Le Gavroche

Up the street from Claridges , on Brook st
Is probably the oldest , since Le Tante Claire - went under, Sadly.
And is still doing well after all these years - is probably the next best authentic French in London.
the brothers "Roux" own and operate.

They created BA Concorde menu's in hand with a well known sommelier.
The food and wines were exquisite !

Overall a very enjoyable meal, though not quite as special as I would have liked for a 2 michelin starred restaurant. We got the Menu Exceptionnel (the tasting menu).

FOOD - 4 stars
- Cheese souffle was somehow decadent yet light. I don't understand how they did it but it was delicious.
- Salmon course had perfectly cooked salmon. The most tender cooked salmon I've ever had. Absolutely delightful.
- The cheese cart was amazing. Incredible selection is all I can really say.
- The other courses were less special though still tasty.

AMBIANCE / SERVICE - 5 stars - About what I'd expect from a 2 michelin starred restaurant. We were a little full at the end of the meal so the staff very kindly served us just the sorbet and packed the rest of the dessert and petit fours into togo boxes for us with detailed instructions on how to best enjoy them the next day.

OVERALL - 4 stars

No doubt they deserve the accolades. Servers were attentive, professional and discrete. The dining room is a beautiful space. The food and wine list are of legend. We had the soufflé - felt obliged as it is the signature (and we had seen Michel prepare it on 'My Best Dishes'). It was light and sumptuous at the same time - and deliciously complex. My wife had the mushroom ravioli - it wasn't bad, but paled in comparison. Lamb and Veal for the two mains and they were perfectly prepared. Worth the spend. Also visited Gordon Ramsay's namesake in Chelsea during the visit - Le Gavroche was a far better experience for half the cost.

Unfortunately it felt more like a hugely overpriced brasserie rather than a 2-Michelin starred restaurant.

Not a single cooked dish from so called 'exceptional' tasting menu had a wow-factor, apart from the cheeseboard (which I must say was very impressive).

Very dated, tired interior, dark and unwelcoming.

Service was just okay, didn't make the dinner feel special, definitely not personal for such calibre restaurant.

Overall, quite a disappointing experience considering it took over 2 years to make a booking over an old-fashioned form-based reservation "system".

I've been to quite a few Roux's restaurants in London. I'd rather recommend 'Roux at Parliament Square' - very pleasant, delicious meal with great value for money. Even Roux's stall at Taste of London summer festival at Regent's Park was way more exciting.

For special occasions, better visit L'enclume by Simon Rogan in Cartmel (or his restaurants La Fera and Roganic in London), Le Manoir by Raymond Blanc in Oxfordshire, or Sat Bains in Nottingham - these are really worth a detour.

I am quite shocked that a meal at Le Gavroche could be so mediocre. I was really excited to come here, having been recommended to come here (by someone I don't know well) and seeing all the great reviews. The venue seemed alright, the lighting was a bit dim for my taste, but it was nice. The service was lovely and I really do enjoy the pride they take in serving the meal. No food was served for any course until each of us had a waiter standing next to us holding our food, so that they could serve us all at the same time. Little details like that stand out, and I especially enjoyed the dishes served with a flourish by showing me a gorgeous silver covered dish and them removing it to present the food like a show.
Even the gelato dessert was served well; a trolley with silver domes holding different ice cream flavours was rolled to us and the waitress asked what flavour was wanted, scooping out each flavour one by one into a plate. But that doesn't change the fact that the gelato was extremely mediocre. I could hardly bring myself to eat any of it, it was mostly too tart and not tasty in any way.
The best dish I had was my scallop appetiser, which while decent, certainly doesn't deserve to be especially remembered in any way. The rack of lamb I ordered was difficult to eat; I was sawing away at it with my knife trying to get a piece at least. It wasn't tasty in any way and was too chewy. I went with three other people, and every single one of us was taken aback by the lack of any particular merit to any of our dishes. We couldn't even say that we had liked one thing, and we all ordered different appetisers and mains, so I don't think the problem was just particular to me. Mostly we just felt terrible that we had spent far more on this meal than on any other in London, but we had enjoyed it the absolute least. It was also a special occasion and made it difficult to enjoy the birthday, with the excitement and expectation we had arrived with. I would certainly never come back to spend this much money for something so subpar and can get much tastier food elsewhere in London. I wish the food had been as good as the service.

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!

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 !

