After teasing that he’s going to look at a potential site right before his flight out of Dubai International, Ramsay says the second restaurant will have 60 to 70 seats and will be “something of a showcase”.
Returning to Bread Street, he describes the restaurant as East End of London meets Manhattan. The fit-out began in June 2015, just four months before the grand opening at the end of October, and Ramsay claims the logistics are extremely easy compared to his first outing.
He reveals: “Ten or 15 years ago, it [delivery] was every other day or twice a week, produce was sparse on the ground. We have a lot more varied ingredients now because we get produce three times a day. And that’s one of the big differences working with Kerzner — you get access to some unique ingredients. The logistics are so much easier than it was in 2001.”
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The team, which is led by head chef Cesar Bartolini, has more European staff than any other restaurant opened by the Gordon Ramsay Group, its leader reveals.
“Look at the success of La Petite Maison, Nobu, Qbara — that’s a localised phenomenon and we’re going to be on the same level. So the investment from our end is so much more substantial in order to get it right. And look at it, it’s absolutely gorgeous. So the stakes are high.” He adds that he’s keen to be as involved as possible with the new venue: “Dubai is what it is because of what’s happening locally, this culture is bloody foodie, way better than it ever was before. So coming up and label slapping, sticking your name above the door, and thinking you’ll get away with it once a year to turn up…”
And even though the restaurant is looking the way he wants it, with a team he approved of, and a menu he likes, Ramsay is a self-confessed perfectionist. “I’m never happy. I walked around this morning at 3:30am, tweaking things, there’s another session this afternoon, tweaking. Restaurants take three to four months to get the cogs turning. The problem is, when your name is Gordon Ramsay, everyone expects it [clicks fingers] from day one, so that’s the headache. So you have to live with that, and we will.”
Ramsay is also seen tweeting and responding to fans on social media like Twitter. Does he do it himself? “Yeah I’m very naughty, I do it myself,” he says, pooh-poohing the idea that anyone else controls that aspect of his life.
And then the media team says we’ve got one minute left before his next appointment, and I indicate we’re finished with the interview. “D***, we’re done,” he says with a smile.
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