Reviews Galvin La Chapelle

We wanted to try a French restaurant and wanted to go for one of the best ones in London... so, decided on La Chapelle! We tried the Menu Gourmand Vegetarian meal. Each dish was visually very appealing and most of them were quite pleasing to the palate too. Loved the wild mushroom risotto, couscous with winter vegetables and the apple tarte tatin. Amazing service and it was overall a great experience visiting this historic building!

Galvin La chapelle was once an old school for girls.
Rated as one of the top 50 restaurant in london , galvin La chapelle is a fine dining restaurant.
The decoration and the atmosphere are amazing.
Waiters are very professional.
The food is marvelous.
Everything is perfect in this restaurant.
Recommend it for a date!

In-between the concrete jungle where the money is made there's a old chapel that houses galvin la chapelle. Walked passed the place quite a few times but I would never guessed there would be such a restaurant there!

We arrived at 7 for a nearly five hours journey of culinary experience! (About an hour of it was waiting to be served but it was busy!)

Not to ruin the surprise for anyone, here my recommendations:

- The lavender Bellini - so pretty and tasty! Great to start the meal with or waiting for your companion.

- sea bass: crispy skin, well seasoned and fresh

- risotto : just good, not creamy but don't get them if you hate truffle

- duck: sooooo soft and melt in my mouth but didn't make me feel like eating raw meat!

Verdict on foie gras ballotine, crab meat lasagne, cheese : nice but wouldn't blow your mind away or left wanting more.

Damage for a cocktail, one tasting menu, half pot of red, half pot of white, a glass of champagne, a coffee and a complementary cookbook is £175. Seriously, why am I not a teetotal. 🤔

My wife and I have just had lunch at La Capelle and what a marvellous experience. The food, service and atmosphere was perfect. We were made to feel welcome from the moment we arrived. I would not hesitate in recommending this restaurant.

Galvin la Chapelle is one of the most beautiful venues I've ever dined. Located in Spitalfields Market in an old chapel stunningly restored few years ago. We chose a set menu with matching wines. Everything tasted great especially the risotto with girolles and chicken and the lasagne of Dorset crab. The wines were superb.

To round up my birthday celebrations, Michael took me for dinner at Galvin la Chapelle, a Michelin-starred restaurant housed in a seriously stunning former Victorian chapel. I was blown away by the beauty of the grade II listed building; the warm & impeccable service; the standard of the gourmet modern French cuisine; and, not to mention, the value. Galvin la Chapelle is one of few restaurants truly worthy of my five chefs hats award!

For my sister's birthday, I wanted to take her out for a dinner and decided to book a table at Galvin La Chapelle. A French restaurant situated not too far from London Liverpool Street station.

We were seated at a table, at the end of a long sofa, and offered sweet green olives and our glasses of brut. It was a perfect little spot for conversation but not so that we were completely isolated from our waiters.

As part of the £29pp deal, we were able to choose a starter, a main, a dessert and also included a glass of brut. Now I'm not a fan of champagne but the light, refreshing taste made it very easy to convert me!

We both went for the foie gras royale, port wine jelly, date purée and lemon croutons for starters, which was presented beautifully. The texture of the foie gras was like a mousse - light and creamy and went very well with slices of bread. I loved the crunchy lemon croutons! I would have eaten a whole bowl of them :)

For our mains, I went for the wild garlic and grelot onion risotto, which turned out to be a very vibrant green and very garlicky, but was nonetheless delicious.

My sister went for the poached rabbit with spring greens. It was cooked but seemed a bit pink on the inside.

For our final course, we went for the pannacotta with mango and poached crassane pear & pistachio cake and chocolate ice cream.

I found the pistachio cake to be quite dry but enjoyed the rose-flavoured pear. The mango jelly cubes were incredibly zingy - enough to replace your morning coffee! But my sister said it went well with the pannacotta.

