Le Gavroche

I was heading towards west end in a taxi for dinner after 9:30 pm, when I spotted the name, I thought it was a basic high end French restaurant, stopped the taxi to find out if he accommodate us.
They did,
The service was excellent, I had the veal entrée, followed by a cheese plate.
They have big selection of wines by the glass.
Definitely recommend.

Truly one of my best experiences at a deservedly three (but only awarded two in recent times) star Michelin restaurant in London. Classical French cuisine at its best. We had the Tasting Menu and was truly delighted with every dish that was served up. Le Gavroche may have one of the best wine cellars in London with bottles ranging up to £20,000 but we can also have decent bottles of wines from £50. We selected the Gigondas 2011 from Rhone which went really well with the partridge main course.
Excellent service and Michel Roux Jr came round twice to say hello, which truly made our day.
An unforgettable evening made splendid by the warm welcome we received!

Been coming here many many times since 1982 and it hasn’t changed much, thank god.
This is the restaurant that brought great French food to the UK for the first time.
Been to Ducasses 3 star Dorchester Disaster recently and le Gavroche is a much much better restaurant in every way.
The fresh graduates of catering college employed by the MICHELIN guide have no clue about food, if they did great food would be common… The guide may have lost its way but LE Gavroche has stayed true.
Discrete understated décor and excelent service reliably wonderful food, the same experience every time. LE Gavroche is bliss.
If you are a vegan it will be wasted on you and if you really resent wearing a jacket don’t go.
But if you love food and wine you must go to this place.

Michelin Two-​Starred, Le Gavroche, London. This was the first restaurant in London to be awarded a three michelin star in 1982. However when Michael Roux Jr took over his father Albert Rouz restaurant he had asked the Michelin to revaluate the restaurant and they had awarded him with the two michelin star. Regardless of the Michelin star system Le Gavroche has considtently placed in restaurant’s top 50. Truely I had hard time understanding the overall theme of the meal and it just seem bit out of place. Nothing really made me satisfied and for me this is not very good. Because I don’t usually prefer certain style but when I feel some rhythm feels off, the chef or dish has been lost. Regardless I would not dine here ever again.

Yet another incredible evening at Le Gavroche, the cooking was excellent and it is so rare in London to find classical French cooking of such fine quality. But this restaurant is so much more than just the food, from the lovely vintage décor to the formal, but charming services, this is a full package to a time machine that takes you back to the 80s for a slice of gastronomic experiences that you can’t find elsewhere in London. Le Gavroche is truly special.

I have been to numerous michelin starred restaurants and this one is still at the top of my list. Chef Roux really puts a great deal of thought and effort to his dishes.
The restaurant was vintage but immaculate. Everything was placed perfectly. Staff were very professional but very friendly, so I felt very welcomed and did not feel out of place.
The food. OMG. Its like chef Roux knew me for a very long time. I ordered the tasting menu and from the first until the last course I was smiling with happiness.
To top the evening off– I got a picture with the chef himself ! and if you tell them its your birthday they give you an extra cake with candles and chocolate writings.
I don’t understand why this place is only rated 2*. Its a well deserved 3* restaurant !

The most disappointed Michelin restaurant I had. The meal is only available on the lower ground floor. I came over for dinner and chose the scallop, John Dory and soufflé. The taste of scallop is too light. It was just like the chef put all the source above the food instead of cooking it. On the other hand, the same problem with John Dory. Food just tastes like NORMAL and COMMON.

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! Me and my bf had such a great time here for many reasons. First and foremost the food was delicious, not a thing wrong with any of it. We had the wines to match each course for the tasting menu, which isn’t always a good idea if you’re a bit of a light weight like me, as you can find yourself distracted away from the food and i’m a bit disappointed in myself for not pacing myself a bit more! :P
The satff were great, really friendly and we had a good laugh with them through out the evening. Not at all stuck up as a lot of people may expect it to be.
Michelle Roux popped out of the kitchen on a number of occasions to say hi to guests and see if they were enjoying their meals! I ended up getting a pic with him at the table, think it was the Dutch courage as he i really respect him as a chef and never thought for a second I would ask!
It’s very romantic. A brilliant place for a lovely date, or a classy catch up with friends. I recommend it to everyone, you should go at least once!

