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21 Romilly St, Soho, London W1D 5AF, Elamanchili
Intimate dining on 3 floors of Regency townhouse, starring Alexis Gauthier's modern French cuisine.
A very nice restaurant and menu, with the wine pairing it becomes absolute perfection!
The best dining experience I have ever had as a vegan. Incredible food and the sommelier deserves a special mention for her knowledge, descriptions and personality.
One of the best culinary experiences I’ve ever had.Creative, fine and inspiring food.GREAT value for money.Must have for any vegan tourist (or local).Book it now.
Very good atmosphere and the food was excellent. A worthy full vegan dining experience in London. The wine pairings are very generous.
We were 4, 1 vegen and 3 omnivores, for the 5 pm Petite dinner. The food was great and filling. We were there for almost 2 hours and didnt even notice with the good atmosphere and good service we had.
We had an excellent dining experience on October 22nd. The staff were very professional and friendly, and even indulged my weak jokes. We were positioned largely out of sight of the other diners, which possibly reflected upon my sartorial choices and unpleasant physiognomy.We chose the petit diner tasting option with paired wines. All delicious, although my wife makes a comparable vegan risotto.The one thing that negatively affected the evening was the temperature in the room. Although I didn’t break into a sweat the heat was uncomfortable. For skinny people this is less of an issue, but I know that people at adjacent tables were also perturbed by the heat.Otherwise, thank you for showing what vegan food can be.
Extraordinary culinary experience. Really impressive dishes with a great taste combination. New standard is being set here for the Vegan cuisine. Cant wait to come back again!
Came here Thursday 22nd to celebrate wifes birthday 4 years to the day since our last visit. Great that it is now 100% Vegan. We had the 11 course grand dinner option. The service and food was again exceptional. The layers of flavours in each dish were impressive to say the least. Enjoyed that you are not rushed and can just take it at a nice pace. It seems a recent reviewer has a bit of a chip on their shoulder. Likening it to that of a school canteen. Feels a bit insulting when you consider all the other positive reviews. I just want to personally thank the Gauthier team for another great food experience and shall look forward to returning, hopefully not a 4 year gap this time.
Vegan fine dining at its finest! We’re both vegan, and visiting London from LA, we instantly wished we had a plant-based restaurant this special at home. We had the petit 5-course tasting menu (which actually ends up being more like 7-8 courses including dessertand it was beyond incredible—the best vegan dinner I’ve ever had. From an amazing plant-3D printed “meat” dish to the outstanding butternut squash risotto, homemade lemon butter & roll, and of course the strawberry brûlée dessert… this made for one of the most memorable meals I’ve experienced. 10/10 we’ll be coming back every trip to London!
Had a brilliant “Petit diner” fixed menu at 5pm .It was the first time we’d had a vegan meal and the courses were all delicious , beautifully presented, and so tasty.The atmosphere ambiance and service from Maitre d’ and waitress were great and informative and we had a lovely evening. Hope to visit again when new menu choices appear.Would say definitely worth a visit.you won’t be sorry . Yum
What has gone wrong at Romilly Street? A rather stern and puritanical ambience accompanied by somewhat bland flavours awaited us last night. Unanticipated … our self-rewarding, celebratory evening turned into a restaurant nightmare. We have been to Gauthier many times, both before and after the pandemic, and reviewed it joyously and enthusiastically. No longer a firm hand on the tiller, the good ship Gauthier is foundering! The signs? A dimly lit room with menus illegible without a torch. Tasting menu courses that only arrive every 15-20 minutes. An unexciting chain of neatly presented but fairly flavourless creations. A gabble of pretty incomprehensible and pretentious commentary at the presentation of each dish. Names of courses ascribed meat similarities (eg. Game, BLT, Loin or sea broth..Wine at alienating prices (£60 for cheapest bottle of white). Delays (?“it’s down to the chefs” and an inability to personalise the expensive client experience. Every one of the tables in the room was served together in sequence as per school dinner memories - despite the fact that several arrived later. Just under halfway through (at 9.30 pm. and we had arrived at 7.25 pm.we decided we had had enough. The waitress (who had done her bestsummoned the young manager who was informed that we intended to go, having already paid for the entire meal. He enquired if we had to be somewhere else, but was informed that we just didn’t want to continue being there. He was unable to understand our blunt disappointment or know how to deal with a clear complaint. We have never left a restaurant mid-meal before. This looks like a culinary crisis to us, and we hope you can avoid the rocks….
