I ate at Gordon Ramsay’s ‘casually refined’ restaurant chain. My $90 dinner let me down, but lunch was a great value.

• During a trip to Boston, I ate at chef Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant Ramsay’s Kitchen twice.
• At dinner, my salad was delicious, my lobster roll was tasty but not perfect, and the side was OK.
• I thought my dinner was overpriced, but I loved my lunch the next day and felt it was a great value.

I grew up watching Gordon Ramsay yell at chefs for serving raw food on “Hell’s Kitchen” and judge dishes on “MasterChef.”

However, beyond the TV screen, the chef has built quite the global culinary empire, which now spans over 90 restaurants worldwide.

Recently, I gave one of them a try when I headed to Ramsay’s Kitchen in Boston. Described on its website as “casually refined,” the restaurant is basically designed to feel elevated while making fine dining more accessible to a wider audience.

During my trip, I ended up eating at Ramsay’s Kitchen twice — once for dinner and once for lunch. Here’s how it went.

Ramsay’s Kitchen is meant to be one of the chef’s more approachable concepts.

There are six Ramsay’s Kitchen locations in major cities throughout the US, including Las Vegas, St. Louis, and, of course, Boston.

This Ramsay’s Kitchen is the chef’s first — but not only —restaurant in Boston.

Immediately, I fell in love with the location on Boylston Street, in the heart of Back Bay. It’s a short walk from the Public Library, Prudential Center, and one of my favorite local chains, Tatte Bakery.

When I first stepped inside, I was impressed by the restaurant’s romantic-feeling interior.

I arrived on a Sunday evening, a few minutes before my 6:15 p.m. reservation, and was seated right away. There were some charming outdoor tables available, but I opted to sit inside.

I was happy with my choice, as the restaurant’s interior felt modern, with a cozy and inviting ambiance. I liked the wood tables, leafy plants, and artsy overhead lights.

The cream-colored chairs were especially comfortable, with supportive backrests that made it easy to sit back and relax. There were also half-moon booths, ideal for larger groups or more intimate gatherings.

I could easily see myself coming here for a romantic date night.

The menu offered elevated dishes, and the service was great.

Within minutes of sitting down, a server approached me and talked me through the menu. She highlighted some of the restaurant’s most popular options and provided helpful context about the more frequently ordered dishes.

For example, the beef Wellington is the fan-favorite, a signature dish offered across many Ramsay restaurants. Because we were in New England, she said, many visitors order the lobster roll.

Despite the restaurant’s more casual description, most dishes seemed elevated and a bit pricier than I expected, with mains ranging from a $26 chickpea tikka masala to a $90 bone-in ribeye.

I was able to order à la carte or from a three-course prix-fixe menu — for $105, I could get a starter (lobster bisque or steak tartare), beef Wellington, and a dessert (sticky toffee pudding or cheesecake).

Since I was dining alone, I was worried the pre-fixe deal might be a bit too much food. Instead, I ordered a salad, a side dish, and an entrée.

The harvest salad set high expectations for the rest of my meal.

To start, I ordered the harvest salad, which features mixed greens, Fuji apples, celery, goat cheese, and spiced Marcona almonds, all tossed in a grain-mustard vinaigrette.

I was immediately impressed by the distinctly autumnal flavors. It was like each ingredient evoked the feeling of fall.

The creamy goat cheese added richness, the spiced nuts brought an earthy depth, and the apples added just the right amount of sweetness, perfectly balancing the dish.

Though listed on the menu for $10, I was charged $8 for the dish, and it was listed as a “side” on the receipt. Either way, the portion size was generous, and I found it to be a great value. I would’ve happily spent more on it.

After this tasty starter, I was excited to continue my meal.

However, the side of potato gratin let me down.

Next, I tried my side, the truffle potato gratin, made with thinly sliced potatoes layered in truffle sauce and topped with melted mozzarella and chives.

At first bite, it was pleasant. The truffle flavor was subtle and not overpowering, and the mozzarella added a nice salty crispness on top.

However, I became less sure about the dish as I ate more of it.

The potatoes underneath, when eaten on their own, tasted bland and underseasoned to me. I think they needed more salt.

When I got a bite that included all the components, the dish was enjoyable — but then again, most things taste better with melted cheese.

For $15, I expected a dish that delivered flavor throughout, not one that required strategic layering to be satisfying.

For my entrée, I ordered the Connecticut-style lobster roll.

Since I was in New England, it felt only right to try a lobster roll. This one featured warm, butter-poached lobster served on a toasted brioche bun, topped with chives and paired with french fries.

The brioche was a standout — buttery, pillowy soft in the center, and perfectly crisp on the edges. Honestly, if I could order a dozen of these buns to take home, I would.

The lobster itself was juicy and buttery, with a nice hint of lemon, and the tail-end portions were especially tender and well-cooked.

However, other bites were slightly chewy.

That said, the biggest issue for me was the cost. I paid $46 for the lobster roll, which felt a bit steep. I’ve had lobster rolls I enjoyed just as much, if not more, for less.

This was good, but not something I’d order again at this price point.

I enjoyed my dinner, but I don’t think it was good enough to justify the cost.

The restaurant is beautiful, its location is convenient, and the service was excellent, but I’m not sure the value is all there for me.

The bill came out to $73, and after tipping just over 20%, I had spent $90 on my dinner for one. Honestly, the price felt too steep for how much I enjoyed the food.

If I’m spending nearly $100 on a side, salad, and entrée, I expect to be blown away. Instead, I just felt mildly satisfied.

Though my first meal seemed promising, by the end of it, I found myself wondering if chef Ramsay would approve.

Still, I wasn’t ready to give up on Ramsay’s Kitchen just yet. Though I wasn’t thrilled by my dinner, I returned two days later for lunch.

Fortunately, lunch left a much better taste in my mouth.

On my next visit, I ordered from the pre-fixe lunch menu and got lobster bisque and a double burger for $29. This time, I really liked everything I tried.

The tasty bisque had tender chunks of lobster, and the burger was juicy and packed with flavor. All in all, I was so impressed by the value of my meal.

It made me wish I’d just splurged on a prix-fixe dinner, too. The three-course one wasn’t much more than what I spent on a salad, side, and entrée anyway, and it might’ve given me a more well-rounded sampling of the menu.

Either way, my positive lunch experience redeemed Ramsay’s Kitchen in my book, though I don’t plan to reorder the lobster roll or potato gratin anytime soon.

Business Insider reached out to Gordon Ramsay Restaurants for comment.

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