Trying London's Most Famous Beef Wellington At Gordon Ramsay's The Savoy Grill
April 3, 2020
Traveling to London at the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak was extremely terrifying because we were told not to travel by our families. This was right before covid 19 was becoming very bad for Italy and starting spread throughout USA as well. My boyfriend and I made this plan to go to London in December, so we were very determined to go. We were also scared because Asians were being looked at in a negative way in France and some areas at the time in March, but my boyfriends friend who lives in the UK told us that people in London didnt really care. We saw some articles about xenophobia in France and how some Asian people were being beat up on the streets in Europe. I feel like we were more scared of these incidences than catching the Covid-19. Either way, we made it to LAX and absolutely no one was in line at the desks. i have never seen this before as Lax is a very busy airport.
There were a lot of people on our plane though (Norwegian air) riding with us. The man next to me made sure to wipe down his seat and everything around him, and never took off his mask. When we arrived in london, we did not wear a mask and neither did anyone at the time. Everything seemed normal, the streets were crowded around central London, and everybody was very nice to us. We tried to stay inside the hotel mostly, only going out for main activities and to eat. When we first arrived, we walked to this cute restaurant called flat iron where they served simple steaks and various beers. They had a cute cleaver and gave you a mini cleaver that you drop in a cup at the end for some free ice cream. The steak was delicious even though it was a bit salty and the salad was tasty as well. The meal tasted like an upgraded Tender Greens in LA, and the Gamma Ray beer that I tried was yummy even though i dont drink beer normally.
I loved how they gave you a popcorn as an appetizer and even had this cute whole section dedicated to popcorn. The salad was served in a cup and it looked like a little plant pot.
After our meal, we walked around Covent Garden and it was packed with people. They were selling antiques and some London souvenirs amongst restaurants and cafes. We also happened to walk into the Instagram famous pink car of London without even knowing. I took a photo with the car because it was pink, but our photographer who we met told us that the pink car is very famous around London and is seen around town.
The next night, we finally went to Gordon Ramsays restaurant called The Savoy in Covent Garden. It was inside a fancy hotel also called Savoy on the Strand. It is a 1920s themed restaurant serving Michelin star British cuisine. The vibe was very elegant and there werent that many people dining inside. The waiters were very friendly and pleasant to speak to, and the service was top par. The drinks we ordered were unique, such as the Marilyn Monroe which had egg whites and Gin.
We ordered the Wellington and since it took 45 minutes to prepare, we were trying out a few cocktails before. We had this rice cake type appetizer which was also good but I forgot the name of it unfortunately. When the famous British steak finally made its way to our table, we were very hungry and the steak looked perfect. It was nicely wrapped in an outer blanket of foie gras and duxelles, wrapped again in ham. The blanket was very unique and I never tried anything like that before, especially on a steak. The fillet steak was delicious and cooked to a medium rare perfection. It was amazing how it did not turn soggy as I imagined. I thought that it looked smaller than I pictured, but after eating the steak and the mashed potatoes, My stomach was very happy and full. I really enjoyed the famous English dish i always wanted to try when I traveled to London. I loved everything about the restaurant, servers, ambiance and food. I really recommend going here even though the meals are quite pricey.
My boyfriend and I were joking that maybe Ramsay was there yelling at his chefs lol. “This steak is undercooked!!” We also looked up beef wellington and its origin. Apparently the first duke of wellington, arthur wellesley had created the beef wellington. (What a tongue twister)
The restroom was so pretty too! They say Sketch has one of the prettiest restrooms but in my opinion, it is definitely the Savoy. I saw a girl taking a selfie in there already while walking in.
Walking back to the hotel from the Savoy, we saw some pretty stores and pubs in Covent Garden. Next time I will try to ride a double decker bus or a tube.
I didnt think london in march would be cold but it was definitely cold and windy! I will remember to bring a thicker coat next time. I give The Savoy a 9/10 and I definitely recommend the restaurant passing by Covent Garden!
