I’m a big fan of Pascal Aussignac and Club Gascon, although this was actually my first visit to the restaurant. I’ve sampled their food at the Taste of London festivals and my Husband and I always said that we must visit the actual restaurant, imagine what the food would taste like from an actual plate in a dining room as opposed to a plastic dish in a park. So that’s exactly what we did and my husband booked us in for lunch on April fools day.
Beautifully artistic delicious plates of food. Even got to meet Chef Pascal in the kitchen. This is an amazing restaurant in the heart of Farringdon. I was a fan of Club Gascon from trying dishes at a London food festival, am an even bigger fan since visiting the restaurant.
Michelin starred did you say? Bold French flavours too. It seems like the two go hand in hand and this is what was presented to me last week at Club Gascon.Club Gascon "specialises in imaginative cuisine from the South West of France". Gascon opened 1998 and the club also has a restaurant two minutes away called Comptoir Gascon and also there is the Cellar Gascon. The Club that we were in has received numerous accolades including one Michelin star (since 2002), so we felt a bit special walking in.
When I sadly left my old job at 2K at the end of last year, I was given a wonderful leaving gift – a champagne lunch for two people at Club Gascon – they know me very well!!. Tim and I went along to the restaurant in Farringdon a few weeks ago, during our lunch break. As a Michelin-starred French restaurant, the service is impeccable, as you would expect. But it was, without a doubt, the best lunch break I’ve ever had!
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Despite getting slightly confused by the layout of West Smithfield (as usual) I had a really lovely evening in Cellar Gascon a few nights ago, and must recommend it to anyone in the area looking for a sophisticated tipple and Michelin quality snacks.
Cellar Gascon is the wine-bar little-brother of Club Gascon, Pascal Aussingnac’s Michelin-starred SW-French restaurant next door. They have their fingers in various pies, having recently launched pop-up Duck’n’Roll (a fabulous addition to Street Feast) and also running Comptoir Gascon, Cigalon and Baranis.
The wine bar was relaxed, with couples, some suits and a few small groups making it chilled but busy enough on a Thursday evening. We got cracking with the wine of the week, a delicious Languedoc Cepage Rolle 13, for £27 a bottle. They change them every week and put real effort into sourcing a stellar list, and many are exclusive to the venue. This one was soft and fruity, not too heavy and inherently drinkable.
Food followed, and is a menu of small plates to compliment the wines. I loved our gorgeous board of cured meats, a cheeseboard arranged in the order in which you should eat them, and a little bonus at the end of duck pastrami with black garlic aioli. The pastrami was rich and salty, and the aioli packed a punch but without any harshness – I could’ve eaten both all day.
Despite the quality food is reasonable, and they do an express lunch for £6, add £3 for starter, dessert or cheese and £2 for wine. I wish I worked closer.
I've tried the lunch menu - it is incredible value for money. The menu I'm told changes frequently, but if you see the "Marmite" foie gras on the menu, or the wild duck - you won't go wrong - these were both excellent.
Went there for lunch. Couldn't imagine to find a 3 course meal for £25 in a Michelin starred restaurant. It was delicious - full of interesting flavour.
The service was impeccable especially since we only had one hour to eat.
Food and service are top notch. Especially the food has a nice creative twist with interesting and outstanding taste. The Chef's special menu is a very good compromise in terms of price (28GBP/person), however the whole dinner will not be less than 50/each as the wine are all above 30GBP.
Place is highly recommended!
First time visitor, had the vegetarian, 6 course menu, which was absolutely amazing.
Dish of the meal, was the stuffed courgette flowers.Came with the most amazing smoked bread, and that green sauce! Divine, never had a sauce as smooth as that. Overall the experience was nothing but excellent.
Staff were also very nice and talkative, explaining about the food, history of the restaurant and feelings of the chef. No rushing at all, atmosphere was amazing, we were actually the first people in for the evening so the place was completely empty and lovely. There was nice and relaxing background music.
Found the portion size to be a overall excellent (just a tinsy bit too much, but we tend to eat less than average) and you definitely will be fed after. As besides the courses there are other little bits and bobs.
Will be looking to return, though it is definitely several times above our usual price range for a meal out, the taste and experience was worth it for a very special occasion.
