Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby

Reviews

• RR

  Ruby

  2 days ago
  3.0
  I made the reservation on the Open Table app. No issues there. It was 99 degrees the day we went and all they had was an outside table for my 5:15 pm reservation on a Sunday or the wait would’ve been over 45 minutes for an inside table with cool AC. We sat outside. The large umbrellas outside did not provide shade so we had the hot setting sun beaming directly on our faces and backs. The cottage pie had simple delicious flavor. As someone who loves salt, the fish and chips were far too salty. The bread rolls were standard. Pea guac was delicious and shrimp chips were average. The most shocking part for me was the service. The bill came out to $330 for 5 people. The server had an electric card scanner and said she could ring me up at the table. I asked if she could add a 15% tip. She had an immediate attitude, said she needed to go to the back to ring me up, came back to the table, abruptly left the receipt on the table and walked away. As a single mom who never eats out at fancy restaurants this was a very special experience for my family. We drove 6 hours to Disneyland and the Carnaby was our very first vacation meal. I also told them that my Mom’s birthday was coming up soon and all they say is happy birthday. No birthday freebies. I suppose 15% is not the best tip but the server let me sit outside in the heat for almost 15 minutes as she cleaned the table and helped other guests before bringing me the check. She DID NOT say thank you for coming or say goodbye. She gave me the receipt and walked off. Overall the restaurant itself is beautiful and all of the other staff were very friendly. Maybe the server was having a bad day but this was not the dining experience I hoped for.
• MC

  Michele Chan

  2 days ago
  1.0
  I agree with Michael in his review. This is just another big name cash grab. The only thing pleasant was the check-in and the atmosphere. Food and service fell beyond short. We were a party of 6 (with 1 infant). Service: It took an hour from the time we were seated to get our food. In the meantime, we were never checked on and had to flag the waiter down twice to check on the food and ask if they can at least bring out my child’s food first. My son had been really antsy waiting for his Mac and cheese. By the time it came, he ended up tiring himself out after a few bites and fell asleep. It is customary to at least serve the kids first! I guess it was a red flag seeing a family with their child sleeping as well, by the time the child woke up he was looking for his food. We had also witnessed a couple leaving after only being served water and were never acknowledged. Service was so slow, you might as well have a recording of Gordon Ramsey yelling at his staff in the background just for the gimmick. - the food. It was decent, however I do not think it was worth a hour wait given that the restaurant was not busy at all! We had ordered some wines, started off with the fried squid, a salad, and Parker rolls. For our entrees we had : 2 beef pies, fish and chips, the prime rib dinner, the beef wellington, and the kids Mac and cheese. I suggest skipping the appetizers. The salad is just a huge wedge. The fried squid is dry. The Parker Rolls were just very salty dinner rolls. Entrees: I personally never got to try the beef pies but it seemed good according to the others in my party. The fish and chips were okay. The beef Wellington is okay as well, my demi glacé was not rendered down enough. The prime rib had a slight sweetness which in my opinion is off putting. The creamed spinach was not at all creamy. My son’s food was a let down. I personally thought the mac and cheese is a bit funky for a child’s palate. I had asked for a side of fruit instead of fries. They seemed to be scraps? I did not serve it to him since the quality of the fruit looked questionable- they do not look fresh! I believe the fruit cup contained peaches but were oxidizing. The strawberries looked shriveled as well. My son had a spit up after eating some of his Mac and cheese. Please avoid this restaurant until the service improves.
• KB

  Karin Barrington

  6 days ago
  4.0
  The dining experience was fun because it was so different. The inside is pretty cute. The first thing you see when you are seated at your table is a large empty wine glass for every seat. Nothing screams, please drink wine more than having six large stemmed, huge wine glasses sitting on the table when you sit down. Then they have come and clear them all off. It’s odd. If I did drink wine, I’m not sure I’d want them to pour me a glass and a glass that’s been sitting and removed and replaced as a table decoration. Speaking of drinking, we just don’t do much of that anymore so I have to say their water was crystal clear excellent the best I’ve ever tasted in Southern California, California 😅 I had a Diet Coke. It was calibrated well lol and my daughter chose a nonalcoholic refreshing lemonade mash up. Fine, good. There’s way too much wait staff standing around watching us intently. So much so that when I went to take a bite of my skirt-steak that was on my salad and it was obviously tough. I had a waiter staring at me at the same time; ask me if I wanted him to cut my steak 😅 I was like no, I got this 💪🏼That exchange alone speaks for itself. I thought all of the food was on par except for the chicken wings. I love chicken wings, and I’ve had many in my life. These chicken wings are beautiful…. But they are not the same size and for that the big fatty that I ate was still slightly pink in the middle. I ate it anyway because it was hot and I pretty much know when chicken is safe to eat, but it sure is not appealing and if it were any more pink, I would not have eaten it. Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten it. I did say something to them in the restaurant. That has to change. The Wellington was fun. We’ve never had it. I found it really difficult to cut a bite off of. It’s a solid baseball steak with mushroom pate under the crust… I don’t get the appeal. But I know it tasted like it should so I can’t knock it too much? Apparently it’s not for everybody and my daughter who ordered it for her birthday loved it. My salad I already mentioned the skirt steak was slightly tough… that was an add-on… but it was delicious! The salad is much better tasting than it looks. There’s grapes and pears and nuts under the lettuce. It was a very tasty salad. The rolls were 9.8/10! Soft, oh soooo soft with butter 🤤 The star of the meal was the sticky toffee pudding! My husband and I did not think we would like it. Mostly because I hate dates… and I saw dates in the cake description and didn’t think I would like it and thought it was actually wonderful! Sticky, buttery delicious and the ice cream too; dessert was a 10.
• CS

