening restaurants. He will be opening a new version of Petrus restaurant in the Belgravia area of London in September. His new place will be rather close to Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley where his former friend and protege who ran Petrus at London's Berkeley Hotel has set up shop. Wareing has two Michelin stars for Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley.

Ramsay is hoping to bring new fame to the Petrus name, one of his known marquee brands. "Petrus is a cornerstone of the group and this stunning new site is the beginning of the next chapter in the life of this restaurant," Ramsay said in an e-mailed statement seen on Bloomberg. The restaurant will serve modern French food like fillet of Angus beef with Swiss chard, wild mushrooms and red-wine sauce and baked line-caught sea bass with confit fennel and caviar sauce, a menu that Wareing called "familiar Gordon food" in a telephone interview quoted in the Bloomberg article.

Wareing says he wishes Ramsay the best of luck. The two have a long history, Ramsay was best man at Wareing's wedding and he helped finance the original Petrus for Wareing but last year Wareing resigned from Gordon Ramsay Holdings. It also bears noting that Jean-Philippe Susilovic,Wareing's maitre d' for five years, will be director of the new restaurant. I'm guessing more volleys will be traded back in forth once Ramsay's Petrus is closer to opening.

An article in the London Times has celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay finally speaking out on his financial troubles. Ramsay, never one to mince words, called the news that his accountants wanted to put his business into administration and that he owed more than £7 million "the worst bollocking ever." In January auditors from KPMG found that Gordon Ramsay Holdings was losing millions and they wanted to take control of Ramsay's restaurant empire.

Ramsay admits now that he expanded too quickly opening 10 restaurants in 10 months last year. At the height of the crisis he considered selling up to 20% of the company and his £6 million London home. He did end up selling his Ferrari and managed to right the company by firing some staff, selling some restaurants and he and his business partner Chris Hutcheson, his father-in-law put £5 million of their own money into the business. Ramsay is hoping that KPMG will give his company a clean bill of health, finally putting an end to what he terms "the worst year of my life." Sounds like a true kitchen nightmare.

Ramsay wasn't the only British celebrity chef to have a bad year. Antony Worrall Thompson's company AWT Restaurants Ltd. went into administration in February 2009. Last fall Tom Aikens one of London's handsome and temperamental Michelin starred chefs ran into trouble when he could not pay his suppliers. Ramsay seems to have avoided their fate for now and perhaps his recent humbling will help shift his focus from the fame and back to the food.

Gordon Ramsay is putting his name on a wine for the first time. That in and of itself isn't particularly startling but what is interesting is that the wine is inexpensive and Ramsay lent his name for free. Decanter reports that Ramsay has let Château Bauduc, in Entre Deux Mers, Bordeaux brand their wines with the words 'Gordon Ramsay Selection' across four different labels the Ramsay Rose 08, Ramsay Blanc 2008, Ramsay Clos Quinze and Ramsay Les Trois. In the latest edition of Château Bauduc's newsletter Ramsay says: "My sommeliers swear by Bauduc, even if the accountants swear every time someone orders a bottle instead of Chablis or Pétrus" A 12 bottle collection with two dry whites, a red and a rosé sells for £99.90.

Last week we learned that celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay had sold his restaurants in West Hollywood and Prague, now the Telegraph says that Ramsay is set to sell his restaurant in France. Like the West Hollywood restaurant, Gordon Ramsay au Trianon opened just last year with the usual Ramsay mixture of fanfare and braggadocio. Ramsay promised the French he would bring the best of British cuisine to their country.

The ten-table restaurant, which earned two Michelin stars, will be owned by the Trianon Palace Hotel in Versailles. As with the West Hollywood restaurant, Ramsay's name stays on the door and he will still be participating in menu development and other creative decisions. There have been many rumors about the potential fragility of the financial state of affairs at Gordon Ramsay Holdings, Ramsay's company. Perhaps these sales will help Ramsay's empire gain firmer footing.

In the picture above, taken last June, Gordon Ramsay in his chef whites checks out the goings on in his new Los Angeles restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood. Now news comes that Ramsay has sold the restaurant to LXR Luxury Resorts, owner of The London West Hollywood hotel. The name won't change because Ramsay still reportedly retains "creative control" even though he has rarely made an appearance at the high-profile restaurant.

The Daily Mail also reports that Ramsay sold his restaurant in Prague, Maze at the Hilton, back to the hotel. His restaurant La Noisette at London's Jumeirah Carlton Tower Hotel recently closed and his contract to run the restaurant at London's Connaught Hotel ended last year. The move comes as Ramsay and his father-in-law promised to use their own money to prop up Gordon Ramsay Holdings.

