Harden's survey result
Summary
“If all vegan restaurants were this good, I’d never eat meat” – Since Alexis Gauthier went fully meat-free in 2021, his “lovely old Soho townhouse” has put “a vegan twist on French classics, served with charm and style”. It was an incredibly brave move for a conventional venue whose renown was built on classic Gallic cuisine: a beautiful and romantic old Georgian building on many levels, where you have to knock on the door to gain access. The result is an “exceptional foodie experience, with incredible flavours”. Where there are complaints from diners, they often relate to the use of flesh or cheese substitutes (“Gauthier, you really don’t need to make vegan food look like meat”). But for most diners, “the acid test of a vegan restaurant is whether the food is good enough to stop you thinking about veganism. And Gauthier wins this easily!” with “food of the highest quality, unusual at times and innovative, and never failing to impress”. Service here is particularly strong too: “helpful and thoughtful, never pushy”. Its ratings are still not quite back to the pre-2021 pinnacles here since he broke with meat and the audience is perhaps not quite as large as it was. Overall, though, it seems to be a decision that’s working out increasingly well.
Summary
“Alexis is now 100% vegan and the result is outstanding”, say disciples of his quirky Soho venture – a “beautiful townhouse with a series of intimate, romantic rooms”, which he’s run since 2010, and which went fully meat-free in 2021. Vegetarians of course worship it, but so do many meat-eaters too (“I am an avowed carnivore and my mind was blown by this restaurant – how anyone can create something so superb from the humble vegetable is beyond my comprehension”). But that’s not to say it’s all plain sailing as many diners are in two minds about the switch and “still not completely convinced that the vegan offering is as good as the old omnivorous one”. One or two are just outright disappointed; but for most there’s a feeling that “some menu items are trying too hard and miss the mark”. A recurrent gripe is that “it seems odd that so much of his vegan menu imitates meat forms” (“I have no problems with a vegan establishment; my only annoyance is the tendency to imitate non-vegan dishes. I just wish they would stick to their guns and stop impersonating non-vegan cuisine because there is no question that Alexis and the team are very talented chefs”). The “slick service” and “fabulously atmospheric” space are the same as they ever were.
Summary
“If all vegan food was as good as this I’d convert… it’s ceaselessly wonderful and served by brilliant staff in a fabulous setting” – that’s the most upbeat view on Alexis Gauthier’s “beautifully furnished and discreet townhouse smack in the middle of Soho”, where you ring a doorbell to gain entry. Having been resolutely carnivorous on its launch in 2010, Alexis went vegan personally in 2016, and since June 2021 he has taken the restaurant meat-free as well. On the plus side, this is now one of the most ambitious and successful meat-free restaurants in town. But on the downside, practically none of his old meat-loving regulars like it so much now (“it was an old favourite, and I was interested to try the all-vegan menu, but it wasn’t for us…”; “we so very much wanted to love this move to vegan cuisine from Gauthier Soho, but we were sadly disappointed…”; “excellent food, but I mourn the loss of the non-vegan options…”). Still, even those “who are not totally convinced” say “there is no doubt that Gauthier manages to marry vegan cuisine with a high-end, gourmet experience more successfully than most”. And “what is stunning is their wine flights, which are amazing!”
Summary
“There’s an unrivalled emphasis on providing top-quality vegan cuisine” at Alexis Gauthier’s “wonderfully quirky” venue: a “charming townhouse”, “tucked away in the middle of Soho”, where “you ring the bell at the front door to get entry”. When he launched it in 2010, the menu was just like any other high temple of French gastronomy (“his foie gras used to be the best”). But gradually he has taken away the meat, going ‘proudly 100% vegan’ on June 23rd 2021, to offer “serious, considered cooking… that just doesn’t happen to have animal products”; and – for London – presents arguably “the best vegan menu for gourmets”. In a similar vein, the accompanying wines (also vegan) “are chosen carefully and presented with knowledge and real enthusiasm”. The journey has been followed by some reporters all the way from his days at Roussillon in Pimlico, but there’s disagreement over its ultimate success, and this has impacted ratings somewhat. Advocates say “the vegan tasting menus will convert even the most red-blooded meat-eater” (“as a confirmed carnivore, I didn’t miss the meat here at all”); while sceptics say “I used to give it a 5 all-round and it’s still excellent, but as an omnivore I’ve lost a reason to visit with the new focus”. A fair middle summary? “It was actually better before turning vegan, but is still very good”. Top Tip: Gauthier at Home, the home delivery business, also gets a big thumbs-up.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Gauthier Soho?
21 Romilly St, London, W1D 5AF
Restaurant details
Gauthier Soho Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Work Christmas dinner. Food was sublime and everyone enjoyed it (including the hard core meat eaters). A few of our party couldn't make it so did leave us with a big table and a few spaces but that's our fault (not the restaurant). Super expensive."
Prices
 Drinks |
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|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £30.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £5.00 |
 Extras |
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| Service | 15.00% |
21 Romilly St, London, W1D 5AF
| Number of Diners: | |
| Required Time: | |
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 5 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 5 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Thursday | 5 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Friday | 5 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Saturday | 5 pm‑9:30 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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