Gauthier Soho

Not vegetarian only (as it is listed here) and not even vegetarian friendly. His vegetable menu, which looks vegetarian, often includes dishes cooked in meat juices (see several articles to this effect on the net, try WSJ. If you don't make that clear on the menu (as he doesn't) that's about as unfriendly to vegetarians as you can get.

We eat out a lot, at good restaurants, in London, and Gauthier is the best, really, the best. If you haven't tried it then do. If money is a budget then try the set lunch menu, and go from there. Almost don't want to write this review because I always want to get a table there, but, they really deserve a wonderful review, we've been so many times. And Chef Alexis Gauthier has the most talented Sommelier, Roberto Della Pietra, with such reasonably priced knowledge, a joy! Enjoy. (We sound like we are in the ‘business’, but we really are not, can't exactly give out our phone number to prove the point, just see for yourself).

It is rather like visiting someone's house where you have to ring the bell to enter, dine in their sitting room and come across their secret liking for camp art in the loos, all of which I found somewhat pretentious and rather odd. Service was chaotic and every waiter seemed to wait on every table without communicating with each other about what stage of the meal the guests were at. This meant that we were served our first three courses within an hour, then had to wait an hour for the fourth course and then, having waited 45 minutes after our pudding plates had been cleared away for someone to offer us tea or coffee (which they never did), I got bored and asked for the bill. Some of the food such as the lamb and the truffle risotto was very good and tasty. However, some of the food was at best luke warm, the scallops were tasteless and the mango pudding was akin to mango puree made for a baby with a coconut ice-cream bomb you could buy in the supermarket. The saving grace and real asset of this restaurant is the sommelier. We asked him to suggest a wine for each dish and not only did he came up trumps, I would go as far as to say that he rescued many of the dishes from being complete disasters. One surprising and very positive thing about the restaurant is the cost; 5 courses plus wines to match each dish and including service was about £100 per head. To be perfectly honest, Mr Gauthier has always been one of my culinary heroes, I know he has an abundance of talent but it just has not come out to shine in this restaurant yet. I really do hope that the issues I came up against are simply teething problems and Mr Gauthier shows Soho what he is really capable of very soon.

distinctly underwhelmed…

menu confusing and the method of ordering seemed chaotic…

staff a mixture of french arrogance and indifference… no one looked happy to be working there…staff looked stressed…

food was over complex, portions too small, and courses were either cold or in the case of the risotto too hot (seemed microwave hot)

service was poor and slow…used plates not cleared swiftly enough… suggest you do not take larger parties if you can't cope

ordered Desert Wine, not chilled…

Gaulthier is discretely located in a characterful townhouse, in a surprisingly quiet Soho side street. The downstairs dining room is small and intimate, and has been simply updated and modernised.

Our small taster portions were innovative and interesting variants on traditional French cuisine – very refined and surprisingly light, with delicate flavours. Everything was beautifully presented. Our fois gras fondant and seabass / squid dishes were extremely good. Tasty, but very subtle. Our piglet was less appealing, and in comparison with the other dishes was rather bland. Dessert was very enjoyable. The cheese was good, but not great – I'm afraid I'm a big fan of the big cheese board. Overall, a good hit rate. We received good explanations of each dish as they were served.

Service was efficient and friendly, and there were certainly lots of staff around, especially given the limited space ! We were particularly impressed with the sommelier, who was extremely helpful and informative. His choices were interesting, but most importantly (all but one) were delicious and superbly matched with the food.

Four taster dishes (to be equivalent to a starter + main) will be circa £110 for 2, inc service. Worth trying the tasting menu at c£65 pp. With suitable drinks, expect a total of c£250+. Seems fair value given the quality.

A good choice for a sophisticated and modern take on classic French food, with nicely professional but not over formal service. Recommended. We will return to try some different dishes.

A fantastic little place which is big on quality and value for money. The ability to mix the menu and courses to suit every budget should increase the level of customers who may shy away from the more expensive Michelin starred restaurants.

I felt the food was exceptional and the attention to detail the same. However my only complaint was the appearance of too many staff who were unaware of their roles. At points there seemed to be staff just standing waiting to be told what to do from the maitre d. Whilst looking to more superior house staff may be expected, to look so at a loss to your task is worrying from such a standard of establishment.

Overall would certainly return and would look forward to it.

Delightful restaurant, I have been several times and the service and food have always excelled. The pre-theatre menu is exceptional value for money and is a good sampler of Gauthier food. The tasting menu is delightful, the presentation and food and the service is everything that you want in a restaurant.

At Gauthier, they make great service, food and wine look easy. Staff worry for you and make your evening an elegant and fun experience.