I found this place while researching London. It’s one Michelin star and certainly deserves it.
When we arrived, we were promptly greeted.
The place was quiet for our 6:45 pm reservation, but filled up within an hour.
We reserved the four course meal for 85.00 EURO each. It was terrific.
The food is tasty and well presented. The tulip with quinoa is unusual and presented with thought and care. It’s neat.
The other dishes were flavorful and subtle. The desert was great, especially the cheese filled macaroon.
The service is exceptional. The waiters and head waitress (a red haired woman who was awesome) are top notch!
Overall bill: About 330.00 EURO which includes four glasses of champagne.
Try it today!
Simply delicious. We had the A la carte lunch. The menu was a fusion of their old classic dishes and new ones to celebrate their 25th birthday. The duck was the best duck I've ever eaten.
My first visit here and highly recommended. Had the eight course tasting menu with wine pairing. Each dish was incredibly creative, beautifully presented and, above all else, tasted wonderful.
The staff were attentive, very professional, and really friendly. Not remotely stuffy, as some high-end restaurants can be. It felt like a small, family-run restaurant, albeit with a Michelin star. Expensive, but worth it if you are lucky enough to be able to afford it.
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Food was great, had the 8 course tasting menu and only disliked one dish - neither of us liked the frosted rock, tasted like pink dish soap.
As others have posted, you are paying a lot for the menu and this comes with high expectation of service level and food. And this really feel short. It was very good but just not that 5 star level it should be based on price.
The two servers were very nice and the one lady was great. And, if this was a regular restaurant and we were having a 3 course meal I would not have a problem with the service. For a MICHELIN start restaurant the service fell short. The restaurant needs a least another server to help; the two people seemed really overwhelmed and could not maintain the level of service necessary. Plates were left on the table after done eating far too long, we had to ask repeatedly for another glass of wine, pacing of dishes was off, etc. It is all these minor points which differentiate a restaurant from 8/10 to 10/10. it is the difference between a really nice and 5 star.
The restaurant has been there for 25 years so I am sure it will be fine despite my review, but customers should be aware this it not a 5 star Michelin restaurant anymore.
I probably missed out by choosing a 6-course menu rather than the full 8.
Specifically the attendant was very considerate. I wanted to avoid lactose although not strictly diary free. So they accommodated by changing certain dishes to vege.
In general the vibe is good for chatting and not too formal. tastes is balanced and portion is fitness-friendly. Layout is also quite creative. Truly a feast for both stomach and eyes.
Not cheap but worth a treat sometimes.
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Prior to coming to Club Gascon I was extremely exited to dine at a French Michelin starred restaurant in London and my expectations were extremely high. I knew I wouldn’t be able to maximise my experience by opting for the tasting menu because it limits what you can eat and you end up having the same dishes as your partner or whoever you’re dining with. However, I really enjoyed the restaurant and the staff treated us with the highest level of professionalism I had ever experienced in London. The tasting menu food was so clever in its presentation and flavour combinations. The starter of bread and flavoured butter was so good it left me wanting more but it would’ve been too filling if I had more. The classic French flavours and methods of cooking were masterfully done by the chefs and the waiters did a great job explaining every single element on each plate. I highly recommend this restaurant but some may not enjoy it as much if they choose the tasting menu. If you are able to afford the full menu and drink pairings then this would be a Michelin starred restaurant to remember.
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The good:
You can see the chef pours his heart into the restaurant. His personality shines through in every little detail: the decor, flowers, and the theme of autumn that transpires through the plating and dishes.
The amouse bouche gives you a wonderful taste of what’s to come. The taste of autumn vegetables together with an explosion of tomatoes and melon leaves you wanting more. The highlights of this 6 course tasting menu for me were definitely the cauliflower carpaccio where every bite sings with flavor and the venison which melted in your mouth.
I’d like to note the thoughtfulness of the chef who offered a sauce replacement for the Guinness and oyster sauce because I was intolerant to fish and seafood. Quite a nice touch that I really appreciated.
Our red wine skillfully picked by the somelier worked brilliantly with the full menu and the pink champagne was excellent.
We booked this for my birthday and it was lovely to receive a hand written card from the chef and the staff, wishing me a happy birthday. I found it a very hearty and lovely touch to the experience especially since the picture on the card was drawn by one of the restaurant’s staff (very talented).
