When, in the middle of August, we requested the next available table for two for lunch at Le Gavroche, we thought maybe September, for this is a perennially busy restaurant. Even we however were more than a little shocked to find out that the first available table would be mid November, a full three months from my booking date. It seems that Michel Roux Jnr's television appearances have made a busy restaurant even busier as the Roux brand gets yet stronger. From BBC's 'Service' to Masterchef the Professionals, Michel Roux Jnr consistently comes across well, showing a warm natural authority and that high standards in a kitchen are not inevitably synonymous with swearing. In short, he's a great ambassador for the industry, pairing achievement with grace, dignity and humanity.
It's been two years since we last visited Le Gavroche and we are excited to return: it's hard not to be given the unique place that Le Gavroche holds in London restaurant history. Last time we very much enjoyed our meal but while it offered great, usually comforting food, we felt that some of London's newer two star restaurants were serving up more excitement on the plate with greater precision. We wonder on entering if we'll perceive things differently this time.
On entering, I also make my first blunder, I had neglected to wear a jacket and gentlemen are required to do so. There's no problem though as they politely produce one from behind the door for me to borrow for the duration of my visit.
There is in fact three of us for lunch today as we are joined by chef friend lending an extra set of taste buds and views into the mix. After some debate, we opted for the tasting menu which works out one of the cheaper ways to eat at Le Gavroche as both starters and mains from the a la carte are most often found in the range of £40 - £60 such that you're guaranteed a three figure per person bill for eating here almost regardless of how you order.
First out on the tasting menu, the constant in Le Gavroche line up over many years, is the Cheese Soufflé Cooked on Double Cream. We liked this last time, principally as an indulgence, but this time round, it worked less well. There was very little by way of a cheesey tang so the sweetness of the cream was uncontested while the soufflé was so unbelievably light, it was as ephemeral as a foam, and while that might seem perfection in a soufflé, the result was the feeling that all you were taking in here was the cream at the bottom.
It's been two years since we last visited Le Gavroche and we are excited to return: it's hard not to be given the unique place that Le Gavroche holds in London restaurant history. Last time we very much enjoyed our meal but while it offered great, usually comforting food, we felt that some of London's newer two star restaurants were serving up more excitement on the plate with greater precision. We wonder on entering if we'll perceive things differently this time.
On entering, I also make my first blunder, I had neglected to wear a jacket and gentlemen are required to do so. There's no problem though as they politely produce one from behind the door for me to borrow for the duration of my visit.
There is in fact three of us for lunch today as we are joined by chef friend lending an extra set of taste buds and views into the mix. After some debate, we opted for the tasting menu which works out one of the cheaper ways to eat at Le Gavroche as both starters and mains from the a la carte are most often found in the range of £40 - £60 such that you're guaranteed a three figure per person bill for eating here almost regardless of how you order.
First out on the tasting menu, the constant in Le Gavroche line up over many years, is the Cheese Soufflé Cooked on Double Cream. We liked this last time, principally as an indulgence, but this time round, it worked less well. There was very little by way of a cheesey tang so the sweetness of the cream was uncontested while the soufflé was so unbelievably light, it was as ephemeral as a foam, and while that might seem perfection in a soufflé, the result was the feeling that all you were taking in here was the cream at the bottom.
The next dish was something of a surprise however because there was real imagination in how they delivered the luxury two star staple, foie gras. Listed as Foie Gras and Confit Carrot Layers, Ice Wine Vinegar Jelly, Pomegranate and Radish, this now offered up a significantly complex foie gras dish that pushes all the taste buttons and with the Ice Wine Vinegar Jelly effectively pairing the wine on the plate itself. Very accomplished and rounded dish.
Not a stunning looker perhaps, but the stone bass 'scented with Arabian spices' is somewhat undersold: it's not scented with them, it's exploding with them, hard to fathom that it could possibly be more 'scented' than this. While pushing it to the limit though, it didn't push it beyond and we thought this was really quite brave cooking to put in front of the traditionalists at Le Gavroche.
A Hereford snail and a langoustine next, spooning together in a light Hollandaise, presumably that's light by Gavroche standards for it felt to us quite full on. This was another dish full of flavour as well as great texture in the prime ingredients. There had been something of a heavy hand on the salt however, something observed on the last dish also, but the huge sweetness of the langoustine was able to balance that out. And as for anyone unconvinced of eating snails, they would surely be won over by how brilliantly this was done, a beautiful tasting menu dish.
In some sense, what could be more commonplace than our next dish, Black Pudding, Crumbed Egg, Crackling and Spicy Tomato Chutney? Yet here, it becomes, well, worthy of Le Gavroche, principally because the black pudding was, and this was agreed by all around the table, the best we had ever had. It was delicate, coming apart when gently teased with the fork, but not crumbly for it was also very moist having retained the juices and so the flavour. Bite on the crackling and the crunch is so loud you're likely to disturb diners at the next table, and the egg, well that's just perfection.
The final hot savoury is more typically classical with Roast Loin of Venison, Red Wine and Green Peppercorn Sauce. This is a lovely dish with great flavoured venison cooked perfectly with Brussels Sprouts as your foil to the meat and jus.
Rather than two desserts, we like the fact that there's a cheese course in the tasting menu with no supplement. We're even more impressed that it's not a dictated course, rather, the full trolley is bought round and you can choose whatever you like from it. A truly extensive board with great cheeses served alongside lovely crisp fruit bread, quince, celery and muscat grapes.
The menu dessert is a Classic Baba with Calvados, Vanilla Cream and Apple though (at our request), for one person a substitute dessert was brought to the table, a passion fruit soufflé, which was considered one of the best soufflés ever tasted, and this is from a table that has eaten more than our fair share of these. The Baba is very good but is 'straight up', a classic done well, without a significant twist or reinvention.
This was a very accomplished meal and given the three month wait list, we were tempted to rebook ourselves back at Le Gavroche right there on the spot (we resisted). As a single conclusion to a meal, it's a capture of how happy we were with overall despite being lighter of wallet (a given however for 2 star Mayfair).
We all agreed that the first course, the cheese soufflé and cream had been the weakest on this occasion but that the central courses of the menu were all exceptionally good with full flavours that showcased just how accomplished cooking at this level is when done right (even when that's the humble black pudding). What's more, we felt like they have pepped things up a little since our last visit with the food still of course classically based but certainly not old fashioned.
Michel Roux Jnr was there on our visit, in the kitchen, and later walking the floor talking to guests. With his TV career blossoming, we guess that's less common these days and we got lucky. Whether it makes any difference, who knows, but expectations around any visit to Le Gavroche always run high yet despite that, they were if anything exceeded. A celebrity chef, great food and twenty odd tables of London restaurant history, no wonder there's a waiting list.
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We all agreed that the first course, the cheese soufflé and cream had been the weakest on this occasion but that the central courses of the menu were all exceptionally good with full flavours that showcased just how accomplished cooking at this level is when done right (even when that's the humble black pudding). What's more, we felt like they have pepped things up a little since our last visit with the food still of course classically based but certainly not old fashioned.
Michel Roux Jnr was there on our visit, in the kitchen, and later walking the floor talking to guests. With his TV career blossoming, we guess that's less common these days and we got lucky. Whether it makes any difference, who knows, but expectations around any visit to Le Gavroche always run high yet despite that, they were if anything exceeded. A celebrity chef, great food and twenty odd tables of London restaurant history, no wonder there's a waiting list.
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