Union Street Cafe

If any among you still doubt that David Beckham is an exceedingly smart cookie, members of the jury, allow me to submit the clinching evidence. A few weeks ago, the Daily Mirror recently reported, he withdrew as an investor in his chum Gordon Ramsay’s Union Street Café, which opened in Southwark on Monday. The Mirror did not explain why, revealing only that the two men ‘wanted different things’. We could speculate for hours about what that means, but let me posit this theory: Beckham wanted a really good restaurant and Ramsay wanted something else. This is not to suggest he wanted a really bad restaurant. Eccentric as his psycho shtick may make him appear, he is not clinically insane, and this newbie, his 10th in Britain, is far from atrocious. It would be more endearing, or at least more memorable if it were. What makes it so irksome is the so-what-ishness of this rather brand-new restaurant.

Here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to close my eyes, stick my fingers in my ears and pretend I don’t know that this big, new, shiny restaurant in Southwark has anything to do with Gordon Ramsay. Otherwise, it’s impossible to approach without being blind-sided by the baggage trailing in his wake. He’s the tallest of poppies, our Gordon; everybody lining up to give him a trampling. So let’s make believe that Union Street Cafe is brought to us by nice, anonymous people intent on giving us fine food and a good time. You in? This is Big Sweary’s first opening without his eminence grise pa-in-law, with whom he fell out in spectacular, Greek tragedian fashion. Sorry, I’ll try again: it’s all cheery bustle in this high-windowed and handsome room, no high-end warehouse chic, framing well-spaced tables and designer leather chairs. The open kitchen is set on high, pulpit-style; inside is chef Davide Degiovanni, formerly of the Four Seasons. It’s a telling piece of recruitment: despite the warehouse disguise, this is not about the grunge.

Union Street Cafe is not a cafe and isn’t strictly in Union Street (see address below) but it’s certainly the most talked-about and ‘in’ new restaurant for the autumn. This, you’ll doubtless know, is because it was rumoured that its owner, David Beckham, the former footballer who once had a trial with Rangers, was going into partnership with Gordon Ramsay, the well-known foodie. Why this macho convergence would have made for an ideal restaurant, is hard to fathom. Have we got a picture in our heads of Victoria in a lace pinny, sulkily announcing the daily specials? No? Just me, then. But it doesn’t matter now, because Beckham chose not to invest any dosh. So the USC is just a new Gordon Ramsay joint, in a funny part of town. Great Suffolk Street isn’t hopelessly grotty, just a bit down-at-heel. It, and Union Street which it bisects, are in the heart of Southwark, the raffish heart of Old South London that’s now so trendy, bounded by Tate Modern, Borough Market, Guy’s Hospital and the London Dungeon. I think it appealed to Gordon because it’s London’s version of Brooklyn; edgy, but without the West End’s gleam and swagger. And there’s a famous Union Street in Brooklyn.

David Beckham pulled out at the last minute, but that hasn’t stopped a rush for tables at Gordon Ramsay’s new venture; and the fact that Union Street Cafe is doing brisk trade, proves that Ramsay himself retains impressive pulling power. With its casual urban setting and emphasis on Italian cooking, this venue marks a welcome departure for the megastar chef, who has drafted in Davide Degiovanni to head up the kitchen. Expect small portions of accomplished, ingredients-led dishes, ranging from intensely flavoured tagliolini with rabbit and provolone, or lamb cutlets with baked fennel and onion, to Amaretto and chocolate budino, a deliriously rich, custardy dolce. Switched-on young staff in casual garb are a good fit for the restaurant’s warehouse-chic theme and there are cocktails aplenty in the basement bar. 'I absolutely loved the whole package,' said one fan.