Club Gascon - French Michelin Starred Restaurant — Restaurant in London

TLDR: I would suggest finding somewhere else. London is a big city with a lot of options. This doesn't need to be one you pick.

Overall, the food was quite good, but the portion sizes were very small. Given how small the plates were, I would have preferred a 7 course option as is listed on their website menu, but that was unavailable (they had a special menu for Valentine's Day that was 5 course only). In particular, the truffle creme brulee was something very unique, and also very good. Typically with these set menu type places I leave very full, but honestly, by the time we got out (more on that later), we were almost hungry. Kind of a shame for £400.

Not unexpected for a French Restaurant, the wine list was very...French. Lots of options, but mostly incomprehensible to the layman that doesn't have an encyclopedic knowledge of French wine classification. I'm sure it's all very good. We went with the suggested pairings. Similar to the food, the wine was quite good, but the servings were stingy. When served, we were given almost no information about the wine. In total, we probably got about two full glasses worth over the five wines.

The service. The reason I'm writing this review. The service was so very mediocre. It was busy with it being Valentine's Day and all, I get it, but if you can't handle serving two seatings of the whole restaurant, maybe you shouldn't allow that many reservations? It was very disappointing for a place with a good reputation (and a good reputation for service looking through other reviews). Where things went wrong: We sat at the table for a good 5 minutes without a menu or anything before anyone came to the table When we asked for a second bottle of water they forgot about it for a while. They did eventually remember and apologize, saying we wouldn't pay for it, but it ended up on the bill anyway. So we just paid for it. At one point they took my bread plate away while I was literally eating the bread still. It was very awkward. My venison still came with some of the butcher twine wrapped around it. It didn't bother me, and again we didn't say anything to the staff, but, unprompted, they came up after taking the plate away and apologized. The obvious mistake however highlights the lack of attention to detail overall. After our last course we had to ask for the bill twice. It probably took us over half an hour to finally leaving the place after we first asked for the bill. It's like we just disappeared. We just sat there for like 15 minutes wondering where the bill was. Nobody ever came up to our table after that and we eventually had to flag down another person. Even then it seemed to take an inordinate amount of time to get the bill. Maybe I was just jaded at this point, but they seemed to be rather frazzled. It was an unfortunate end to what I think was overall a good dinner. After we walk out the door they rush out to hand us a parting gift (a copy of the menu and some treats). Like...where was this half an hour ago when we were trying to leave!

So overall, the food and drink are both very good, but not at all worth the price. And the staff was sloppy and did little to improve the experience. Based on this one night I'm actually very surprised they still have a star. Maybe the Michelin Guide feels obligated to keep it this way because they've literally named themselves...

Restaurant Review: A Taste of French Elegance

From the moment you step into this charming French cuisine restaurant, you're transported to the heart of Paris. The ambiance exudes sophistication, with soft lighting, rustic wooden accents, and delicate French music playing in the background, setting the perfect mood for an unforgettable meal.

Service: 5/5 The staff is exceptionally attentive, offering a warm welcome and professional service throughout the evening. They are well-versed in the menu, guiding us through each course with recommendations and pairing suggestions. The knowledge and passion for French cuisine are evident in their demeanor, elevating the dining experience.

Food: 4.5/5 The menu is a masterful reflection of French culinary tradition, featuring a variety of dishes that both respect and innovate on classic techniques. We began with a foie gras terrine, beautifully complemented by a tangy fruit chutney and buttery toast—rich, delicate, and absolutely divine. For the main course, the duck confit was a standout: the skin crisped to perfection, with tender meat that practically melted in the mouth. Paired with a silky, aromatic red wine, it was a gastronomic delight.

The only minor critique would be the coq au vin, which, while flavorful, could have used a touch more depth in the sauce. However, it was still well-executed, showcasing the slow-cooked tenderness of the chicken.

Dessert was nothing short of heavenly. The tarte Tatin—caramelized apples atop a perfectly flaky pastry—was the perfect sweet note to end on, along with a delicate crème brûlée whose caramelized top cracked just as it should.

Atmosphere: 4.5/5 The décor is both chic and cozy, with a minimalist yet warm vibe. The low hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses creates an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. While the space is beautifully appointed, it can feel slightly cramped during peak hours.

Overall: This restaurant brings the essence of French dining to life in a way that makes you feel like you're sitting at a sidewalk café in Paris. Every dish is crafted with precision, and the service ensures that every guest feels like they are part of something special. With minor room for improvement in a couple of dishes, it's still an experience worth savoring. A must-visit for anyone looking to indulge in refined...

Having googled "Michelin Starred French Restaurant in London" Club Gascon was one of the first options to pop-up. A quick sense-check of the reviews, it seemed worthy of a booking, but if I'm being honest, we were rather disappointed by our experience.

For complete transparency, this was our first time eating "classically" French fine-dining but having eaten at a number of other Michelin starred restaurants in the past - we had little reason to believe our evening would have been anything short of fantastic.

We ordered the 8 course tasting menu - both the "regular" and vegetarian options. None of the dishes we received were particularly memorable, with some flavour / texture combinations leaving us a bit perplexed. E.g. The squirrel terrine with hazelnuts, partridge leg / offal meat on a sugar tart.

But understanding that "taste" can often be subjective, I don't want to dwell on this... What particularly disappointed us was two-fold.

The attention to detail: Receiving a chipped wine glass, and having wine accidentally spilt onto our table and then not offered to be cleaned up. Not something we would typically focus on but when you're paying a premium, you expect a premium level of attention.

The perception that our servers' did not know what what was "in" the food. Whether this was an "off" night (Thursday), I'm not sure, and whilst perfectly pleasant, it often felt like we were trying to coax out of staff what had gone into our dishes... On a few occasions, our questions yielding a single ingredient response or a bemused look. In our view, the beauty of the upper tier of dining is the "experience" and "story-telling", for the staff to take you on a journey of what, how and where the food has been produced... Bringing to life what has put in front of you (figuratively speaking, of course!)

Finally, the presentation. The food was refined and well presented. The restaurant itself, however, was maybe more dated than we have come to expect, quintessentially looking like you would have expected a fine dining establishment to have looked in the 90s.

We are absolutely not in the habit of writing negative reviews for the sake of it but we feel like it is important to give an honest appraisal of our experience, for this to be viewed constructively and hopefully improved upon...