The food was lovely which is the main thing but it was like an endurance test. Ridiculously slow between some courses - the first two hours was great then it was just a grind and I thought it was never going to end. We eventually got away nearly four hours after we arrived all I wanted to do was get the bill and go to bed. So five for the food, two for the service and three overall. Also very expensive but you could see the work that went into the dishes to be fair.
Absolutely incredible dining experience. We had the grand diner menu with the wine pairing and it was so so good. We absolutely loved it. Service was fantastic, lovely atmosphere. Perfect for a special occasion.
Had high hopes but not matched. Had the 5pm short tasting menu experience with wine pairing which made this a 250 GBP meal eaten in 2 hours. Started well but after the opening dishes, the rest if the courses under punched on seasoning, presentation and flavour . Too bland and not creative compared to many lower cost and more innovative European Vegan restaurants. We left with a feeling of mediocrity. Which we didnt expect and didnt want. at this price the wow should be constant
Really mixed experience at this restaurant. It’s dog friendly which is amazing, and lovely cosy feeling. We went here for a joint birthday celebration with family we havnt seen for over a year. We gave them our allergy requirements ahead of time. When we arrived we were asked again about our dietary requirements and told they weren’t aware. However this isn’t true because the kitchen had prepared us nut free versions of the dishes which were amazing. It was just poor communication with the servers. We reiterated the nut allergy again. We chose the wine pairing, and the wine either came way too early, too late or sometimes not at all until we got up and found someone to ask if it was coming. The waitress serving us seemed completely out of her depth and could not remember what each course was as she brought it out, and often kept glancing down at the menu whilst telling us what it was. We had to get up and ask for extra spoons for one course as we weren’t given enough. Then one course came out and the girl read off the menu again what it was, I saw on the menu it contained nuts so I asked what I have instead, because all my dishes had been prepared without nuts. She didn’t know so she took the dish away. It did infact contain nuts so if I had eaten it instead of checking I would have been in hospital.The food was all really tasty and when I got the right dishes which had been prepared nut free it was fantastic and I was blown away by the flavours and that they had been able to replicate all of the parts without nuts. I was really impressed with the chefs.But when you are paying £100 a head and then £75 a head on top for wine pairing, you just expect the service to be better. Half the enjoyment of tasting courses is the experience and the “show” of it. Having someone there explaining the dish with details not on the menu. Unfortunately we did not get this part of the experience. It was a real shame the wine pairings also really let the evening down. Sometimes it came so early, the wine was nearly gone by the time the food arrived. Or the food was nearly gone by the time we eventually managed to catch someone’s attention and remind them about the wine.It’s such a shame because it’s such a unique restaurant, almost feels like someone’s house, offering amazing vegan food that even non vegans would enjoy. You don’t feel you’re missing out on the taste or food without animal products.However it’s let down with the communication between servers and kitchen and the service.I will add they took the 3 wine pairings off the bill at the end, and apologised but it didn’t really make up for the spoiled evening.
