On Saturday night Michel Roux Jr will close the doors on Le Gavroche, his two Michelin-starred restaurant in Mayfair, for the final time 56 years after his father and uncle, the Roux brothers, opened it in 1967.
Roux, 63, said he was closing the restaurant – which helped a host of celebrity chefs launch their careers including Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White and Marcus Wareing – to try to “make time for a better work/life balance, so I can spend more time with my family and on my other business ventures”.
Now it has emerged that one of those business ventures is taking his famous restaurant to the high seas – or the Norwegian fjords to be precise. Starting in June, Roux will open “Le Gavroche residencies at sea” on board Cunard’s luxury Queen Anne and Queen Mary 2 voyages from the UK to Norway.
That will start with “Le Gavroche at The Verandah” onboard Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 for her sailing to Hardangerfjord, near Bergen, on 2 June. The seven-night voyage, which costs a minimum £949 a person, includes breakfast, lunch and dinner but not meals at Le Gavroche pop-up. Cunard did not respond to queries about the cost.
Cunard said Roux would “oversee” the residences, and “guests will be treated to a five-course tasting menu infused with all the flavours of the sea, elegantly finessed using the very best produce”.
Roux, a former judge on MasterChef: the Professionals, will also appear onboard as a speaker “regaling guests with stories from his illustrious 40-plus-year career in the hospitality industry”.
“It is an absolute privilege to bring Le Gavroche to Cunard’s Queens, reuniting with their hugely talented and passionate culinary development chefs as we strive to create menus inspired by the treasures of Norwegian cuisine,” Roux said. “The culinary heritage of Norway is a tapestry of flavours, and together with Cunard, I look forward to weaving these elements into an extraordinary dining experience at Sir Samuel’s and The Verandah.”
Katie McAlister, president of Cunard, said: “Just as Michel sets the bar for fine dining, we at Cunard set the bar for luxury ocean travel, and his innovative approach to celebrating traditional Norwegian cuisine perfectly aligns with our dedication to offering guests unforgettable and culturally rich experiences.”
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Le Gavroche, which translates as The Urchin, opened in Sloane Square in 1967, a time before London was known for a sophisticated culinary scene. The restaurant was started by the pioneering brothers Albert Roux, the father of the current owner, and Michel Roux Sr, who were among the first restaurateurs to bring classic French cuisine to the capital.
It was one of the first UK restaurants to win a Michelin star, in 1974, then in 1977 it became one of four to win a second. In 1982, it was also the first restaurant in Britain to obtain three stars after it moved to its current location at Upper Brook Street in Mayfair.