Roussillon

We were very disappointed on our last visit to Roussillon.

Despite having had several excellent meals over the last few years we returned to find that the meal did not impress.

The crab option sounded marvellous but there was literally only a spec of crab and very much nouvelle cuisine micro portions. At over £150 per person with wine I would be unlikely to return
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5 Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 3
Thursday, September 23, 2010

Menu filled with cheap ingredients. We will not go again.
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Mark
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Thursday, August 26, 2010

My wife and I visited Roussillon last night for a special celebration dinner, having just got married. When booking I didn't realise that Alexis Gauthier has left - and when we read the below reviews on the day of the visit, we considered cancelling, but decided to go ahead. Luckily we didn't experience any of the below service problems. We both had the tasting menu, and the gap between finishing one course and being served the next was always around 5-10 minutes.

Most of the food was hard to fault. The selection of bread was second to none, and each piece was light and delicious. We particularly enjoyed the nutty super-rich truffle risotto, the cod & pea, and the lamb which had been slowly poached at a low temperature (although the accompanying sweetbreads were a little over-cooked and tasteless). The foie gras and cod dishes were also very tasty indeed. However, neither of us were really taken with the carrot cake, which was over-spiced and came with a strange tasting sorbet.

The wine list has something to suit most budgets, there is a reasonable selection around the £30 mark.

The price is right up there with some of the most expensive restaurants around, value for money is very subjective when you're spending over £100 per head for dinner. But it was a very enjoyable meal, and I'm glad we didn't cancel.
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Jeremy
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, August 17, 2010

We travelled back from the states (after 10 months absence from the UK) and we were looking forward to visit Roussillon again. I didn't recognise anyone from the front of house! The service was lousy, also very disappointed with the quality of the food and all at very high bill.

At the end of the evening I asked to a young waiter if the chef Alexis was working and he didn't know who Alexis was (no manager to be seen, another waiter processed our bill) We decided not to make a scene because I was dining with a very good friend of ours and dropped the matter.

I did call the restaurant the next day because I wanted to talk to the chef Alexis Gauthier to express my disappointment but I was told he wasn't in that day. After a 5 minutes search I learned that Alexis Gauthier (his sous chef Gerard Virolle and the sommelier Roberto Della Pietra) have left Roussillon to embark on a new venture in Soho! And also the restaurant website states that Alexis Gauthier is still cooking...when clearly he's not involved any longer!

They are either lying or the staff (and web designer) genuinely didn't receive the "memo".

We will not go again.
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Jessica
3 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Sunday, August 01, 2010

I went for dinner with two very good friends (both Michelin starred chefs in Paris) and we left very disappointed, we visited Roussillon at least once a year for the past 3 years but what happened to this place? we knew that the head chef and sommelier left but we wanted to try it anyway; it was a disaster.

service was slow and unprofessional (I didn't recognise anyone on the front of house), the food just not good enough at £60 for 3course (£25 supplement for an oily truffle risotto??? Truffle is very cheap at the moment!!! how much are they going to charge in october/november?)

The wine list is messy and compiled with no care and few mistakes; Vin de Laurence, Mas Daumas Gassac just became a Banyuls? to mention one.

This place is a shadow of its former self. A pity because we really loved this place.
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Rebecca H
2 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Saturday, July 17, 2010

Woeful. A stern greeting from the maitre d' followed by over an hour wait for our starters. There was clearly discord amongst the staff and despite the attempts of one of the English waiters to lighten the mood with flippant comments and general tomfoolery this was not the mark of a professional restaurant.

When the straters did arrive the scallops were moist and sweet and the truffle risotto superb. But the main courses were tepid and the poor level of service ruined what should have been a great evening. We were not charged for our wine (generous) but charged in full for the service (ironic ?) ! We shant be returning.
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3 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 3
Wednesday, July 07, 2010

The really good just got even better. Old chef was good but set in his ways. Now there is a new young chef at Roussillon whose brilliant combinations of flavors and imaginative touches will send me back to Roussillon again and again. All of the good things about the restaurant remain - great personal service and charm, perfectly cooked vegetables, and a light touch with the food. BUT NOW, there are so many wonderful surprises in every new dish. And it doesn't hurt to have talented and lovely Samantha overseeing the staff.
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Chelsea Lady - View all reviews by this user
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, May 15, 2010

Alexis Gauthier is a chef with one of the deftest and most skillful touches in the capital. Every dish on his 8 course degustation was sublimely executed. Whilst some michelin starred establishments try and make their status an excuse for over fussiness and pretentiousness, Gauthier simply gives his superb ingredients the gentle elegant touches they deserve to blossom into heavenly culinary delights. Highlights included sumptuous pan fried foie gras with fresh ginger port and duck egg souffle, silky and delicious black truffle risotto and of course the Louis XV chocolate praline and goldleaf desert whose fame is well deserved. Perhaps somewhat uncharacteristically for a French restaurant, vegetarians are extremely well catered for as well with their own well thought out and perfectly executed Menu Legumes. Overall this is a top contender for the best restaurant in London, the masterful food and impeccable service make it very hard to beat.
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Dan Coen - View all reviews by this user
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, April 01, 2010

I had lunch there today and was surprised with the fantastic food and the exemplary service. I went for the £35 lunch menu which was excellent value. As I do not drink the bottled water and orange juice was free.

The restaurant was not too busy so I had a quiet lunch and the service was attentive, not over zealous and the staff where very friendly and chatty.

The tables are reasonably far apart and the room is light and has a warm feel. The amuse-bouches were interesting while the main dishes were delicious, especially the pork two ways which was beautifully cooked.
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Mr CM - View all reviews by this user
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, March 05, 2010

Have been wanting to try this resto out for ages and after reading the negative comments on this site, I was rather concerned it'd turn out to be a disappointing experience. The problem is everyone's taste/expectations are different and from past experience, you just can't trust soley on the general public's reviews......from restaurants to hotels etc, there are always people who 1) have a lack of understanding on quality hence a skewed benchmark 2) simple bad taste. So my suggestion to you is to ignore the bad reviews and try this restaurant out.

My friend and I had the Menu d' Hiver.....8 courses for £78. Langoustine bisque with clam/crab tortellini was rich and intense, perfect first course to kickstart the appetite. Then came 3 versions of Foie Gras - duck egg souffle, pan fried and terrine. No need to describe this dish, as you can imagine, it's quality foie gras and textures delightful, tastes sublime. (it was rather rich though, but I'm not complaining yet). Next came black truffle risotto, their signature dish. They do not skimp of truffles and with the brown butter, every mouthful was heavenly. I was quite satisfied by now and I normally eat loads. Next came halibut, fresh, well executed with sauteed chanterelles.....then beef dish, perfectly cooked (as you'd expect, sauce was rounded but there were some olives there which didn't quite go......Now I was definitely satisfied and had 3 more courses to go. Cheese dish, desert with orangey things and an excellent blood orange sorbet, then a chocolate praline thing. It was all delicious. Try it out.....service was great too so don't be put off. It's worth the money, the food is great, the people are as professional as other good restaurants so I would encourage anyone to try it out.
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lobster
9 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Friday, January 29, 2010