Le Gavroche Auctions its Rare Wine and Art Collection

The Mayfair institution that is Le Gavroche may have closed its doors back in January, but now an auction by Christie’s is giving you the chance to bring a piece of it home. 

Founded in 1967 by brothers Albert and Michel Roux, and later run by Albert’s son Michel Roux Jr, Le Gavroche was a cornerstone in London’s restaurant scene for more than 57 years.  It was the first restaurant in the UK to be awarded three Michelin stars, it also became an unofficial training ground for the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, Pierre Koffman, Monica Galetti, Marcus Wareing – and I could go on. Having earned its spot in culinary history, now you can own a piece of it.

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Michel Roux Jr has overseen Le Gavroche since 1991 / ©Christie's

While the restaurant will live on in other forms – Roux has announced a partnership with Cunard to bring Le Gavroche to the sea – those mourning Le Gavroche’s site in Mayfair should put away their handkerchiefs and bring out their auction paddles. 

From April 10 through 24, 2024, the Le Gavroche wine auction will see some of the finest wines from the restaurant's acclaimed cellar go under the hammer along with a selection of artwork and objects from the dining room. 

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The cellar has been said to have been "lovingly curated over decades" / ©Christie's

According to Christie’s, more than 100 lots from the restaurant will be listed, and among the impressive bottles and labels, will also be the illuminated ‘Le Gavroche’ sign that had lit up the streets of Mayfair and The Urchin painting which once hung by the bar. The painting, which depicts the fictional character from the novel Les Miserables by Victor Hugo and is also where the restaurant takes its moniker, is estimated to be sold for between £10,000–£15,000 (approx. $12,500–$18,800).

The Urchin painting in its former hanging spot above Le Gavroche bar / ©Christie's

From the cellar, which was described by Michel Roux Jr as being “lovingly curated over decades,” picks include bottles of Champagne Salon, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Domaine Leflaive, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave, Le Pin, Château Lafleur and Quinta do Noval. The ones that caught our attention, however, are the several bottles of the coveted 2013 vintage Domaine de la Romanee-Conti grand cru, expected to reach between £9,000–£12,000 per bottle (approx. $11,300–$15,000)

Roux Jr continued: “Sadly, we are unable to find a home in our other restaurants and businesses for these iconic pieces, but I am pleased to know that our beloved guests will be able to enjoy a part of Le Gavroche in their homes.”

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