Le Gavroche – culinary history
The Roux family has really had an impact on the English world of gastronomy, today also with one cousin as the Chef Patron for The Waterside Inn in the countryside of Bray and one cousin as the Chef Patron for Le Gavroche in central London.
Albert Roux founded Le Gavroche together with his brother Michel Roux in 1967 and since 1991 Albert's son Michel Roux Junior has had the baton. Michel Roux Junior gained a lot of experience in Paris, Lyon, Hong Kong and London before he took over the realm of Le Gavroche and he is today famous, with numerous television appearances on different BBC shows and even has his own magazine so nothing wrong with the marketing of the chef and the usage of his talents.
Le Gavroche is a traditional French luxury restaurant with some of the signature dishes originating from the late 1960's, like the Soufflé Suissesse that is a cheese soufflé cooked on double cream. The dish has been around for 44 years and it is always served at the beginning of the tasting menu called Menu Exceptionnel. Most of all contemporary cuisine is quite light and particularly when compared to the classic starter at Le Gavroche which is anything but easy for your stomach. It is delicious, but you can be almost full up on that dish alone. Michel Roux Junior's cuisine is a bit lighter and more modern compared to his father's and the signature dish langoustine and Hereford snails glazed in a light hollandaise sauce flavoured with Basque chilli pepper and parsley will be appreciated by your taste buds.
Head Sommelier David Galetti has a wonderful job being in charge of one of Britain's most amazing wine cellars with around 110,000 bottles. You can order in pretty much whatever when it comes to the best old world wines and the wine pairings are always impeccable.
The restaurant is located in one of the most posh districts of London and the large basement room used as the dining room feels like a snug British men's club which seems to be ideal for the majority of the older male customers. Le Gavroche has around 70 percent regulars for lunch and 30 percent regulars for dinner and that is something few other restaurants can match. The regulars are faithful to the restaurant, but unfortunately the side effect is that the menu is not changed too much annually and the flavours and texture can, for younger guests, feel as if they have passed expiration date.
Le Gavroche is without hesitation the most French classic restaurant you can find in central London when it comes to the cuisine even if there are many other French alternatives in London as well. wbpstars.com have received a mixed bag of criticism concerning the restaurant, where some can not stand it due to its hardcore traditional and strict style and where others love it just for that and for keeping on to its classic dishes. You have to make the final call, but the quality of the food is impeccable so do not look any further if you are just after that.
Le Gavroche scored 80 points of 100 points in our rating system. View our Top 60 of the world. Back to the reviews.
London W1K 7QR
www.le-gavroche.co.uk
Image of Chef Patron Michel Roux Jr: Courtesy Le Gavroche