Le Gavroche, Mayfair

Mr Oil and Mr Vinegar have been to London’s most enduring exemplar restaurant, Le Gavroche, prompting some unusually strident views from Mr Oil.

MrO: Taking everything into account, that is unquestionably the finest restaurant in London.
MrV: What nonsense. You only have to look at the guide books – most notably the Michelin Guide – to see that your views are out of date.
MrO: It is a weak intellect which follows the swings and roundabouts of fashion. Secretaries and spivs are always changing their costumes. Secretaries and spivs have ‘makeovers’. Gentlemen, on the other hand, will wear the same style of suit for their whole lives, and it will be the best.
MrV: What on earth are you on about?
MrO: Le Gavroche is like the finest bespoke Saville Row suit. It is the benchmark against which all others are measured, and those who don’t understand that are philistines. It is unquestionably the most influential restaurant in Britain, as is privately – if sometimes grudgingly – acknowledged by virtually all the best chefs, many of whom, incidentally, were trained there.
MrV: You’re certainly on your hobby horse today.
MrO: I find that I am unwilling to swallow your usual sour and miserly comments when it comes to this restaurant. You must give credit where it’s due. I insist.
MrV: You are ignoring the influence of Michel Bourdin at the old Connaught.
MrO: I am not. Bourdin was a brilliant chef and an excellent mentor, but he had the backing of a great hotel group which needed a superb restaurant to attract wealthy international customers. Le Gavroche was the first to attain – and then exceed – such standards in a stand-alone venture. That is what makes it unique, as you ought to realise.
MrV: You can’t dictate my opinions. And how can you argue that a restaurant based in the half-light of a basement is the best in the country?
MrO: The location is not ideal, I concede, but in my view Le Gavroche transcends such considerations. The Roux family set a standard more than 40 years ago when they opened this place and not only has that standard not slipped, but everyone else has copied it. And it took the rest of the catering business a quarter of a century to even get close.
MrV: If standards haven’t slipped, why did it lose a Michelin star in 1993?
MrO: Because, as young Michel Roux has explained, he’s not running that sort of restaurant any more. When he took over from his father in 1991, he immediately set about modernising the classic French food and the Michelin inspectors, in their infinite wisdom, decided he deserved a demotion.
MrV: But you think you know better than them.
MrO: Clearly, the customers think they do. This place has been close to fully-booked for four decades. In my opinion the Michelin inspectors were offended because the Gavroche was the first British restaurant to get three Michelin stars but instead of bowing to the accolade for ever, Michel decided to move a little beyond Michelin. He moved the goalposts and the inspectors felt rejected.
MrV: But if, as you rightly point out, many of the best chefs were trained at the Gavroche, doesn’t that mean you can get the same quality of food elsewhere, quite often at much lower cost?
MrO: A copy, even a good one, is still a copy. And in any case, it’s not all about the food. There’s a quality of service there that is very rare.
MrV: Well, we all know about Silvano Giraldin being the best front-of-house man of all time, but he’s retired now.
MrO: The people he trained are still there and he remains a director. He was there at our most recent visit.
MrV: That was a special occasion.
MrO: It certainly was. It’s very decent of Roux to give over his restaurant to the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust once a year. They raise a good bit of money to ensure we have plenty to shoot at.
MrV: I’m not complaining about that dinner.
MrO: Nor should you. The lobster and artichoke salad was a beautiful starter.
MrV: I enjoyed that rather lower class fish course of mackerel and gurnard.
MrO: Every man finds his level. The main course was well-timed for us, as we could compare our luncheon venison with Roux’s. But there was no comparison, was there?
MrV: In flavour, yes. All venison tastes the same to me. But Roux’s was far more tender. I wasn’t entirely convinced by the pudding, though. The vanilla and peanut mousse was excellent but my banana macaroon didn’t taste of banana.
MrO: I’m going to allow you that criticism, in the interests of balance.


Mr Oil and Mr Vinegar ate four courses each accompanied by champagne, Chardonnay Planeta 2007, Chateau L’Ecuyer 2004 and Vin de Constance 2004, at a total cost of £175 per head.

Le Gavroche
43 Upper Brook Street
London W1
+44 (0) 207 408 0881
bookings@le-gavroche.co.uk
www.le-gavroche.co.uk