Le Gavroche has existed in London since 1967. It was opened by two brothers and recognized as the first UK restaurant to earn three Michelin stars in 1982. When the son of one of the brothers took over as chef in 1993, the restaurant lost one of those stars and has yet to regain it. Michel Roux, Jr. insists that “Certainly I would love three stars. I believe in the system and the recognition would be wonderful. But I am not cooking that style of food. There are dishes that are worthy of it but my style really doesn’t suit that status.” I find this surprising and a bit disingenuous coming from a man who praises ambition as the main requirement of a successful chef. In any event, I like Chef Michel from what I have seen of him on television and in YouTube videos. He seems like a nice person who truly loves to cook. On the night we visited, he did chat with diners at every table including ours. It was brief and pleasant and appreciated. Our table was adorned with a utensil rooster and customized plates.
The main dining space is in the basement of the building which lends a cozy feel to the room. There were many service people buzzing about and the coordination seemed haphazard at times. We were asked by two people if we would like drinks to start and once dinner was started, even with all the employees, it was hard to catch anyone’s eye when we were looking for more bread. We opted for the Menu Exceptionnel (tasting menu) with nine courses. The wine pairing was extremely expensive (almost the cost of the dinner) so we chose a white and red burgundy to go with our courses. Speaking of bread, it was strangely served by a waiter who described the types offered and then asked that you select the slice(s) out of the basket presented with your hands. I’m not normally a germ-a-phobe but this disturbs me every time I think back on it. I didn’t touch any other piece when I took mine but who knows about the customer before me! The butter was served on a porcelain “table” but was a bit too cold to spread.
One of the few places that counts the amuse bouche as a “course”, we started right in on our tasting menu with a light creamy cheese mousse with quince jelly and an eggplant puree. The baba ganoush had a nice smokey flavor. The famous cheese souffle was next. It has been on the menu since 1969 and deserves to be there. It was delicious. The egg white stayed fluffy and the cheese was tangy but not overpowering. There is a reason why Le Gavroche is known for this Souffle Suissesse.
Next was Beetroot Cured Trout, Sesame Puree and Rock Samphire (Truite Marinee aux Betteraves, Deux Sesames et Criste Marine). I made my own little tacos with the sesame chips. The smoked trout was flavorful and the smear of black and white sesame on the plate added nice contrast. This was followed by the misleading Coquilles St Jacques Roties, Petit Pois et Guanciale, Peau Croustillante (Roast Scallops, Fresh Peas and Cured Pork Jowl, Crispy Pork Crumb). Coquilles St Jacques may be the name for a large scallop in French, but it is now so closely associated with the preparation with cream, wine, breadcrumbs and cheese that it was strange not to see it done that way. In any event, the scallop was perfectly seared and had a nice addition of crispy pork on top. Our third, and final seafood course was Steamed Gigha Halibut with Olives, Spiced Eggplant and Roasted Cep Mushrooms (Pave de Fletan aux Olives, Aubergines et Cepes Rotis). The halibut was steamed in olive oil but it didn’t impart a huge amount of flavor. It was well prepared but not amazing. The sauce and the mushrooms helped a bit.
Next was one of my favorite courses of the night, the Lamb Tortelli, Broad Beans, Cauliflower Mushroom and Lamb Bacon (Tortelli d’Agneau, Feves, Brocoli et Champignons). This was a deliciously balanced dish with each ingredient showing off well with the others. I’m not on a search for cauliflower mushrooms! Yum. The main course was next, a Roasted Squab, Sweetcorn, Fresh Plum and Pigeon Jus (Pigeon d’Anjou, Mais et Prune Rotie). The pigeon was served with foie gras and sweet corn done three ways (pureed, grilled and popped). The popcorn was a bit gimmicky and doesn’t do well soaking up the sauce. Overall though, this dish was very nice and the pigeon was prepared perfectly. A Selection of French and British Farmhouse Cheese were presented next. Well, presented may be generous here, more like shown. There seemed to be some sort of assumption that we were cheese experts. There was no formal description given of the cart or any of the cheeses. When I asked which of the cheeses were nuttiest, the server just cut one and said it was probably the nuttiest. I had to ask what kind of milk it was made with after he had already put the slice on the plate he was preparing for me. A bit disappointing that he wasn’t as enthusiastic as some of the “cheese sommeliers” I’ve seen in other establishments.
The Tarte au Chocolat Blanc, Framboise et Sorbet (White Chocolate Tart with Fresh Raspberries and Sorbet) was served for dessert. I really like the white chocolate tart but the sorbet was a bit overpowering. I ate them separately and enjoyed them both. We were presented a little tray of petits fours to finish our meal but the only real standout was the passionfruit gel.
Overall, it was a nice evening out but to be quite honest, the service hiccups and lack of enthusiasm from the staff makes me wonder how this restaurant has retained two stars. I would judge it more in the class of a single starred restaurant. The food was two star worthy though so I think that is why Michelin has kept it where it has been since 1993.
Le Gavroche, 43 Upper Brook Street, London W1K 7QR, UK; Tel. +44 020 7408 0881; Reservations highly suggested; Tuesday to Friday: Lunch (12 noon to 2pm), Dinner (6pm to 10pm). Saturday: Closed for lunch, Dinner (6pm to 10pm). Closed Sundays, Mondays, Bank Holidays and between Christmas and New Year.
Food Travel & Me 