Review: L’Atelier Robuchon Mayfair continues Michelin legacy

Yet, when it comes to L’Atelier Robochon, the second incarnation of L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon recently opened in Mayfair, the idea to revive the restaurant was a good, in fact, great idea.

The initial restaurant was located in Covent Garden and closed in 2018 shortly after the lauded chef Joel Robochon died, aged 73.  

The restaurant’s sleek marbled bar (Image: L’Atelier Robochon)

Dubbed ‘Chef of the Century’ by the Gault et Millau, the French-language equivalent to the Michelin Guide, Robochon had a stellar career.

With 32 Michelin stars, he was the most decorated chef of his time. He built a restaurant empire of more than 20 restaurants operating globally, and had once thrown a plate at Gordon Ramsay in a row that started over a dish of langoustine ravioli.

The Frenchman’s legacy is equally impressive. His famed mashed potato – seemingly more butter than spud – still claims best in the world, and earlier this year Le Deli Robochon on Piccadilly broke the internet with its square croissants – buttery-cubed shaped viennoiserie filled with all sorts of calorific fillings that saw people cueing for the things on the reg.

Dishes continue to champion the culinary stylings of the notorious perfectionist (Image: L’Atelier Robochon)

So no. L’Atelier Robochon was never going to be a bad idea.

I met my friend Chris at the marbled bar. While he waited, marvelling at the embossed solitary iceberg cooling his cocktail, he witnessed what appeared to be a first date go sour.

Taking a first date to L’Atelier Robochon is a statement. While drinks and the menu prices aren’t bloated, you are paying for a level of culinary superiority – the level where cocktails are built around one niche French ingredient and dishes continue to champion the culinary stylings of a notorious perfectionist who transformed French haute-cuisine. So you’d want to know your date’s not going to flee post aperitif, as this lass appeared to do.

The menu reads like a ‘best of the best’ list (Image: L’Atelier Robochon)

As the new flagship restaurant for London, L’Atelier Robochon looks the part with its suave beckoning velvety red booths and the massive doughnut-like chandeliers and mirrored trims which bring the all drama.

This L’Atelier sees chef Andre Cofini take the reins. The Italian chef has been with the restaurant group since 2014, and here he puts his own stamp on the well-oiled machine through embellishing classic hits with finessed, Asian-noted touches.

The menu reads like a ‘best of the best’ list, with foie gras, potato mille-feuille, wagyu beef, lobster jelly, caviar and confit tuna bulking out both starter and mains sections.

Dinner started with the bread basket. The bowl of pure carb joy was more like a selection of a baker’s finest; still-hot brioche, mustard and ham twists, a bun with impossibly thin ribbons of coloured dough swirled through, and a warm oily parmesan infused roll.

Dishes arrived, each presented with impeccable, architectural precision, and more often than not with a spoonful of foam lying somewhere on the plate.

Chef Andre Cofini puts his own stamp on classic hits with finessed, Asian-noted touches (Image: L’Atelier Robochon)

The crab salad was a generous portion of fleshy crustacean and just-soft mozzarella pieces hidden among a garden of verdant leaves and pretty blue flowers. It was flavoured with just a wiff of curry that was so light a touch, it was more of a scent with taste than a spice mix.

The juicy native lobster appeared to have nosed dived onto the plate, along with the accompanying stem of blanched pak choy which sat to attention on an airy foam. A jug of pungent terracotta bisque was poured onto the edible sculpture at the table before we devastated the dish, mopping the punchy sauce up with bread basket dregs.

For mains, we shared a pert stump of succulent suckling pig that was pillow soft to cut through and just as tender once in the maw. It arrived dressed for a royal wedding, donning an elegant fascinator of squid ink tuile topped with a bright diced salad. The dish came with a side of the famed mash which was more of a heavenly, buttery potato paste than anything else.

The layered La Vanille dessert (Image: Zita Whalley)

Chris and I also divided up the wild seabass. The plump morsel of fish was daintily infused with just a hint of lemongrass and served with a velvety leek fondue.

For dessert, we bypassed divine sounding treats such as the lemon soufflé with a confit lemon centre, and the roasted figs with spiced red wine jelly and mascarpone foam. Instead, we went for dishes that layered various takes on the hero ingredient – one chocolate the other vanilla – so that it was more like multiple desserts rolled into one.

Le Vanille was an ensemble full of tang and creaminess, made up of vanilla sponge, yoghurty foam and ice cream perched on top of each other.

The oreo crumb topped chocolate dessert (Image: Zita Whalley)

For the chocolate dessert, layers of a luscious dark chocolate cremeux, sorbet and a jelly were topped with a thin lid of embossed chocolate that had a small hill of oreo crumb-covered mousse protruding from the centre. Both were a delight.

A new chef may be in the kitchen, however L’Atelier Robuchon continues Joel Robuchon-style of gold medal dining.

Address: 6 Clarges Street, Mayfair W1J 8AE

Website: robuchonlondon.co.uk