Hellish prices worth the splurge at Ramsay’s Maze restaurant

Although most first-years quickly learn to avoid Midtown Manhattan, Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant Maze at The London hotel presents a reason to brave tourists, expensive food, people haggling for money, and comedy show promoters.

The restaurant, located just off of the lobby of The London (151 W. 54th St.), has a sort of sophistication about it that makes diners forget that they are in a hotel restaurant. Simple white cloth covers the tables and the bar takes a prominent place in the restaurant, seizing center stage. Despite chef Ramsay’s celebrity status, this Midtown restaurant seems undiscovered. There are few hotel patrons dining in the main room at lunch time, allowing the customer to enjoy the meal without the interruption and overwhelming volume that characterizes so many similar establishments.

Ramsay has gained a sort of prestige in both the culinary and the television worlds as the star of “Hell’s Kitchen.” Although he plays a menacing and demanding chef on the show, his high standards have produced a high-quality dining experience at Maze.

Giving patrons ample time to survey the a la carte menu, a waiter arrives at the table. Selecting two dishes is advisable: Ordering only one item earns a look of scorn from this particular waiter, and will probably not be enough to fill the average college student.

The tortellini of beef short rib will most likely be some of the best pasta one ever eats. Arriving in a small portion, the tortellini has four pasta pieces with escarole, trompette royale, and dashi. But each bite tastes delectable. The dish’s simple presentation allows the diner to focus completely on the taste of the food and less on aesthetics. Diners will be tempted to eat the pasta in tiny bites, taking time to savor each morsel in order to prolong the experience of perfect pasta.

At the end of the meal, the waiter brings out a small tray with chocolate truffles, eliminating the need to order dessert. These miniature bonbons are rich enough to indulge any sweet tooth.

After paying the bill, the diner is welcome to stay longer in the dining room. You will leave The London reevaluating the preconceived idea that Midtown West is a place for tourists where class is forgotten. A trip into the heart of the city is well worth the effort when exquisite cuisine, conceived by Chef Gordon Ramsay himself, is so easily obtained.