The interesting:
The duck foie gras was an interesting one. It was the first time I tasted it warm and it felt a bit heavy for me.
However, the fig and fourme and the pimm’s delicacy felt tasteless in a stark contrast with the beginning of the menu. At first we thought that maybe it wasn’t to our personal liking but we heard the tables around us share the same conversations that we had.
Most of the staff was really friendly and fun with one exception, but we all sometimes have bad days so I can’t judge.
Overall it was a good experience and if you want to see the full creativity of the chef on each plate, then this is the place to go.
Overall experience was great service, fantastic and careful display, but ordinary dishes… we had one vegetarian and one non-veg menu. The vegetarian was better in taste.
Atmosphere was cosy and dim light, making the dinner intimate.
For food: the starters and chef selection were fantastic, would give 5/5. The bread and butter was mind blowing, we couldn’t help but had to ask for more and more. The main courses were big in portion, for the foie gras specifically, it’s very heavy. Wasn’t amazed by ingredients or combination of cooking method. Overall the dishes in the vegetarian menu were lighter and more refreshing
The menu is so interesting, I had forgotten how sophisticated food could be after COVID. The foies gras flan was the most interesting treatment, the creamy richness of the liver was paired perfectly with thin slices of peeled cranberries. The sorbet was served on a block of Himalayan salt which added the perfect counterpoint to the sweet dessert. The cassoulet had all the rich complex flavors of the dish in a tiny artistic package.
The wine pairings were outstanding, but the service puts this place at the top. Francesca was just so lovely and introduced us to the unbelievably talented and gracious chef. Club Gascon made celebrating our 20th anniversary unforgettable in the best way, they are awesome!
I was visiting a friend in hospital nearby. I remembered the restaurant from the early 2000 and thought I'd take a look. I have the most amazing memories of a few of their famous dishes. So I went in and asked about them. I spoke to the amazing maitre D Francesca and asked if it was at all possible to eat.... Well Francesca went above and beyond to accommodate me and had the most marvelous time...
Thank you to all the staff and kitchen.
Exquisite food & the best service we have ever received from a London high-end restaurant. Much thanks to the team for a memorable gastronomy experience for a special occasion. We left feeling not only very full after the 8 course tasting menu, which was just truly amazing! We also left feeling it was a local restaurant that we've been going to for years...
My boyfriend took me to the restaurant to celebrate our anniversary here💕. It was a great place! The decorations, music, and service are perfect. My first Michelin experience! Amazing and unforgettable! Desserts and starters are fully of surprise🌷🍂🌿. We took a lot of photos, and you never know what you will get finally! Thank you, Pascal, thank you, my dearest 🐵.
Came here last year; the food was amazing. The sommelier was so informative and gave the best recommendations.
The Foie Gras was honestly mouth watering… still think about it till this day 10/10
The authenticity and quality of food that Chef Pascal is putting in every single detail is worth more than 1 Michelin star! The entire staff with the excellent Restaurant Manager Francesca are ensuring that you will have the best experience ever, this restaurant is definitely worth a try given also the prices for tasting menus which are really good for London. A taste of Gascon away from Gascon.
Had a very nice birthday meal @clubgascon the restaurant being a lot smaller than expected was smart and warm looking, the service was friendly and chatty and the food tasty with some unusual combination (Pigeon and popcorn). We had the 5 course and 2 of the course were fantastic but the others still being nice didn't blow us away but the Pre & Post dishes were very nice. So i would recommend this restaurant for any special occasion and if you like unusual flavour.
Really excellent food and dining service with a good interior. Staff were professional at explaining the menu as well as making guests feel welcome. Prices for the dishes are pricy but not too expensive, I would say its definitely worth every penny and not overpriced. If you haven't tried this place I would strongly reccomend you to.
It is no surprise this place is Michelin star
P. S. bacon flavoured butter was yummy.
Edit: came back a few years later and while service is great we felt that the value was not as good as before, this was mainly due to the menu for 2022 summer, while the place is still good we found polystyrene in one of our dishes? Again the food is very interesting and sophisticated but sometimes some of the flavour compositions were a bit too out there for our liking.
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