Still fresh from the headline closure of Le Gavroche, Michel Roux will open a new restaurant at the Langham, replacing the temporary Good Front Room in Palm Court.
The Standard was told Roux’s new restaurant will evoke his childhood memories: throughout the Sixties, the chef was raised in rural Kent, on the Fairlawne estate, where his late father Albert cooked for the Cazalet family.
Called Chez Roux, the fixture will draw on the original menus presented at Le Gavroche in 1967, and will also showcase historic British classics alongside French food with a contemporary edge.
Dishes on the launch menu will include Welsh rarebit, grilled lobster with garlic butter and fries — one of Roux’s favourite dishes — and “lamb chops reform”, inspired by Alexis Soyer’s classic recipe from the 1830s.
This lamb dish was first served at the Reform Club on Pall Mall, with the late head chef coating trimmed lamb cutlets in egg, breadcrumbs, and finely chopped ham before baking and serving with a “reform sauce” — a complex herb, onion, and chilli-based creation based on a classic espagnole.
As for drinks, these will include “premium wines and Champagnes”, as well as classic cocktails from the Sixties.
“I have such fond memories of growing up at Fairlawne, where my father spent seven years cooking for the Cazalet family,” Roux said.
“From relaxed lunches to extravagant dinner parties, it’s safe to say everyone ate very well. Dad had to learn the great British classics but used all his French technique and skills to cook for the family and esteemed guests.”
Many of the recipes that were popular during the Sixties have been consigned to history, yet there is so much to love about the dishes I remember from this time
Roux said though he and his family cook with French techniques, British influences have always been apparent at home and in professional kitchens.
“When my parents had to cook dinner parties, the wife of the head butler, Mrs Bradbrook, would babysit, introducing me to the wonders of great British desserts such as crumble and custard, and steamed puddings.
“The menu at Chez Roux is inspired by these early memories of life growing up in rural Kent, dad’s cooking for the Cazalets, and the first menus from Le Gavroche, which opened when I was just seven.
“Many of the recipes that were popular during the Sixties have been consigned to history, yet there is so much to love about the dishes I remember from this time – British classics combined with traditional French techniques. So, with a touch of nostalgia and much excitement, I can’t wait for guests to try the menus.”
The new restaurant will open on May 22, with the Good Front Room, chef Dom Taylor’s modern and popular Caribbean concept, closing on April 30 after a 10-month stay. It is unclear whether Taylor will reopen elsewhere.