Visiting London this past September, my family and I wanted to experience a wonderful meal which led us to Le Gavroche. This historic, Michelin 2-star restaurant was first opened by Michel and Albert Roux and now Albert's son, Michel Jr. runs the kitchen with mastery. The restaurant is very elegant and traditional in its decor. The color green is the dominant color I have to say. Service is sublime in that every server is attentive to the utmost detail. Now onto the food, in which we had the Menu Exceptionnel.

-Lobster Salad w/ Mango, Avocado, Basil, and Lime: Deliciously light and refreshing. The flavors of the dish were bright and vibrant. I enjoyed the tender piece of lobster tail meat seated atop a piece of endive accompanied by small dice of sweet mango and buttery avocado. Definitely a winner.

-Souffle Suissesse: One of the classic dishes of Le Gavroche. It's light, airy, cheesy, and temperature-wise definitely hot so be careful. The cream sauce that the souffle is sitting in makes you feel like perhaps you should see a cardiologist afterwards. Sinfully good.

-Grilled Diver Caught Scallop, Spicy Aubergine, Fennel Pollen, and Parsley Coulis: Scallop was carefully grilled and therefore juicy and tender. The aubergine aka eggplant was OK only because I'm not a big fan of eggplant. Parsley coulis didn't really add much to the dish.

-Hot Duck Foie Gras w/ Grapes and Crispy Duck Pancake Flavored w/ Cinnamon: The duck foie gras was luxurious. I love foie gras and it was seared perfectly. The crispy duck pancake was a bit odd as it was a savory dish that felt like a dessert. A bit too much cinnamon and sweetness for my taste.

-Tender Braised Beef in Red Wine, Parsnip Puree, Cepes Mushrooms and Bacon: A very comforting dish that similar to good ol' meat and potatoes. The beef was melt-in-your-mouth tender and just fell apart when you cut it with your fork. The red wine sauce was hearty and the parsnip puree was a nice twist on the mashed potatoes component. And huge chunks of bacon. Everything is exponentially better with bacon.

-Selection of French and British Farmhouse Cheeses: I had a few slivers of cheese but was not a big fan. Not because they weren't great but because I'm not a connoisseur of fine cheeses.

-Rich Amedei Chocolate Truffle Scented w/ Rum and Praline Crisp: Decadent and rich chocolate in a small cylindrical shape. And yes you can taste a bit of rum in there. Praline crisp was so-so. It added a nice textural component to the dessert.

-Classic Upside Down Caramelized Apple Tarte w/ Vanilla Ice Cream: This dessert I was too big a fan of. The top part was slightly over-caramelized and therefore mildly burnt-tasting. The crust was too chewy and hard to cut with my spoon. The vanilla ice cream was good though but overall nothing spectacular about this dessert.

We were seated across from the automatic sliding glass door in which staff would enter and exit the kitchen. As I was having my coffee, I see the door open and Michel Roux Jr. coming out like as if exiting his spaceship into the dining area. At the beginning of the meal, we had asked our maitre d' if he could sign a copy of the menu that was on our table. He then came to our table and greeted us and asked how our meal was. Then he signed our menu and he even graciously agreed to have a couple pictures taken with us.

Overall, it was a great experience with classical French food. It's not a place where you'll find innovative dishes but it sticks to what it knows and what dishes have stood through the test of time. For 3 people it came out to £340 or about $600. A wonderful meal and a nice way to end our stay in London.

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 Souffle 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.

Yesterday I experienced heaven. For just over 3 hours, I sat in complete and utter bliss and witnessed the most exquisite service I have ever seen.

The service is so incredibly perfect that you don't even notice it happening. The waiters are so smooth and so seemless that you are never left wanting for anything- I have never experienced anything like it before. My glass was constantly full, though I never noticed it being filled and our napkins was always beautifully arranged when we came back from the bathroom, though no-one ever saw who did it.

To make things even more perfect, Michel Roux came over TWICE to see if we were enjoying our meal (we were more than enjoying it)

The menu is incredible but because my French is quite poor, the waiter was very helpful and pleased to take me through the menu and explain it throroughly (and he didn't make me feel embarassed for asking) The food was perfect. I had a shellfish soup to start with lobster, prawns,scallops and I think snails (though I am not entirely sure) and a game pie with artichoke hearts for a main course. The dessert selection was wonderful- I picked from a large trolley of sorbets and homemade ice creams, whilst my boyfriend had a rich chocolate log.

We were both very impressed with the amount of extra bits we both got- two types of amuse bouches and a large plate of some delicious petit fours.

La Gavroche is without doubt the best restaurant in London.