Definitely one of the best meals I’ve had in my entire life! Everything we had was amazing from the lobster mousse with caviar starter to dessert. The foie gras was silky and smooth, the beef with bone marrow was incredible and all of the dishes were so beautiful to look at. We were hoping that this restaurant really was as good as the hype and we were not disappointed.

Possibly the biggest Unilocal let-​down of my life. I purposefully didn’t write this review immediately because I wanted to compare Le Gavroche to some other restaurants in London first. The problems began because the reservations lady misinformed me as to when they would stop serving the tasting menu. This was supposed to be our first and nicest dinner during our London trip, and I got into an argument with the snooty and obnoxious maitre d’ as to what had happened. They did end up serving us the food, but this made for a very unpleasant beginning to the evening, and I honestly felt bad for the other staff who was clearly embarrassed by the MD’s behavior.
I am only giving this three stars instead of two because of the extremely friendly and competent demeanor of some of the staff, such as the two female sommeliers and the young man in charge of the cheese tray and other matters. I say this because not only was the maitre d’ unpleasant, but the food was not up to snuff for a place of this caliber. Many of the dishes were boring and some over-​salted for my taste. I liked the seafood appetizer and various elements here and there, but when even your foie gras is mediocre, something is wrong.
I am really torn about writing this review because I suspect many staff members, including cooks, worked hard on our meal and had to deal with the aftermath of the reservation lady’s mistake and MD’s attitude. But at the end of the day, you can’t charge these prices unless your food is impeccable. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in London can pull it off, as can Bouley in NYC. These guys, not so much.

We came here as a special treat to celebrate my wife’s birthday. The whole experience makes you feel like a VIP — the location in Mayfair, the perfect attention to detail and impeccable service. When you are downstairs in the dining room surrounded by such luxury, it’s easy to forget about any stress in your life.
We each had a glass of Gosset champagne, which was delicious. We had a look through the wine «bible» and had some expert assistance from the sommelier who answered our queries on pomerot and the bordeaux region before recommending a very nice red wine (Lasseque 2004). At all points, you could ask anyone about aspects of the meal and they would know the answer.
We chose to order a la carte. I got the langoustines/​escargot as the entrée and the rabbit for the main. My wife got the duck tartare for her entrée and the veal for the main. All of these dishes were tasty, but some things about them were not up to 5-​star quality. I found the crunchy noodle part of my main made it difficult to eat without spilling it off my fork. Components were also very salty — it felt like eating cheese and onion crisps. My wife really enjoyed her main although, to her, the veal came out closer to medium-​well, rather than medium-​rare as she ordered. Some of the components of her entrée seemed like they didn’t fit, but the tartare itself was very good. Small points, to be sure, but you have a very high expectation when you come to a two-​michelin star restaurant.
I got the chocolate amedei mousse for dessert and my wife chose the chef’s tasting plate. Mine was very very chocolate, which was a decadent delight. My wife enjoyed all of the components of her plate and I was lucky to be able to sample all of them. Husband’s prerogative, I guess! (However, I silently screamed when I noticed that this dessert tasting plate was almost £40 on its own.)
I have to stress that the service was perfect and the staff really made the night enjoyable for us. It felt effortless on the part of the servers, but it shows that they really have the best people working there, who appear to enjoy what they do. The overall cost was just over £340, but I didn’t feel like we had overpaid.

