Le Gavroche (French Restaurant)

"Love to have lunch at Le Gavroche, fabulous food, great service, just wish it wasn't underground."

"had a great lunch it's still as good at ever"

"What a wonderful restaurant for our special occasion. A joy!"

"Our welcome was simply exemplary, the discreet lighting at the perfect level, tables properly dressed and spaced, and staff always immediately there when required. The menu exceptionnel is a firm favourite, and the wine flight, although on the face of it rather expensive, provides very suitable choices to match the particular characteristics of each dish; an example of this was an English Chardonnay which, although not easily identifiable as being that cepage, perfectly matched the stone bass on the plate. The amuse-bouches of pumpkin arancini and salad tartlets topped with bacon were nicely paired with a glass of sweetish Albert Roux champagne and set us up for the signature starter of delightfully soft and creamy soufflé suissesse, which was quickly followed by a carpaccio of Galloway beef marinated overnight in spices and accompanied by a tongue-tickling salt beef sandwich, perfect horseradish sauce and pickled beetroot that was just out of this world! We are always happy to have scallops, but, although the Noilly Prat velouté worked very well and the leeks were perfectly charred, the roast scallops left something to be desired in their softness. Salted and seared stone bass with a sensational hazelnut condiment followed and the dish was raised to another level by the well-judged addition of chicory, balsamic flakes and some surprising orange. The two meat dishes were both superb: poached and glazed pork cheek, tender as you like and complimented beautifully by a pumpkin and mustard purée and a really tasty rosemary jus, and then a supreme roast Lake District loin of venison backed up with venison stuffed red cabbage and a lovely juniper sauce. The cheese selection included so many French and English variations that it was difficult to limit oneself, but we did manage and we sampled and enjoyed a Spenwood from Berkshire for the first time. The Calvados Baba was matched with a Canadian ice cider, which made the whole dish perhaps just a touch too appley for our palates. Discussing the meal afterwards we agreed that even though the food was really good and, despite it feeling slightly rushed between courses, the service absolutely top-class, in the end the wow factor had been missing. Usually we have been inspired by the whole experience at Le Gavroche, but on this occasion we felt on something of a plateau. We concluded that perhaps the reason was that, bizarrely, with the first and the final dishes matching each other in uniform lightness and softness, and those in between covering a rather dark-coloured palette, the visual aspect of the food on the table lacked variety and from that aspect classicism had suffered in the face of modernism. Nonetheless, this was a very enjoyable evening in an atmosphere that is streets ahead of most of this venue’s competitors."