Michel Roux Jr. Is Turning A Family Business Into Fine Dining

Only 7 years old when Le Gavroche opened in 1967 under owners Michel and Albert Roux, Michel Roux Jr. had big shoes to fill once he took the reigns of the restaurant in 1991. Following in the footsteps of his father and uncle, Michel Jr. has turned this famed restaurant into a British culinary masterpiece. 

Inspired by the character Gavroche from Les Miserables, Le Gavroche has seen enormous success. In 1982, it became the first U.K. restaurant to receive three Michelin stars, and was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having served the most expensive meal per head ($20,945). 

Michel Jr., however, became immersed in the world of cooking at an early age. First, he worked under his father and uncle at Le Gavroche from the summer of 1979 until early 1980, before going to work as a trainee under Alain Chapel at his hotel and restaurant near Lyon.

After acquiring basic military training in the early 1980s and learning accountancy at Finlay Robertson, he accepted chef positions at Gavvers, La Tante Claire, and the Mandarin Hotel. In 1985, he joined his uncle at the Waterside Inn before returning to Le Gavroche in 1990, where he became head chef in 1991 and officially took control of the business when his father retired in 1993.

Since then, Le Gavroche has continued to blossom into one of the most renowned restaurants in London, with signature seasonal dishes of classic French food with a modern twist. Some include a cheese soufflé baked on double cream, a whole poached duck in a light consommé served with three sauces, and their famous "Omelette Rothschild." We can't help but marvel that Le Gavroche, under Michel Jr.'s control, has continued to maintain its tremendous reputation among both diners and critics for truly excellent food.