The chef de cuisine at Gordon Ramsay at The London West Hollywood, Andy Cook, who also worked for Ramsay in London and Tokyo tells the LA Times Daily Dish that nothing has changed in the day-to-day operations of the restaurant and that diners won't notice a difference. He says the restaurant is still pursuing a goal of achieving three Michelin stars.

In April One&Only Resorts will open their latest luxury property, One&Only Cape Town in South Africa, defying the downturn with aplomb. The lavish 131 room retreat features two marquee celebrity chef restaurants, Gordon Ramsay's maze and the first African outpost of Nobu, in addition to a 6,000 bottle tri-level wine loft boasting the largest collection of South African vintages in the world. Situated on the stunning Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, the resort's rooms have views of Table Mountain, a 13,000-square-foot exclusive spa island. To celebrate the opening, the hotel has partnered with South Africa's premier luxury safari lodge, Singita Game Reserves in the Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park, to offer an exclusive travel package including luxe upgrades through the end of September.

Fiery chef Gordon Ramsay may have expanded too quickly for his own good. In addition to having books, television shows and appearances, Ramsay also has a global restaurant empire to manage. But The Mirror reports that bookings at his restaurants are down and some are saying he's been spending too much time in the spotlight and not enough in the kitchen. A former manager says that Ramsay's is too overextended to keep a close eye on his properties.

It has been claimed that a £10million loan to Gordon Ramsay Holdings is being called in by the troubled Royal Bank of Scotland and Ramsay may have to use some of his own money to prop up the company.

The Mirror called some of Ramsay's restaurants and found that you could book a same day table at them, a bad sign for considering Ramsay reservations were once some of the hardest tables to get. A spokesman for Gordon Ramsay Holdings says all is well and that customers can often get a table if they phone on the day because of last minute cancellations.

Luxe sushi empire Nobu, backed by Robert De Niro, plans to open an eatery in Doha, Qatar's capital city. Planning is in the early stages and the exact location is unknown, but the odds-on favorite is the landmark Four Seasons Doha in West Bay on the Arabian Gulf, the Qatari Penisula reports. This will be Nobu's second Middle Eastern outpost, following the branch at the newly-opened Atlantis in Dubai's Palm Jumeirah. Qatar, which has the highest per capita income in the world, is also the site of upcoming restaurants from famed chefs Gordon Ramsay and Jean-Georges Vongerichten, part of the country's growing luxeification. Nobu currently has has 21 restaurants in 16 cities around the world.

The final and most luxurious phase of the chic The London NYC hotel's major renovation was completed with the recent opening of its duplex Penthouse suite. The 2,500 sq.-ft. spread is located on the hotel's 53rd and 54th floors, making it the highest hotel suite in New York City, according to the company. The $15,000 per night pricetag for the space, which boasts plush living areas showcasing modern design and a luxe marble bathroom, also includes the following amenities: daily afternoon tea; a bottle of vintage champagne; an evening at The Chef's Table , located in the inner sanctum of the hotel's Gordon Ramsay restaurant for an eight course tasting menu; and access to a personal concierge and a private car and driver daily. See the gallery for more.

The legendary Trianon Palace hotel and spa in Versailles, France where the likes of Marcel Proust, René Lacoste and the Duke of Windsor once frolicked has just completed a breathtaking $30 million renovation. Situated just outside Paris less than a mile from Louis XIV's famed Château de Versailles, the 5-star luxury hotel's upgrades include a new wing, Gordon Ramsay's first restaurant in France, a refurbished Guerlain spa, revamped public spaces and glorious gardens. Noted interior designer Fiona Thompson, who oversaw renovations to the 199-room property, has managed to modernize the 1909 building without detracting from its historic magnificence.

Would you go to the airport just to eat at a restaurant? Airport food has been steadily getting better over the last few years with more and more middle-range restaurants working their way into airports but Gordon Ramsay Plane Food at Heathrow Airport seems a step beyond that. The Telegraph sent Jasper Gerard to check out the fare at the restaurant in the swanky new Terminal 5 in a review as heavy in plane metaphors as you might expect a review about an airport restaurant to be.

Gordon Ramsay Plane Food offers take-away food and promises to serve food fast for those who have to make a flight. It doesn't look like an airport restaurant with it's large windows and restrained decor. Gerrard seems pleased with the meal but raises the question that is on my mind too, who would get to the airport early enough to have a fine dining experience before boarding? Certainly it's unlikely that many will wade through the ridiculous security lines to eat in another Ramsay restaurant unless they have a flight but kudos to Ramsay for at least attempting to add a little elegance back to the world of flying.