Fantastic tasting menu, non alcoholic drinks that could be improved, and warm but slightly slow service. It’s really great to experience a vegan tasting menu where the dietary restriction isn’t an afterthought!Drinks: We ordered two non alcoholic drinks, the names of which I sadly can’t remember. One was a pineapple aquafaba drink, while the other was a violet drink. Going off our experience, the non alcoholic drinks could stand to be significantly improved- the flavor was extremely dilute, and I didn’t find the drinks particularly balanced. I understand it is difficult achieving could flavor and textural balance in the absence of alcohol, but I would expect something to just taste more strongly of the flavor profile promised…Food: We ordered the grand tasting menu, which was 10 courses over a span of what was 2.5 hours. Here is a brief description of each course:Tomato BLT: Tartlets with a delicate jelly that’s strongly reminiscent of BLT. Really a fantastic way to set the scene!Kouglof Brioche: A delicate but rich brioche served with a savory plant based cream and a most aromatic pico de gallo. Delicious and comforting.Norfolk carrots: A carrot composition served with a carrot cappuccino shot with foamy coconut cream. This was a miss in my opinion- the carrot cappuccino was very intriguing and tasted great, but the carrot composition fell short- it was rather bland and flavorless, and just seemed rather awkward.Roast fennel with pickled blackberry: The real standout here was the consommé with blackcurrant leaf tea- it was rich and heavy on the umami, which went perfectly with the hearty beans. The fennel itself was pretty good too, but the rest of the plate was much better!Pasta with truffle dashi sauce: This course was pretty mindblowing- the ravioli was stuffed with a decadent plant based cream filling, while the sauce itself was intense in the best way possible (I can still remember how it tastes!?!I’m not partial to the flavor of truffles but this might have won me over.Loin of Kohlrabi: I didn’t think kohlrabi could taste so delicate, but overall, this dish was nothing special.‘Tomorrow’: I don’t want to spoil the surprise course, but this was our favorite course of the night, for the incredible flavor and texture, as well as the symbolism!Chilled Charentais Melon: This was a so-so course. On the one hand, the melon was very aromatic and tasted lovely, but the rather grainy plant cream it was served it kind of ruined the melons for me.Peach + Lime Sorbet: This was one of the best desserts I’ve had in recent memory. Just a spectacular flavor profile, and just so luscious!Norviegienne Brûlée: A baked Alaska!!! I was thrilled when this was brought out, and it lived up to the expectations!Petit fours: A delicious brownie with cherry creme, and some macaron-esque bite.The service staff were warm and friendly and very helpful. While service was a bit slow, it’s hard to tell whether this was because they were understaffed or if it was just a busy evening. This place is more of a 4.5, as I’d love to see the non alcoholic drinks improved a bit next time around! However, this place is definitely worth a visit.
I love this restaurant, even more since it went 100% vegan. My partner and I visited for our four year anniversary and had the petit diner which was amazing. Alexis Gauthier is an amazing chef and its always lovely to visit. I hope they open for lunch sittings again soon!
Incredible food, Im not vegan and was blown away. Every course was so interesting and the brioche and truffle courses were particularly good.Friendly service but I think some of the team might be new and still learning as it was quite patchy. The decor is very very outdated and we could half hear music from another room or perhaps restaurant so the ambience let the food down.I would go back though!
Been visiting this place for many years now. Gauthier remains one of my go-to places for a solid fine dining experience.Very reasonably priced, solid menu and very precise execution for all dishes on their tasting menu. Risotto and Golden Louis remain my all time favourites!
Absolutely stunning place. The vegan food and service was brilliant. I cant recommend it highly enough. We had the petit dinner all of which was divine and well matched with the wine selection.
Frankly quite mediocre... I have been plant based myself and I completely appreciate the chefs decision to switch to plant based. I just dont think theres much honesty in this food. To me, its pretty average food pretends to be something else.
I had a fabulous lunch recently, the tasting wine pairing menu was very impressive. The choice of wines were unique and special. The staff were relaxed and kind. I had a nice jolly experience! Thank you
The best meal I’ve EVER had in my life. And it was completely plant based. We were blown away by all the courses on the tasting menu. Each one was so unbelievably delicious and individual that it taxes the superlatives! Can’t recommend highly enough. Truly special dining.
Incredible vegan tasting menu. The main course—an imitation beef roast—was 3D printed soy and wheat and had exactly the texture of a cut of meat, which I’ve never before seen from any imitation. For me, the best tasting were some of the less extravagant things: the brioche, the truffle pasta (packed with more umami than I thought was possible), and a carrot and burnt orange “cappuccino” (really a tiny soup with coconut cream froth). If you’re going for lunch, treat it like a dinner: you need 3 hours.
