Michel Roux to close Le Gavroche after 34 years in charge

Le Gavroche, one of Britain’s most celebrated restaurants, is to close down, Michel Roux has announced.

In an interview with The Times, the chef revealed that the Mayfair restaurant — London’s last bastion of classic French haute cuisine — would close permanently early next year.

Citing the stress of running a two Michelin-starred restaurant, Roux, 63, said: “I’m genuinely tired. Being in the restaurant almost every day has taken its toll and I have got to the stage where I’m not enjoying it as much as I used to. It is a very high-pressure job and I want a better work-life balance.”

Roux said the pressure to deliver world-class dishes day in, day out was “so wearing”

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The closure will coincide with the end of the restaurant’s lease, but Roux said that has not had any bearing on his decision