Master chef stars at Le Gavroche

Le Gavroche is an icon in the London restaurant world. In 1982 it was the first UK restaurant to gain three Michelin stars under chef Albert Roux.

The baton has long since passed to Albert’s son, Michel Roux Jr, but the kitchen is in safe hands.

Le Gavroche serves classical French food, based on high-quality ingredients and demonstrating superb technique.

An example of this is a double-cooked cheese soufflé, the result as light as a cloud yet having wonderful cheese flavour.

The sweet course is a strong suit of Le Gavroche, which draws on a great tradition of French pastry cooking.

The wine list is extensive: the cellars have 80,000 bottles and the knowledgeable sommelier can guide you to a suitable choice.

As a venue for a business meeting, Le Gavroche scores well. There is no music, so you can conduct a conversation easily, and tables are not too closely packed in the basement dining room.

Above all the service is silky smooth, the waiters being attentive yet unobtrusive.

All this comes at a price in the evening, but at lunch there is a very good value menu, priced currently at £52.50 including wine.

The main problem is getting a reservation, so plan ahead.

For more of Andy’s reviews, click here