Some of the best service I have ever encountered at any restaurant. Overall this place is amazing. The ambiance is not what you’d expect from a 2 star Michelin restaurant in terms of lavishness like in Las Vegas. Instead this place is all about the details. From the silverware, to the glasses, to cheese presentation. Everything here is 5 stars.
We did the tasting menu here and it was the only way to go. You’ll get to see what the world reclaimed chef can really do through the numerous courses. We also went with a half bottle of white, cointreau viognier, which AMAZING and a French Paulliac for dinner. The wine list here is vast and the somiller was more than happy to help us and keep us in reasonable price range.
This place is a special treat, don’t take it for granted.
You could also be like me and forget to wear a jacket (they are required), but don’t worry they will provide one for you with the a «La Gavroche» stitching on the front to insure that everyone will know that you were the rookie that forgot to wear one! oops!
I’ll be back!!!

I finally got to come back to Le Gavroche, again for a birthday. A big birthday, as befits a big bill, ahem, I mean, dining experience.
Five of us had the tasting menu and what can I say that hasn’t already been said? Everything was wonderful — a couple of us struggled with the snail dish, but not me, the unbelievable hollandaise that came with it was good enough to bathe in. In fact I hoovered up an extra snail.
A couple of warnings — beware the bread, and beware the cheese! We went nuts on the cheese trolley (that was all five of us yelling comte! simultanenously… it lived up to our high expectations) and I have NEVER been so full in my life. The dishes are small but deceptively rich. There are three sets of petit fours, and we had to take two home!
Our first bottle of white wasn’t knock-​your-​socks-​off, but the bottle of red the sommelier recommended was absolutely delicious — chocolate and pepper and everything she promised, and it went grandly with the venison.
There was only one teeny tiny (literally) thing we didn’t like — a teeny tiny radish that sat next to the foie gras parfait. It was so bitter it took your breath away. But the parfait and confit carrot (how do you confit a carrot?!) took your breath away for the other reason — it tasted amazing.
Seven stars… I wish I could eat here every day, though I would die of a heart attack very very quickly.
They even stuck a candle in my baba and wrote happy birthday in chocolate — what more could a girl want?

I came here for the famous Gavroche set lunch menu. Everything was very impressive — the service, the food, the silverware ;) haha. Michel Roux Jr. even came out to say hello to us, which was a pleasant surprise!
Classic french cuisine. Clientele was pretty old and stuffy (as was the interior decoration) but who else would you expect to be having a 3-​hour tasting lunch on a Wednesday?
The only thing preventing me from giving a 5 star rating is that none of the dishes really made a strong impression on me. Don’t get me wrong, the food was delicious and really very well executed, but I guess nothing was particularly inventive? Perhaps it is the nature of the lunch… I will have to find an opportunity to come back for the dinner tasting menu…

Outstanding. Everything from the food to the service was just top notch. And you would expect so cause you’re paying a fair bit for it. We had the tasting menu with matching wine and can honestly say that we were legless by the end of the night.
The food was amazing and that cheese cart… it was like I died and went to smelly heaven. AH-​MAZING!!!
My only gripe is the jacket dress policy for men. A bit unnecessary.

I would counsel only one warning about this place which is that if you do go with the tasting menu at least one of the courses won’t be any where near as good as the others …
I still order the tasting menu most of the time and one day I hope not to be reminded of my own rule about this place …

When I come back to London, I’ll make sure to book another reservation here at Le Gavroche.
On my visit here, I came in at 10pm since that was the only time alloted for 1 person. I wanted the «Menu Exceptionnel» and they were ok in giving me this 9 course meal especially this late at night. I paired that with the wine and it was perfect.
Although, it did feel that they had to rush me since it was obvious that the workers wanted to go home. But what can you do?
But anyways, regardless of what time your reservation is, go for the «Menu Exceptionnel» with the wine pairing.
Started off with the Cheese Soufflé cooked on Double Cream. My first bite gave me that shock and awe moment. I knew then that my experience here was going to be a great one.
The same goes for course 2 through 9. But I’m not going to write a dissertation on every course. But I did enjoy the cheese cart and yes, I got some macarons at the end.
The ambiance here is great. The paintings on the walls alone would make me come back. They even have a few prints by Picasso too. So you’re getting fine dining and some culture as well. And as a gift, you get to keep the really cool menu too. After all, it’s hard enough to hear the French/​British accent when they announce your meal to you throughout the evening so at least you now know what you ate throughout the evening.
Jackets are required, ties are optional. Make sure your credit card can handle tonight’s main event. Because remember, it’s in pounds, not dollars. And on your way out at the lobby, there is more free stuff you can get too including books and magazines.
Michelin 2 stars 2012.