I was invited by Chef Gauthier to re-visit Gauthier as his guest in lieu of the below, rather unfortunate meal and my 2nd visit, the food was just as fantastic as the first visit but naturally the service was greatly improved. We dined in the first floor dining room (a much better alternative to those who dont want to hear the constant ringing of a doorbell) and the whole affair was incredibly difference to our initial dining experience. It was exactly the kind of experience I would have expected from a Chef Patron like Gauthier, impeccable service, flawless food and wine pairings and a very enjoyable evening overall. I would highly recommend Gauthier Soho based on my second visit – 14th November 2010.
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I hate the fact that you have to ring the bell to be let in to Gauthier, like it is some exclusive private club that is inaccesible, when simply a phonecall will ensure you have a table here. Even more frustrating is that virtually all through the evening, the doorbell rings almost constantly. Service is nothing short of a complete and utter farce. They claim to offer complimentary still/sparkling water to all guests, yet getting a single glass of the stuff would be a fine thing. We had to ask 4 times for top ups throughout the evening and once he did actually make it over to our table, he carelessly sloshed water into our glasses like we were at some cheap motorway service station.

Service aside, the food is fantastic, of which there is no denying. A starter of Foie Gras was seared to perfection with a sweet sauce and plump raisins scattered across the plate. The Autumn truffle risotto was also excellent, rice perfectly al dente bound in a creamy, rich sauce pungent with white truffle oil and topped with an absurd and flavourless mass of shaved truffle. This truffle-less-truffle seems to be shaved onto virtually every dish throughout the evening. Not unpleasant, just not particularly imparting any flavour either. The seabass with clams and artichoke puree paled in comparison to the previous two courses with an underseasoned, sludgy puree and an unrecognisable cut of seabass that lacked the delicate nature that seabass has. Service remained unattentive with no wine or water at the table at one point, despite it being ordered.

Our main course took a whole hour to arrive which was beyond ridiculous. When speaking to the manager about it, though he did apologise, there seemed to be little interest and his remedy was to send a waiter over with bread which was laughable if not a tad patronising. The main course finally arrived with thick slices of venison fillet, perfectly rare accompanied by williams pear, truffled savoy cabbage and a bizarre chunk of bland pumpkin, which did the dish no harm. Full marks for the venison and overall there is little doubt that Alexis Gauthier's style of cooking is very impressive indeed, however the kitchen are a little slow, to say the least and the front of house definitely let the whole experience down greatly. We didn't bother with dessert in the event we would have to wait another hour and I can confidently say that I shall not be returning to Gauthier again. Whilst the cooking is technically very good and in some cases even faultless, the overall experience was a disappointment and somewhere between the constant ringing of the door bell and being ignored by the wait staff, my patience took a leave of absence.

Unfortunately my meal in one of the private dining rooms to celebrate a friends birthday on Saturday wasn't a patch on the pleasant meals that I've had at Roussillon.

Our waiter was clearly out of his depth. He did not explain the dishes; he failed to recharge our wine glasses; he did not explain why we were waiting 45 minutes for our main course, or why it was stone cold when it finally arrived.

The other private dining room next door had similar problems, although they were a lot more animated and had to come out of the room and shout downstairs to attract some service!

One of my companions eventually managed to get a weak explanation that the restaurant had problems.. as if we hadn't noticed. I still do not know what they were, but the outcome of them was shocking.

Thoroughly disappointed by the whole sorry affair.

The prix fixe lunch of 3 courses (including half a bottle of wine) is tremendous value, given the quality of the cooking and all the ‘extras’ (divine madeleines to die for). Elegant surroundings and reserved, but very charming, service. We shall be back.

This is a little cracker of a restaurant which hasn't been overwelmed by cliche's and media types! the food is amazing… looks beautiful and tastes even better. The staff were helpful and not too attentive; and the whole experience was very relaxing. We had a great time and I'm looking forward to going back to try a few more courses.

Visited Gauthier yesterday for a client lunch and I am happy to report a fine dining experience. The key to making this such a pleasant encounter was the attention to detail and the service.
The food was delicious and each course was met with mini taster courses in between. I had the scallops for starter and the lamb for main. Both did not disappoint. The cooking was excellent as was the presentation. There is an extensive wine list too and we washed the meal down with a fantastic Pinot Grigio. Afters was the cheese board which left us on a massive high. Definitely recommended is the cheese with the black truffle – potent but amazing!
The venue itself is a converted townhouse with an intimate atmosphere and I for one will be using this restaurant as a regular place for business and pleasure.

My wife and I eat in Gauthier restaurant on Saturday night and what an experience it was fantastic.
The food the service the atmosphere was sublime.
Give yourself a treat and book a table.
First class!!