Twice a year, No.3 St James’s Street plays host to one of the most reputable culinary names of the day: Michel Roux. Here, we talk to our Experiences Team Leader, Michael Dabbs, about setting up such a unique event, and what those lucky enough to get a ticket can look forward to.

Twice a year, we hold a very special event. Our most exclusive dining room’s doors are laid open, iconic bottles of wine are uncorked, and our team hand over the keys to our kitchens to visitors – visitors spearheaded by a legendary figure in culinary history.

An iconic chef

Everyone even slightly familiar with London’s food scene will know the name “Michel Roux Jr.”. His father and uncle, Albert and Michel Roux, came to the city in the 1950s, and opened their famous operation Le Gavroche in 1967.

While Le Gavroche closed early last year, its name still inspires wistful reminiscences amongst those lucky enough to have enjoyed its plethora of dishes: Soufflé Suissesse, Le Caneton Gavroche or Omelette Rothschild.

What was notable for wine lovers, though, was the quality and calibre of Le Gavroche’s wine list.

“They were well known initially for bringing a very French attitude to the London hospitality and restaurant scene,” says Michael Dabbs, our Experiences Team Leader, and the person who helps host our biannual Michel Roux dinners today. “So, sourcing the best French ingredients and importing them – and obviously that went for the food ingredients, but also for the wine as well. But, they always took a view that they would buy wine to store.”

The list was filled with iconic French wine that had seen the benefit of a little age. “You’d be able to order something that was more at the level of maturity that people would want to find.”

Continuing the tradition

We first asked Michel Roux and his team to cook for a dinner at No.3 decades ago. Unsurprisingly, given the theme of Le Gavroche’s wine list – the tradition of serving aged French wines to accompany Michel’s food continued here, too.

Historically, “aged French wine” meant First Growth Bordeaux, in this context. Now, though, Michael has encouraged Michel to branch out. “We’ve expanded it to include really amazing Champagne, really amazing white wines from the Loire, red and whites from Burgundy or the Rhône – although we always have a Château d’Yquem to finish.”

What caused the change? “Well, with the First Growth Bordeaux, it was always quite apparent that people were having to eat things like fish with red Bordeaux. It’s not impossible – but it maybe doesn’t go quite as well. You got the sense that people thought it was a little bit incongruous.”

A feast of fine food

So, aside from a spectacular line-up of wines, what can those who have secured a ticket to one of these dinners expect?

The night itself is fairly straightforward. Our own chefs vacate the kitchen for a night, making way for Michel Roux and his team – who, prepped and ready, promptly get to work, cooking some of the most delicious courses you could imagine. Upstairs in our old shop, Champagne bottles aplenty are popped and conversations begin to flow, as our guests arrive. Michel is introduced, as are his team – and then, the feasting commences.

The dinners are held in our Directors’ Dining Room, our most private events space – to the extent that the majority of colleagues aren’t allowed to enter it without express permission from the Berry or Rudd families. The room seats only 12; these dinners are nothing if not exclusive.

Once sat, guests are treated to Michel’s own cooking, just as fine as it was in the days of Le Gavroche. “I steer the courses, and every now and then Michel will pop into the room,” says Michael. “He’ll finish a dish, either with a sauce or coming around with a great truffle.”

After guests have eaten their fill, Michel joins them, and spends time with each person – answering any questions they might have.

Looking forward

Tonight will mark the latest of these dinners. As you read, Michael is in the midst of overseeing preparations: under his watchful eye, wines are being opened, tasted and decanted. The Champagne is on ice; the table is being laid – and below the surface of St. James’s Street, a legendary kitchen team are already beginning to cook up a storm. The exact menu and wine list will remain a secret until later. But, we can safely say, it’s guaranteed that both will be as outstanding as Michel Roux himself.

Our next dinner with Michel Roux will be hosted later this year. Sign up to our emails to stay in-the-know and secure a ticket for yourself.