The Square, Le Gavroche, or Sketch?

[Hallie]

Of course this is all contingent upon securing a booking for a Tuesday night in roughly a month's time from now. Which would you recommend for an intimate, not-too-stuffy, dinner a deux for someone regretting turning 35?

I've not tried any of these before.

[muichoi]

If you're a wine lover, The Square-fantastic and well priced list. I'm not terribly impressed with the food. Le Gavroche is a wonderful old-fashioned restaurant that should not be underestimated, and some wine bargains to be had. haven't been to Sketch.

[alexw]

The Square and Gavroche are great and possible to save up to go to.

I had to wait till my remortgage came through to do a sketch dinner though

Fabulous meal though, even if the bill still haunts my dreams

[Jon Tseng]

If I want to be comfortable and pampered I would choose Gavroche

If I wanted to *experience* something I can't get anywhere else in town I'd go for Sketch

Unfortunately The Square, no slight intended, falls somewhere in between

J

Edited March 24, 2006 by Jon Tseng (log)

[Punjuna]

Sketch, no question

[Mrs Foodie]

There would be no decision in my opinion - Le Gavroche wins hands down - as well as great food and wine, the service is impeccable

[Bapi]

Hi Hallie. Long time- no hear.

For an intimate dinner -I would opt for Le Gavroche too.

I have never eaten at Sketch but of the three people I know who have eaten there- none have had any inclination to ever go back.

[Hallie]

Hummm. Been looking at menus of all three.

Of course, my first choice is Royal Hospital Road but as we've been told that we have to ring precisely at 9am, exactly one month before the day we want a table or we haven't a snowball's chance in hell of getting in, I have to come up with an exciting alternative.

Le Gavroche seems to be winning, but the menu at the Square sounds more inventive. Am I right in thinking that Gavroche is more traditional and the square more innovative?

[Bapi]

Hummm. Been looking at menus of all three.

Of course, my first choice is Royal Hospital Road but as we've been told that we have to ring precisely at 9am, exactly one month before the day we want a table or we haven't a snowball's chance in hell of getting in, I have to come up with an exciting alternative.

Le Gavroche seems to be winning, but the menu at the Square sounds more inventive. Am I right in thinking that Gavroche is more traditional and the square more innovative?

←

Spot on Hallie. Le Gavroche is pure old school haute cuisine with the odd innovative flourish. It knows what it does well and sticks with it- which is admirable in this day and age. If you have never been- I would think this would be a good bet. The service is faultless- and pure theatre to watch. Note - they do still have the the ridiculously antiquated rule that Gentleman must wear their jackets at all times; even in the sweltering heat of summer.

[Nicolai]

Don't forget that Sketch is two different restaurants. You could start with drinks downstairs and have dinner upstairs and finish the party downstairs again at the Gallery.

So entertainment wise I would go for Sketch as I dread getting stuck in the same seat for all the evening.

Have fun wherever you go.

[Andy Lynes]

The Square will have had a bit of a refurb and a new menu launched by the time of your meal. I had Phil Howards food recently when he cooked at Northcote Manor and I was very impressed, but then I've always enjoyed what he does. For what its worth I'm booked in for the end of April so I guess of the three my choice would be The Square.

[GastroChick]

Personally I would go to the Gavroche because it has a real sense of occasion about it. I went there for my mothers fiftieth birthday, ten years ago and can still remember it being a wonderful experience.

[Rian]

Hi Hallie. Long time- no hear.

For an intimate dinner -I would opt for Le Gavroche too.

I have never eaten at Sketch but of the three people I know who have eaten there- none have had any inclination to ever go back.

←

I agree wholeheartedly with Bapi. I've been at Sketch (Gallery) and Le Gavroche in the last month, and the former was largely forgettable. We took the 'Matching food and wine' menu at Le Gavroche and it was a great evening. Classic combinations, impeccably prepared. As many have mentioned, the service is flawless: involved, intimate, but not intrusive. Generous, too: they must have topped up my wine glass at least 5 times, despite the fact that this was a 'glass per course' tasting menu.

And yes, be sure not to go crazy with the layers: it can get a little stuffy down there.

[Gavin Convery]

Greenhouse or Pied a Terre - both quite intimate. Fabulous winelist at the Greenhouse and inventive food at both.

Gavroche is a little stuffy but luxurious in the old style - food can be sometimes surprisingly hit and miss.

Sketch can be wonderful but I had two divergent experiences there.

I've tried to like the Square but always found the service incredibly poor and the food very "haute" but lacking some excitement.

[naebody]

I'd say the choice was pretty simple. It all depends on how you're taking to the big 3-5.

If you want to feel young, go to Sketch.

If you want to feel grown up, go to Garvoche.

If you want to feel numb, go to Square.

[Hallie]

I'd say the choice was pretty simple. It all depends on how you're taking to the big 3-5.

←

I'm not sure that I am taking to the big 3-5 at all. I've realised that in 15 years I'll be the big 5-0. And 15 years goes very quickly. Yikes.

Le Gavroche seems to be winning, but I'm very swayed by the Square's menu. The problem is that there's nothing so nice as really good service. Decisions decisions.