When booking the table, I requested a small birthday dessert for my sister but after desserts, I assumed they had forgotten. I also whispered it to one of our waiters, who wished her happy birthday instantly but I started to wonder if I should ask. Just after he brought out our pot of peppermint tea, he brought out a mini birthday dessert, which was a lovely surprise for both of us :)

It was a little bowl of dark chocolate truffles and lemon and blackcurrant macaroons sat on a pile of cocoa nibs :)

Perfect evening - I think my sister had a lovely birthday :)

What a treat!. We had the nine course tasting menu with paired wines. Expensive, yes, but I didn't begrudge a penny of it. I think this is my favourite meal in London. Every course was delicious, the wines were brilliant and we all left very happy, full and counting down the days to our return. If you're looking for somewhere for a special occasion, this is it.

This place reminds us a little bit, for the style of cuisine, of Koffmann’s, although, to our taste, not quite at the same stupendous level. We wouldn’t say it is an ultimate destination or worth regular long trips, but it is worth trying once if you are far, and worth returning if you are close. Here kitchen, Front of House and ambiance combine seamlessly to yield a pleasant, relaxing experience. We spent around £150 including very well made coffees, water, an a la carte and a prix fix menu, and a wine in the forties. Having ended on the high note of excellent espressos and petit four, we are indeed tempted to return for the tasting menu.

Jeff and Chris Galvin are Essex boys made good. They worked their way up the greasy pole at various London restaurants before opening their own, Galvin Bistrot de Luxe in Baker Street seven years ago. La Chapelle was their third restaurant and opened in 2009, winning a Michelin star the next year. The setting of La Chapelle is extremely impressive: it is housed in a converted Victorian school chapel – tables are set between resplendent marble pillars, the walls have been pared back to the original stonework and the intricately composed beams of the 30m high vaulted ceiling are stunning. Head chef Eric Joliboi is French and he cut his teeth in the restaurants of Paris before taking over at the helm of La Chapelle. Joliboi’s menu is classically French and he has retained the bulk of the Galvin brothers signature dishes, including crab lasagne, duck leg confit and apple tarte tatin.

Over the past couple of years the Galvin brothers have built something of culinary empire in London. Both Chris and Jeff trained with some of the biggest names in the industry both in Britain and France. They opened their first restaurant, Galvin Bistro de Luxe, in 2005; a second restaurant, Galvin at Windows (1 Michelin star), followed in 2006. In November 2009 Galvin La Chapelle and Café à Vin were opened and the latest addition to the Galvin empire, Galvin Demoiselle, a bistro designed and run by Sara Galvin (Chris Galvin's wife), opened in Harrods in March this year. Galvin La Chapelle is located in a stunning Grade II listed Victorian building in Spitalfields which has the most spectacular 30 meter high ceiling. La Chapelle was awarded a Michelin star in January 2011 just 13 months after the restaurant

Another one of our slightly exclusive group of college-mates is leaving the flock. We’re quite an odd bunch, from a slightly odd college; for some reason, the majority of students in said boarding school were from South Et and Far East Asian countries. It

There's been a lot of talk recently about whether Michelin stars really matter. For me personally I see the Michelin Guide as one which is always top of its game and a very reliable source. It's perhaps been a little old fashioned with its fondness for classic cooking and lack of joining social media, but these days they're very much on trend. Some restaurant are also too very classic in their approach, such as Galvin La Chapelle - with its gourmet French cooking in a grade II listed former Victorian chapel, right in the heart of central London.

If the name didn't give it away, Galvin La Chapelle is owned by the famous Galvin brothers, Chris and Jeff Galvin. The restaurant received it's first and only Michelin star back in 2011 and has held hold if it ever since. Strangely it also seems fall into that small handful of Michelin star restaurants in London, which no one ever seems to talk about much. We was kindly invited down by restaurant booking site Bookatable to sample the set menu (also available directly from restaurant but not including free glass of bubbly) on offer and of course a cocktail, or two. An espresso martini is always my drink of choice before a meal and here it certainly didn't disappoint. Creamy and well balanced but still packing a little alcoholic punch. I was rather impressed with cocktail prices too, especially for this part of town.