Firstly I want to point out that I rarely if ever have left a bad review, but I feel for the money spent at the table I should breakdown my reasoning in detail.As someone who has worked in such establishments I also understand that I may perhaps be a hardher critic. This is by no means to invalidate anyone elses pallettes or experience but, as someone who has trained and refined their pallete for many years, the food was lacklustre, bland and fell so short of expectations.My first impression wasnt the best, one of the chefs had come out in their chef jacket smoking next door to the establishment.The interior was outdated, and the ambiance in general was old school and felt more like a funeral wake than a restaurant.We were seated, canapés brought before our other guest had arrived, this I would overlook as I can see there were probably untrained staff. However, every time I tried to ask the server for a drink, they kept walking off. Training is one thing but a complete lack of awareness is another.So onto the food, the canapés were nice. I enjoyed the take on a blt, it had a good flavour the filo was lovely and the tomato had exactly the right amount of smokinessnes and sweetness. The mayo on top felt futile as it was completely overwhelmed by the other flavours.The aubergine caper canapés were, nice enough, however far too acidic and unbalanced. From here sadly it went further downhill.The brioche was overwhelmingly flavoured with tomato, the dough had a raw dough taste to it, and tasted of bicarb. The pico de gallo lacked a good smack of seasoning. Then onto the fennel, now this dish was confusing at best. The fennel was cooked nicely enough, however the borlotti beans were undercooked, and the white white puree underneath completely tastless. The szechuan wasnt even present on the dish and the blackberries were almost like they hadnt been pickled enough. The tea poured over was bitter and inedible, unsure as to why it was on there.Onto the risotto, famously easy to get wrong, I can take al dente but this was way too under for me. The dashi truffle sauce again totally overwhelmed by truffle, and tasted closer to a salty demi glacé sauce. None of us at the table found it edible, it was not acceptable at all.The kohlrabi was cooked well but completely washed out by the beurre blanc that was so acidic I couldnt taste anything else. The broth again was horribly bitter, and delivered nothing in terms of flavour.The peach dish was overall incredibly sweet, with no relief. The sorbet did have a lovely flavour let down by the uneven texture, maybe the kitchen could invest in a paco machine. The shisho disc had so much agar in it, the texture was brittle and crumbly. Not pleasant at all. The mereingue was being burned by the wait staff, until I was informed the pastry chef had requested this?Onto the brulee dish, the sable was buttery and nicely cooked for me, the rest of it was so sweet and tart it was a lot to handle. The marmalade I think they called it, on the side was flavourless and pointless on the dish.Onto the last dish the petit fours were not nice the dark chocolate was so bitter it was inedible and rhe other one tasted like a badly made marzipan.For the money spent, I am shocked and amazed at the good reviews, Im incensed that the bar has been set so low for plant based food. Perhaps the novelty of it, is why people overlook things.This cooking is outdated, uninspired and technically wrong on every level. The utter lack of passion, love and respect for the ingredients was missing, including a fear of good seasoning across the dishes. There was no balance no harmony and understanding of what good flavour tastes like.I hope that this review is listened too and a closer look is taken at the dishes, and maybe a new head chef is hired becauee the lack of discipline amongst the dishes was shocking.
Risotto was really good but most of the other dishes felt overpriced for what you got.Wine pairing was fantastic.Service a bit rushed.Male bathroom needed a thorough cleaning.
The best Vegan Michelin dining experience we have had so far.The restaurant is romantic and very intimate and has a small number of tables so you are getting a very personal service.We booked in advance, stated our dietary requirements as my wife is Vegan, Gluten free and also has an oil intolerance so it was pretty impressive that they were able to cater for her requirements.The service provided by Lloyd and his colleagues was impeccable and needless to say that we extremely delighted with our experience.See you next season.