I've tried Pied a Terre - but pre-fire. Not been to the Glasshouse as Kew's a bit far out. Maybe one day.

Edited March 28, 2006 by Hallie (log)

[Gavin Convery]

Hallie - my suggestion was the Greenhouse which is in Mayfair...not far from Le Gavroche.

Hits the buttons for feeling grown-up and youngish at the same time. Service is very friendly but not always 100%

[Matthew Grant]

I personally would hold off on the Greenhouse until we see what effect the new chef is going to have on the food now that Bjorn van der Horst has "left".

[algy]

Went to le gavroche last night and ate off the carte.

It's not an "exciting" gastronomic experience, but probably isn't meant to be. Classicly inspired dishes, excellent ingredients, skilfully prepared. There's lots of service and the atmosphere is relaxed - the environment/decor is very "old school", almost to the point of self parody.

It can get very expensive, but that's probably my fault for drinking so much. The wine list is a masterpiece and, although it includes some stratospheric stuff, is also full of - for a restaurant like this - bargains. OK, relative bargains.

I hadn't been for years and won't rush back, but it was a pleasant evening (and that's not meant to be damning with faint praise).

Edited March 30, 2006 by algy (log)

[Bapi]

It can get very expensive, but that's probably my fault for drinking so much. The wine list is a masterpiece and, although it includes some stratospheric stuff, is also full of - for a restaurant like this - bargains. OK, relative bargains.

I hadn't been for years and won't rush back, but it was a pleasant evening (and that's not meant to be damning with faint praise).

←

algy -would you kindly give us an indication as to which bottles you thought were relative bargains please? I am always a little aghast at some of the mark-ups that high-end restaurants inflict upon us; so would welcome some advice about what to look for.

I would agree totally that this is an old-fashioned restaurant- but not about the old school environment verging on parody. But rather I think they know their market implicitly and and are making no attempt to conform to the vagaries of fashion.

[algy]

bapi - don't get me wrong, I like parody (self or otherwise). It just felt like going back 30 years in time. You're right about the clientele: they were loving the treatment and it was delivered brilliantly.

As to the wine list, I was very impressed by the coverage of french regional wines (both white and red) with mark ups that are less than in Ramsay's restaurants or The Capital or The Square. Alsace, Loire and Rhone also have reasonably priced, high quality wines in amongst the three figure numbers.

The Gavroche list is huge and offers far more choice than anything I've seen for ages (with a good range of half bottles too). Even in the traditional areas of Bordeaux and Burgundy, there are some relative bargains - Sarget de Gruaud Larose 2000 at £40 looked pretty good.

[grendelyn]

We are off to La Gavroche tonight, and will report back.

We were booked to go to the Greenhouse but had a massive stuff up with Toptable, who called at the last minute to say oops no tables, sorry. They tried to make it up (sort of) and got us the chef's table at Lindsay House. Unfortunately, they said it was in the main restaurant, which we didn't really dig, and by the time I found out it was the chef's table after all, it was really too late. Ah well. Next time I will not use TopTable and just make my own reservations. Stupid internet bookings, so convenient and seductive! I don't think I've ever actually heard anything about Lindsay House. Any thoughts?

After all, there will probably be another first Saturday in the week to celebrate soon.

[Andy Lynes]

I've had two really outstanding meals at Lindsay House over the last couple of months. I would recommend it highly but you have to take into account the fact that the restaurant is spread over about four floors and that the service inevitably suffers because of that. The new maitre'd is ex-Square and does a great job but even he can't be everywhere at once. Lunch at £27 for three courses is particularly good value.

Edited April 1, 2006 by Andy Lynes (log)

[Scott]

I personally would hold off on the Greenhouse until we see what effect the new chef is going to have on the food now that Bjorn van der Horst has "left".

←

I was at the greenhouse on Tuesday night, and whilst not having been before I'd be surprised if it was much different.

very annoyed at having predessert served with coffee

overall, exactly what you expect with the bonus of a truly historic cheese board and a heavily marked up wine list sans bargains.

[magnolia]

Haven't looked at the wine list at Square (when I was last there, I was with someone of the very old school who doesn't think ladies should bother their little heads about that kind of thing, and I didn't have the energy to argue). I can tell you that there are lots of bargains on the list at Le Gavroche, but what makes them a bargain is that not that they are inexpensive, just that the same wine on another high end wine list or in the open market (if you can even get it) will likely be much more. In fact, in a place like Le Gavroche, you will find much better value among the high end wines than you will at the lower end. At the lower end, upmarket restaurants tend to rip peoples' faces off - i.e. putting a far more obscene mark-up on their less expensive wines, because they know these will turn over faster than the more costly ones.

There are no such arbitrages on the wine list at Sketch.

I vote for Le Gav, it's a real birthday kind of place.

But I really cannot believe what they told you at RHR...book at Le Gav as Plan A, and then if you want to test the theory, try to book as well at RHR, be really nice, if it's a guy who answers the phone, put on a more American accent, say it's a special birthday, say you know how popular the restaurant is but perhaps someone has cancelled...

Edited April 2, 2006 by magnolia (log)