Part of the Bookatable deal bags you three courses for £29, including a glass of bubbly on arrival. One thing I can never resist is any form of foie gras on a menu. That and the words truffle or steak always jump out at me. So when I saw a starter of foie gras royale with port wine jelly and date puree up for grabs - who could resist. In fact I almost wished I did in the end. Oddly this dish arrived as it was, a huge chunk of foie gras mousse, with nothing to eat but a spoon. No bread, no nothing. Eating something this rich and cloying with a spoon is not only pure gluttony, but also not appealing. A terrine or fresh piece of foie gras I would have understood. Perhaps the bread was forgotten, who knows - but either way I couldn't finish it. In terms of flavour it was good and the date puree was particularly delicious.

Set or cheaper menus at a Michelin level, can be a dangerous offering for restaurants. If you're lucky enough to receive a star, restaurants shouldn't forget that the Michelin inspector is giving this accolade to the whole restaurant - meaning all the menus served need to be of a Michelin standard, in my opinion. Unfortunately that's where Galvin La Chapelle have gone wrong. The set menu here was no different to what I could have eaten at one of the Galvin Brothers other (non Michelin) restaurants, Bistro de Luxe. People may only be paying £29 here at Galvin La Chapelle, but they're still expecting that Michelin experience. Vichyssoise, smoked haddock, rock chives and buttermilk cream was a perfectly nice enough dish, but failed to excite.

One dish which really stood out on the menu was the braised pork cheeks, soft white polenta and smoky Alsace bacon. The pork cheeks were stunning. Slow cooked and incredibly soft - the melt in your mouth kind. Flavour wise they had all the meaty goodness you could hope for and that bacon really adding a nice touch of saltiness to everything. The polenta was also wonderful and that jus was to die for. If this is how the a la carte menu fares here, then at least I've got a reason to come back. This dish was classic French cooking at its finest and one I'd happily eat all over again.

Sadly the whole you're only paying £29 so we're going to simple things down for you menu came back into swing. I was rather swooned over by the sound of Valrhona chocolate mousse with caramelised banana, but I'd expected too much from it - thinking its simple descriptor meant for something arriving with a little more creativity. The dish turned out to simply be two scoops of chocolate mousse accompanied by a smear of chocolate and a piece of banana which had been caramelised on one end - this is food I could make at home and I'm no culinary genius. Portion size was not great either.

Cheese course was also rather disappointing. If you know me well you'll know I'm a huge cheese fanatic and can never resist the supplement of a cheese course, but here we instead took the included offering from the set menu. A small slice of Vacherin cheese (taken mostly up by its rind) with some thin wafers of bread and red berries. The cheese had good flavour but was in fact served a little too cold and lacked any oozing goodness I'd hoped for - after all isn't that the most attractive feature to this fine cheese? I'm not a greedy person, but I thought the cheese course could have perhaps been a little more generous with its selection too.

Time to leave and of course I lose my credit card in to the dark abyss, that is the floor. The inside decor of Galvin La Chapelle is utterly sumptuous, dimly lit, incredibly romantic and all very grand - but dark, perfect for everything apart from losing things and taking good photos. Finishing up on a good selection of petit fours we we're still rather bemused about the whole dining experience. Galvin La Chapelle isn't alone when it comes to set menus or pre-theatre offerings, but the difference between them and a lot of other restaurants around, is that they have a Michelin star and people are coming here to experience something special. Perhaps that special something can be found in the la carte, because its set menu here just doesn't do this restaurant any favours, at least not in my opinion anyway.

