Chef owner of the Restaurant Le Gavroche Le Gavroche opened in 1967 in Chelsea. It was the creation of Albert and Michel Roux. It rapidly established itself as the best and most complete restaurant in London. It set the standards of cooking and service by which other places were judged. In 1981, due to their continued success, the restaurant moved to its present premises in Mayfair and in 1982 the Michelin Guided awarded it 3 rosettes- the first restaurant in the UK to be so honoured. The fact that the reputation of Le Gavroche continues to ride high in the eyes of critics and customers firmly rests on the food being prepared by Michel Roux, who took over day to day running of the kitchen from his father in 1991. As his father’s son, Michel could only have a deep respect for classical foundations of French cooking. Michel continues the traditions set by his father, offering a seasonal menu with classical and modern French dishes given the Gavroche touch. In a quiet and unobtrusive way, Le Gavroche has always followed its own instincts. In doing so it has set fashion, never followed. It is a place for those who wish to dispense with the necessities of life and indulge in its luxuries. Michel Roux has published several books such as ‘Cooking with the master chef: food for your family and friends’ or ‘The French kitchen’. In ‘A life in the Kitchen’, with though a range of Michel’s existing recipes, he explores what has influenced his style of cooking. Michel’s other books include, ‘The Marathon Chef’, a book created for the ever-increasing number of people who want to keep fit but still enjoy eating well. Michel developed the recipes to complement his own training regimes for the marathons he himself runs each year. ‘Le Gavroche Cookbook’ contains over two hundred recipes from the restaurant’s history, from the classic French haut cuisine through to Michel’s “modern French” style using a lighter and slightly less rich approach. Part cookbook, part culinary history, it is designed for those people seeking to enjoy the very best of French recipes in their own kitchen.
