Gordon Ramsay's First Restaurant Helped Him Achieve This Milestone

Chef, restaurateur, writer, and TV personality Gordon Ramsay may be known as much for his fiery temper and spicy language as he is for his dishes. Many may know the often brash chef from his show "Hell's Kitchen" and the international fame he's garnered since it began airing in 2005. But Ramsay has been in the food industry for decades. He got his start long before the days of judging cooking competitions as a chef and worked at Aubergine in London in 1993 before opening his own restaurant, called Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in 1998 located in the affluent Chelsea area of London, according to Culinary Schools.

The launching of his restaurant was no doubt a huge personal success for Ramsay, but not long after he opened, he achieved coveted recognition in the food world. As noted on his website, shortly after it opened, Ramsay's namesake eatery received three-Michelin stars, which is the highest honor a restaurant can receive from the rating system.

To understand how significant this accolade is, you need to understand the Michelin star rating system first. If you're not familiar, according to Escoffier, a one-star means an establishment is "very good in its category," two stars deem a restaurant to have "excellent cooking, worth a detour," and three stars means diners can expect "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey."

With such high standards to become a three-Michelin star establishment, it's easy to see why getting it is a major accomplishment. Being awarded this honor is an incredible achievement, but maintaining it is not an easy feat. Although it is a global accolade, just over 130 restaurants in the U.S. currently have the prestigious three-Michelin star rating, per Michelin Guide. As noted on Ramsay's website, "Restaurant Gordon Ramsay is London's longest-running restaurant to hold this award, and Ramsay is one of only four chefs in the UK to maintain three stars." Pretty impressive.