Le Gavroche

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A London Institution, 57 Years in the Making

Le Gavroche opened in 1967 under the Roux brothers, Albert Roux OBE and the late Michel Roux OBE, at a moment when London's dining scene barely registered on the world stage. What they created on Upper Brook Street in Mayfair was, by any measure, transformative: the only French restaurant of its kind in the city, offering classical French haute cuisine with a rigour of cooking and service that London had not seen before.

The restaurant went on to become the first in the UK to earn one, then two, then three Michelin Stars — a clean sweep of firsts that cemented its place in gastronomic history. It was also the first Michelin-rated restaurant in the country to offer a set-price lunch. Over the following decades, Le Gavroche earned consistent recognition from the world's most demanding guides, appearing multiple times in the World's 50 Best Restaurants rankings across the 2000s, a period that confirmed its standing not just as a London landmark but as a globally significant address.

The Roux Legacy and the Kitchen That Trained a Generation

In 1991, Albert's son Michel Roux Jr took over as Chef Patron, carrying the restaurant's exacting standards into a new era. Under his stewardship, Le Gavroche held its reputation as "the last bastion in London of classically rich French haute cuisine" while also becoming one of the most important training grounds in the industry. Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, Marcus Wareing, Pierre Koffmann, Monica Galetti, and Jun Tanaka are among the chefs who worked in its kitchen before shaping their own careers. The list reads like a who's who of modern British gastronomy — a lineage that traces directly back to the Roux brothers' original vision.

Michel Roux Jr himself received a Michelin Chef Mentor Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognition that reflects not only his own cooking but his role in nurturing the wider profession. In 1984, Albert and Michel Roux founded the Roux Scholarship, a competition that to this day sends outstanding young British chefs for a fully funded three-month stage at any three-star Michelin restaurant in the world. Co-chaired now by Michel Roux Jr and Alain Roux, the scholarship has shaped the careers of chefs including the late Andrew Fairlie and Sat Bains.

The Final Chapter

On 13 January 2024, Le Gavroche held its last service at 43 Upper Brook Street, closing after 57 years. The name lives on through pop-ups in the UK and internationally, and Michel Roux Jr continues to be active in food and writing — his book Michel Roux at Home brings the recipes he cooks for family and friends to a wider audience. The physical restaurant may be gone, but its influence on French cuisine in Britain, and on London's transformation into a world food capital, is permanent.