Fixed menu of 5 spring dishes. My vegan wife and I came to the restaurant but were very disaplointed. The service was very good and patient. One of the dishes my wife couldnt even finish, but they were fair and deducted from the bill. I ate everything and only the chilld water dish was amazing. The other dishes were ok, but not the quality you expect from a place with rating and price
One of the best meals and nights out I have ever had! Food was flawless and so clever how they recreate true French flavours without the need of meat or animal products!! The wine pairing was perfect and the team are amazing! Relaxed yet attentive for your every need! Thank you!
Most definitely the best dining experience I have ever had. The service was lovely and every single course was stunning.
Romantic, classy and intimate. The perfect restaurant for date night or a celebration. Both the vegetarian and regular tasting menus were delicious. The service was impeccable and it’s centrally located too. Make sure to get reservations so you can enjoy this experience!
The best dining experience I’ve ever had, no question about it. The depth and range of the food was truly mind blowing and presented in a way that made it feel hard to break it apart. The recommendations on the best way to eat what had been presented by the staff was enjoyable and their warm and welcoming personalities were very much appreciated. We came away from this feeling pleasantly full and absolutely buzzing from all the new tastes and experiences. As they are a sessional restaurant I will be sure to come back for their summer menu. The decor is very neutral which I felt was right as it doesn’t detract from what’s presented to you, except for when you enter the toilets which have more a kinky party vibe, which was also appreciated. Highly recommended!
The food here was absolutely stunning, the service incredible, amazing location and atmosphere, delicious wine, couldnt fault a single thing.
This place is very accomplished. Art went into every dish. The desserts in particular were delicious, as was the bread, and a dish with tahini. Presentation was gorgeous, and we spent a few hours enjoying our meal.Having said that, I didnt love the taste of everything (we had the long tasting menu). Some of the dishes felt too alike. Potatoes were paired with something sour, and one course felt like we were chewing pine needles. A dish of peas looked beautiful but I could not taste the peas at all.Service was really spotty - at times slow, stiff and inattentive. The room itself was very brightly lit and formal. I had hoped for something more comfortable and romantic. Turning down the lights and closing the windows (Soho is right outside and loud!and playing a bit of music would help.I wonder if we just visited on an off night. I wont be back to find out, though, as much as I recognize the merits of the place.
A truly wonderful dining experience. Outstanding service, Gabby and her colleague provided top class, attentive, informative, warm, and personable hospitality. Their knowledge and attitude contributed significantly to the experience.We opted for the 7:30 seating, which provided the full Gauthier Soho tasting experience. Each course was exquisitely prepared and presented. The kitchen team captured the essence of spring with each course. Great wine pairings were suggested that only enhanced the meal. Everything was perfectly delivered like a well-orchestrated performance. Our meal lasted just over 3 hours, and was a plant-based meal like no other Ive had in my life. Im not dietarily restricted in any way (i.e., Im not vegan), but this shouldnt dissuade people from trying this first class establishment.Perfect in every way. Thank you so much Gauthier Soho team for the once in a lifetime experience. Cannot recommend higher. Cheers.
Delicious! Really fantastic dishes on the spring tasting menu, asparagus, pea and mushroom. So many great flavours, loved the vol au vent and pearl barley. Tried the orange wines too, we will be back for the summer menu. Perfect service. Nellie
Astounding vegan food and brilliant service by all. The Maitre D brings the kitchen to the table by way of explaining each dish. No wonder its my favourite restaurant.
First visit. Great staff. Fantastic service. Delicious meals. Good experience. Thank you
Incredible food, wonderful service and a lovely environment. We celebrated a birthday and they made this special effort.Ignore all the low star reviews, they’re written by carnivores who refuse to admit that vegan food is amazing. Be open, look into the dishes and enjoy the flavoursome experience. Will absolutely be returning.
A spectacular experience. Weve visited Gauthier for their special Valentines Day tasting menu. The only upper-class vegan restaurant Ive been to. Dishes were all incredible, and Im looking forward to my next visit.
