Club Gascon

Deal and no deal

I find deals can be dangerous territory in a fine dining level, the idea of a deal or promotion from high end restaurants usually means they are trying to recruit new customers or trying to fill out tables at less busy times. Sometimes this is a good opportunity to get customers to experience what the restaurant can offer at an affordable price but at the same time the cooking just doesn't live up to the expectation due to lesser use or ingredients or lack of attention.

Club Gascon

amuse bosch

I booked the special star deal from Book a Table, the Club Gascon's £42 for 4 courses and a glass of wine seemed like real good bargain and I was wondering in terms of quality how different it would be compared to my first visit when I paid full price for its tasting menu. The truffled crackling duck egg got off to an excellent start, the egg was cooked to perfection with beautiful runny yolk and the truffle's bold and rich flavours offered a lovely aroma.

truffled crackling duck egg

foie gras and rabbit terrine

wild pigeon, orange, barigoule

The wild pigeon with barigoule on the other hand was weak, the profile of the fruity and citrus notes from the orange and kumquat sounded wonderful on paper pairing with the pigeon and in fact it did, but the quality of the pigeon meat was really in question, the meat was tough and dry, it didn't offer much in flavour at all and it was rather disappointing. The dessert was a lot better, I really enjoyed the subtle and herbal taste of the elderflower and black tea, the cherries and smoked berries weren't overly sweet and the light flavours were ideal for summer.

ossau iraty

cherries and smoked berries

petit four

In the end I really did not find the Book a Table deal did any good for me, having eaten Club Gason's tasting menu last year and knowing what the kitchen was capable of, the food from the deal was no where near as good and in fact, given it wasn't much different in term of price, I would rather pay for the extra 20ish pounds to get the true experience of Club Gason. 

Food 3.5/5

Executive chef: 
Pascal Aussignac

What I paid: 
£65 per head with 1 glass of wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
Lunch menu: £39
Tasting menu: £65


57 W Smithfield  London EC1A 9DS

http://www.clubgascon.com/