A renowned London restaurant founded by Albert Roux and Michel Roux Snr and run by Michel Roux Jr since 1991 has announced that it will shut early next year after 56 years.
Le Gavroche, in Mayfair, central London, is a two Michelin-starred restaurant where several famous chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White earned their stripes.
When it was opened in 1967 by restaurateur brothers Albert and Michel Roux Sr it was the only French restaurant of its kind in London.
But after a long and glittering history, it is set to close its doors in January 2024, with Roux Jr saying Brexit has placed an enormous strain on the hospitality sector.
Speaking to The Time he said the consequences of the UK’s split with Europe had made things extremely difficult for his business.
“The day-to-day pressure of running a restaurant is not getting any easier”, he said. “Living through and coming back from the pandemic didn’t do my mental health any good. I feel for any young independent restauranteaur opening up now.
“Brexit has put a huge spanner in the works in terms of supplies, staffing and costs.”
The celebrated chef also took to Instagram to announce the closure, saying:
“It is with very mixed emotions that I announce the upcoming closure of Le Gavroche restaurant. After 56 years, we will close in January 2024, although ‘Le Gavroche’ name will continue to be a familiar presence in popups and other ventures.
“This decision has not been made lightly. Le Gavroche means so much, not just to myself and the Roux family, but to the wider Gavroche team and you, our guests, who have become our family over so many years.
“I have always felt that should Le Gavroche ever close, it must be on a high. Le Gavroche continues to be fully booked, week in, week out, but I have known for a while that I must make time for a better work/life balance, so I can spend more time with my family and on my other business ventures.
“We will be hosting a series of celebratory dinners, starting this November until the closure in January. All details will be announced in the newsletter, which you can subscribe to on the Le Gavroche website.
“This is not the end of Le Gavroche – the restaurant may be closing, but the name will live on.. There will be Le Gavroche pop-ups in the future, at home and abroad through @chezroux_. I will continue with working with my partners, and you’ll occasionally find me at my daughter Emily and her husband Diego’s @caractererestaurant for special events, and I will also be writing more books and popping up on your TV screens.”
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