  Chris S

  Sep 26, 2026
  5.0
  Honestly, this was one of the best restaurant experiences I’ve had in Orange County, so I’m kind of shocked to see The Carnaby sitting at only 3.8 stars as of today. First, I really loved the vibe and decor. The restaurant has a great atmosphere, and from the moment we walked in, the service was excellent. The host, servers, managers; everyone we interacted with was pleasant, attentive, and professional. The level of service actually reminded me of what I’ve experienced at Gordon Ramsay Steak in Las Vegas. The cocktails were fantastic. I started with the Tea & Whiskey, which was perfect. For round two, I had the Cucumber Mint & Lime Sorbet, which was also really good. Neither drink was overly sweet, and both were very refreshing. We ordered the Parker Rolls for the table, and they were amazing. So fresh, warm, and soft that it was almost unreal. For my entrée, I kept it simple and ordered the Bangers & Mash. When it first arrived, the presentation looked great, but for a second I wondered if I had made a mistake by ordering something so basic. Then I took the first bite. WOW. It was excellent. I also tried my dad’s Fish & Chips, which was really good as well. We finished with the Sticky Toffee Pudding, and if you’ve had Gordon Ramsay’s version before, you already know. It absolutely lives up to its reputation. Overall, we had a fantastic experience and I would definitely recommend The Carnaby. The only downside is that it is a little pricey. Our total was around $300 w/ gratuity for three adults and one 4-year-old, but considering the food, cocktails, atmosphere, and service, we really enjoyed our night and would absolutely come back.
• AK

  Angela Kim

  Sep 20, 2026
  3.0
  Overall, experience was good, not great. You are definitely paying for the name of “Gordon Ramsay”. We had reservations on a Saturday for my birthday at 5:45. The host stand is a bit disorganized and for the restaurant still being somewhat new, I’m surprised they didn’t have a manager to help guide the hosts and guests. Note*. - a reservation only guarantees a seat, you can request to sit inside but note that you can potentially wait another 30-1 hour after checking in. I did ask when I checked in for an inside table and had to wait longer, and got sat by 6:05. Service: server started out strong but I don’t know if she had tables on the other side of the restaurant because it seemed to be after we ordered, we barely saw her and it took awhile to request items. First thing I noticed when I sat were that wine and water glasses were not polished and had a lot of water stains. If I’m paying $20 minimum for a glass of wine, I expect polished glasses. Food: The Parker Rolls - amazing! They were fluffy and airy and light. My daughter had the kids chicken tenders and fries - the fries were super salty (at least the one I tried). Beef Wellington - not something I would usually eat but had to try it at least once. It was good for what it was. I don’t think I would order it again, but it was good. My husband had the Banger and Mash - super flavorful but he expected a bit more potatoes. Both our potatoes on the entree were cold, barely lukewarm. The server did bring us another side in a sizzling plate so it was piping hot and delicious, but it took awhile for us to tell her because she never checked on us once we got our food and was almost half way done. My second glass of wine also took while for her to bring out because again, it took awhile to order and then to bring out. Had to ask for water refills multiple times and that took awhile and so did ketchup refill for my daughter. It took her 2 trips from when I asked for her to bring it out. The sticky toffee pudding - delicious. The chocolate ice cream for the kids was almost a dark chocolate - so if you’re wanting it more sweet, it’s not. Luckily, my daughter likes dark chocolate. The host and server made a big deal about celebrating a birthday at the beginning but did nothing at the end, not even a little happy birthday note on the dessert. I’m a little surprised that the women’s restroom only has two stalls. So overall, experience was good, not great. I would go back and try other dishes. Their portions are huge so you can definitely share with someone else. Service was a bit slow. I did hear another server stating their table was waiting awhile for their entrees and if they could offer a dessert. I also kind of expect a little more than a microgreen salad that is essentially a garnish if I’m ordering a steak/meat entree, especially for the price.