I am a long-standing Gauthier returnee since about 2013 and consider it a 5star restaurant. I’ve always loved coming back to such a pleasant and comfortable dining room. Food was great, first time on the vegan menu and the food was great. To be honest I’m never going to be a total vegan convert but could eat the Truffle Noire all day long. Service was a bit messy/slow today. Probably covid related and thus forgivable. Sadly the unforgivable sin here was serving food on consumer ceramics. Being delivered a ‘best of vegan’ dish on a H&M or Steelite ceramic is not going to go un-noticed. It is substandard and embarrassing. Please, please don’t think people won’t notice. Attention to every single detail matters. It was immediately noticeable that the food was being served on mass produced ceramics and in my eye, it is 50% horrifying and 50% heartbreaking. London is full of wonderful ceramic artists and Gauthier should invest in better tableware. It’s not nice to eat out but know you have better ceramics at home. I will attach photos, not to be nasty but just to provide evidence and to prove my point. I hope that Gauthier will give this stuff to charity and invest in the phenomenal ceramic artists in London to make their food stand out even more.
Food quality varies a lot depending on dishes - some were amazing, some were just okay. Expectation was high so a bit disappointed. Intimate atmosphere, good service.
Given the chefs reputation and passion for vegan food, I was expecting a lot from the food here, but was left very disappointed. Ive had much better vegan tasting menus even at non-vegan restaurants. Other than the food, staff were very friendly and the room had a nice ambience.
This restaurant has a Tasting menu that changes every season, with wonderful staff that talk you through every course. You can enjoy accompanying wines with every dish, or just order as you go.This is one of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had.
Was expecting much better quality of food and service.Some of the dishes were just wrong. The best part was the bread. Everything else could be executed much better.The ambiance, the service were way below expectations.
We had a really lovely meal here. We had the set menu. The food was delicious and a good amount for a light dinner, and all vegan! The wine pairings were excellent and our server was friendly and attentive.I can recommend the oat milk cappuccino, one of the best Ive had!I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you wanted to treat yourself to a nice meal out.
Loved the experience. High end gourmet food and loved the fact that it was all vegan! The presentation was spectacular. Im still dreaming about the truffle pasta, yummy. And the wine was very good. Service was quiet, but good. To be honest, I would have loved it to have been a smaller meal as I didnt do any justice to the last few courses. It was simply too much to eat. In all they had 10-11 courses!My one annoyance was the waitress handing the menu to my husband when I asked to look at the wine menu. Come on- its the 21st century and I paid for the meal!
Very disappointing all round.I’ve been so impressed by the Chef before lockdown. Delicious appealing dishes full of flavour.We chose not to have alcohol so we could fully taste the food.His vegan menu selection I thought unappealing and far too light for grown up diners who need proper protein balanced vegan food.To enjoy food I need enticing aromas rising from each dish. There were none.I’m not a vegan as I’m 75 and observe that nutritionists advise me to include some animal protein including red meat to provide me with essential nutrients.But I enjoy vegan food… when it’s flavoursome and has gorgeous aromas.. think hot freshly roasted crispy skin of chicken/duck/potatoes/roast onion.I cannot recommend the current menu.Leaving this aside, why is it some French waiters put down their diners? They’ve a reputation for arrogance they deserve on the evidence of my experience here. Most uncomfortable.So all together for the reasons I’ve explained I cannot recommend this restaurant.CH
Gauthier is such a wonderful place for a fine dining experience!Located in the heart of Soho in a historic townhouse which has been renovated it serves fresh and interesting menus. The vegan tasting menu is excellent.Staff is attentive and friendly without being overbearing.
After much food researching, I choose Gauthier. The food is impeccable here, every course crafted to the brim with flavor. I choose the place for the vegan options (for my friends birthdayand they were not disappointed. The service was amazing, they surprised my friend with a birthday dessert, and I cannot wait to go again.
21 Romilly St, Soho, London W1D 5AF, Elamanchili
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