I guess a 'superchef' brand is supposed to add to your experience of a restaurant, but I went to Maze ready to pick holes in the already crumbling Gordon Ramsay image.

His fastidious attention to detail and kitchen genius have got a bit muddied by the aggressive, adulterous swearaholic who's permanently available on high-EPG TV channels.

My supercritical antennae twitched at the entrance. Slightly surly staff, cramped little lobby. They twitched again at the glass case full of Gordon's books. But the bar area's stunning and the atmosphere as you walk in is just right.

We had a table near the back and were greeted by attentive staff. "Have you been to Maze before? This is a tasting restaurant ..." One of my dining partners murmered "Harvester" and received a chilly glance from the waitress.

We were skillfully guided to the £60 six-course tasting menu. There are a few either-or choices, but you're pretty much all having the same thing. I won't bore you with the details, suffice to say it was delicious. The only mis-step was the chocolate pudding which I found a bit over-sweet.

Surely 8 or 9 out of 10 then? Well ... there was just something not quite right. Maybe it was my Gordon problem, or maybe it was the set format of the tasting menu. I somehow felt we were a small part of Gordon's great money-making machine. A kind of super-Harvester where the format thins the individual dining experience.

The staff are attentive, the decor is classic up-market modern London restaurant, the food is excellent. But the sum of the parts was not a truly great dining experience.

The four of us spent £90 each for the tasting menu, 2 bottles of wine and digestif. Money well spent but I won't rush back.