Meet the chef: James Goodyear of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High
We sit down with the head chef of the highest restaurant in Europe
London is home to its fair share of skyscraper restaurants, all inviting guests to dine among the clouds. There’s a total of seven in The Shard – the tallest building in the UK – alone, while the Walkie Talkie and 110 Bishopsgate also boast unique dining experiences on their 40th floors. However, it was Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant group that broke records last year when it launched three eateries on the 60th floor of 22 Bishopsgate, elevated a whopping 269 metres above ground.
One of these is the aptly named Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High: a 12-seater chef’s table that now ranks as the UK’s highest restaurant. With such impressive surroundings and, of course, views, it was important that the food didn’t play second fiddle. Naturally, then, the team looked to James Goodyear.
Having now been in post for a full 12 months, Goodyear was no stranger to the culinary style and theatrics required at a chef’s table, having previously been executive chef and partner at Soho’s Evelyn’s Table. Also offering just 12 seats, which are often booked far in advance, he secured Evelyn’s Table not only that coveted Michelin star, but also a spot on the National Restaurant Awards’ top 100 list.
This, however, was just the latest in a string of starry successes. Having kickstarted his culinary career as a commis chef at two Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons under Raymond Blanc, where he worked for five years, Goodyear ventured to Europe where he spent the next two years learning from some of the best kitchens on the continent, including two Michelin-starred Restaurante Mugaritz in San Sebastian and Oslo’s three-star Maaemo Restaurant. A crucial member of the brigade that secured Maaemo Restaurant’s third star, Goodyear combined his knowledge of farming, having grown up in Warwickshire, with Nordic culinary traditions, such as foraging and traditional preservation techniques.
Nature, he says, has always been at the root of his cooking, but a classic French foundation underpins his style. At Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High, he blends the legacy of the original Royal Hospital Road restaurant with Nordic and Japanese influences to create dishes Isle of Skye scallops with pumpkin and nori, twice-baked cheese soufflé with truffle, hazelnut and honey, and 14-day aged Sladesdown Farm duck with Alsace bacon. We sit down to discuss Goodyear’s first year at the restaurant, his biggest lessons and where he eats in London.
My mum baking cakes for our birthdays and letting me lick the wooden spoon clean. The Victoria sponge mix was always my favourite, and I can still remember how sweet and comforting it tasted.
I staged at The Fat Duck in Bray which gave me my first real glimpse into the level of creativity and precision a kitchen could reach. I then went on to spend five formative years at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons training under Raymond Blanc and progressing through the brigade. That became the foundation of how I cook and think about food.
Working under Raymond Blanc was really inspiring. His passion for food pulls everyone around him into sharper focus. He pushes you to really taste, to understand why an ingredient matters and what makes it sing. At Le Manoir the fundamentals were drilled in with purpose and care, and it changed how I thought about cooking. Those years taught me discipline, respect for produce and the difference between simply making a dish and truly crafting one. I carry those lessons with me every day.
Mugaritz and Maaemo both felt very different from the UK. Each kitchen had its own culture and, with international teams, you heard different languages and saw different approaches to food and service which really opened my eyes to what those cultures bring. Maaemo had an intense focus on produce and purity of flavour and the Nordic mindset around seasonality and sustainability shaped every decision in the kitchen. There was a quiet discipline to the work that I really admired. London is still in its own league for drive and long days, although that is starting to soften in a positive way.
Evelyn’s Table was my first dedicated chef’s table and it was a very cool place to cook. Tucked under a pub in Soho, it had a relaxed energy with hip hop playing and guests right there at the counter. Until then I had mainly worked in more traditional environments, so it felt fresh and exciting with a whole new audience for my cooking. The freedom helped me find my own style and the visibility meant you were your own chef, talking to guests and cooking for them in real time. I loved that interaction and learned a lot from it.
When I was approached for the position, it was almost impossible to turn down. When Gordon Ramsay wants you, you go. It was a new concept derived by one of the most renowned fine dining restaurants in the world – Restaurant Gordon Ramsay – and set 60 floors up. The chance to help shape something so ambitious felt energising and I knew I had to be part of it.
Seasonality is a big influence. We work with the freshest ingredients and build dishes around what our suppliers have that week or even that day. There is also a sense of legacy. We consider which dishes from Restaurant Gordon Ramsay could translate to this space. Right now we have our own take on Gordon’s classic raviolis which has been a lot of fun to develop.
Perilla. I think it is so original and incredibly tasty. Ben Marks has been trained well and given the freedom to cook the food he wants to cook. You can taste that freedom. The vibe is relaxed and it just feels honest.
Gary Foulkes, who is consistently brilliant. I used to come to London and eat at The Square when he was there, and it was amazing.
My favourite dish right now is scallops with white beetroot. The beetroot is incredibly sweet at the moment and pairs beautifully. We will be changing it to a spring garnish over the next few weeks which is exciting. We are just waiting for the produce to come through and seeing what is good.
Visit gordonramsayrestaurants.com
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