Wow, it actually feels pretty intimidating to review Le Gavroche. Is my prose sufficiently eloquent to do justice to a restaurant which has led the way in London fine dining over the last 45 (yes, forty five) years.
From the outside, the restaurant looks like a (very) nice house and if you didn’t know what you were looking for you might miss it, especially in the day when it is not lit up.
The restaurant itself is partially underground which could feel a little claustrophobic. Instead it feels warm and relatively relaxed for a place where gentlemen are asked to wear a jacket. However, it is still pretty traditional. For example, in addition to needing to wear a jacket, if you come here (as a man) with a female date they won’t see the price of the dishes on the menu — that sharp intake of breath is reserved for men only! A bit quirky but quite fun if you don’t take it too seriously.
The food is why you come here. Classic French dishes delivered faultlessly. However wine lovers will have much to enjoy as well. A list which is bigger than many books awaits your perusal with expert guidance (thankfully) on hand to provide welcome recommendations if needed.
So, to the food. The stand out dish that I have had is the Soufflé Suissesse. This is a cheese soufflé which is baked with double cream. No doubt this is horrifically bad for the diner’s long term health. However, it tastes light and delicious. It is a dish that has stood the test of time, featuring on the a la carte menu for many many years. Almost all the food is served under cloches which results in some fab ‘ceremonial’ cloche lifting at the start of every course — super theatrical.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that although the a la carte menu is expensive, the midweek lunch menu represents excellent value and allows Le Gavroche to be experienced at a very reasonable cost (£51 per person including wine and coffee). You might even get to meet Michel Roux Jr!

Blew. me. away. Completely and utterly.
My husband and I were lucky enough to eat at Le Gavroche, courtesy of my dad who kindly bought some vouchers for my hubby’s birthday present (and of course, it was a birthday present for two!). It was the perfect meal.
From the moment we arrived, the service was impeccable (and not overbearing at all). The main dining floor is downstairs (which means really rubbish mobile reception, and consequently, no annoyingly loud phone conversations). Even the cutlery has been designed specially for Le Gavroche (cute little soldier and jester handles).
We had the tasting menu, which means you get to try 5 – 6 (or more, I sort of lost count…) dishes. The standout dish for me was langoustine and snail dish — really, really amazing. You have to taste it to believe it! The main course is a beef dish, which is served at the side of the table and placed very delicately and precisely onto your plate. (I’ve since been told that the signature dish is the chocolate fondant, which we didn’t have. And now I have the perfect excuse to come back! I hope my husband is reading this…)
I have to say, we were very starstruck. I spotted Michel Roux Jr coming in and out of the kitchen 3 – 4 times (but my husband kept missing him!). At the end of the meal, Michel Roux Jr himself, came round and personally spoke to every table — thanking them for coming, asking if they had enjoyed my meal, which was a lovely touch and completely made our evening. Unfortunately, like I said, we were very starstruck and could barely make out the words «It was a really yummy meal»… But we honestly meant every word!!!

Yes. Classic evening, everything is done seamlessly and the staff could not be more accommodating.
Be prepared to bring your black AmEx b/​c this level of culinarily lusciousness is not without its price, but if you’re in London and looking for an exquisite, yet also comfortable, dining experience, Le Gavroche will not disappoint.