L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

Address:	13-15 West Street WC2H 9NE
Tel	020 7010 8600
Email:	info@joelrobuchon.co.uk
Website:	Visit their website
Price: £66.00	Wine: £18.00	Champagne: £44.00
Opening Hours:	Mon-Sun 12N-2.30pm 5.30pm-10.30pm (Sun -10.30pm)

Square Meal review of L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon:

One of the capital’s most impressive wining & dining propositions, L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon comprises two restaurants & Le Salon Bar (see separate review) set over three storeys. The ground floor L’Atelier is where the real action is; a slick (but very dark) Japanese-inspired red & black dining room where diners perch on stools overlooking an open kitchen. Meals are made up of a series of faultlessly executed grazing dishes that display astute & assured flavours: a plate of plump Palourdes clams stuffed with garlic & mushrooms, a deliciously decadent mini foie gras burger, & teppanyaki-grilled calf’s sweetbread studded with a bay leaf are among the highlights. Efficient staff offer menu guidance, but while L’Atelier has been applauded on almost all fronts, there is one area which receives unanimous criticism: exceptionally high prices that leave many visitors concluding that they’d ‘only return as long as someone else was paying’ – though a new set lunch menu (two/three courses for £27/£35) does offer a cheaper way in. Upstairs, La Cuisine serves three-course meals from a similar menu in a more traditional, but less appealing, setting.

Wine List: As you might expect from Joel Robuchon’s name, this mid-sized & expertly chosen list is dominated by France. It’s laid out regionally &, as well as the classic French regions, the selection from the south and south west really stands out. There are also notable wines from Italy and Australia. Choice, however, is limited unless you’re prepared to spend more than £40. Best Buy White 2006 Valencay, Domaine Sebastian Vaillant, Loire Valley, France, £28. Best Buy Red 1999 Chateau Bouscasse, Madiran, France, £30.

Chef: Joel Robuchon

Born in Poitiers in 1945, Joel Robuchon originally intended to join the priesthood. But family difficulties forced him to find work & at 15 he took on an apprenticeship at the Relais de Poitiers. In 1966 Robuchon became the official chef of La Tour de France, where he learnt a variety of diverse regional techniques. At 28, he became head chef at Harmony-Lafayette, overseeing 3,000 meals a day. In 1981 he launched Jamin in Paris & within three years had received three Michelin stars. In 1996 he left his Parisian restaurant, but maintained the direction of L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Tokyo. He opened another L’Atelier in Paris in 2003 & has since established Ateliers in Las Vegas, New York & London.

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