I was lucky enough to be invited by a friend to experience this Michelin starred restaurant. We were taking advantage of a set menu but never fear, you are treated just as well as a full paying a-la-carte customer.
The service was excellent, polite and efficient and the food was like a party in my mouth. Each course was well executed and it is plain for all to see why it has such a good return of clientele. From the food to the sumptuous surroundings this is a place that really must be on your list of places to check out!

I've been a few times and I absolutely love this place. I usually go for the tasting menu with matching wines - can't go wrong! Staff is very flexible to switch things on and off the menu. Really nice atmosphere as well and worth every penny. Would give 10 stars if I could.

Michelin starred, and for good reason. Galvin la chapelle is a quintessential fine dining establishment in the city that focuses on well thought out dishes on an ever changing menu. I came here for lunch with a group of 4, and the service was nothing but exquisite. The waiters were knowledgeable, so much so convincing enough to recommend and make all 4 of us order the same main not even on the menu - braised lamb shoulder with an array of vegetables and sides. Don't expect massive portions, but do expect a lot of taste, especially with ingredients you would never think of at home. I would recommend asking a lot of questions as hearing what's good for the day, and how to accompany dishes with others is an experience in itself. The lamb was so tender and could have even been served itself! With a (again, recommended) bottle of red wine, and amazing dessert (apple and gooseberry tarte), the bill came out to around 40 a head. Definitely come here again, albeit only on special occasions!

Everything was amazing, the building is stunning with high ceilings. The staff is kind and very attentive and the food was delicious. The menu is quite expensive but I totally recommend it as an experience not for a basic lunch/dinner.

The best restaurant we’ve been to in terms of service and food! I’ve never met such attentive, professional and kind staff. The staff couldn’t do enough for you. We’ve highly recommended to friends and family. The food was delicious and such a lovely treat celebrating my partner’s birthday. We will be back.

Good food and service. Got there early and they endeavoured to get our table ready quickly so we didn't wait too long even though it was busy. Food arrived in a timely manner also.

We had a 7 course meal along with a wine pairing at Galvin La Chapelle. We went for an early evening booking at 6pm - which I would recommend. It was a joy to be there without many people there and enjoy as the restaurant filled up. The service was excellent and the food and wine pairing was first class. We liked our sommelier but had the feeling he wasn’t used to meeting people who are very interested in the wine. We felt he was surprised by our interest! The venue is absolutely stunning. A real luxurious foodie experience in london.

Amazing food and service, would particularly recommend trying the the raviolo, bream, grouse and the strawberry soufflé but all the dishes we tried were great. The setting of the restaurant is stunning and the staff provide a first class service.

4th visit to Galvin La Chapelle and have never had a bad meal. Tonight’s was no exception. All the courses from start to finish were great and the service really classy. They even had a wine with my name on it !!

What a fabulous building. We had a table really close to the kitchen. Initially I wasn’t sure about that but I quite liked being able to peep in at the prep. We opted for the seven course tasting menu with wine pairing for my husband. The food was stand out. I found some of it really too salty but that’s most likely such a contrast to using less at home. Even with this, each mouthful was a taste sensation! And each course was more beautiful than the last. The wine pairings were excellent and really well described and explained by the sommelier. His enthusiasm was infectious and each one worked incredibly well to balance its dish. There was a mix up with another member of staff who gave the dessert wine for the cheese course but the sommelier noticed and quickly and politely remedied this before a sip had even been taken. We were interested in the New Years disco event - there was a card advertising it on our table. We asked at the front desk. They didn’t have the details. They said they would ask the manager to talk to us. He/she never did so we inquired with the Maitre’d. He explained that it had in fact been cancelled due to potential new restrictions. We were disappointed. We would have liked to go back with our children. I would recommend Galvin La Chapelle. The staff are really friendly. The food is deserving of the recent Michelin star and the historic venue is the perfect backdrop.

Beautiful ambience and the friendliest and nicest service by all staff. The food was also delicious and so meticulously prepared. Only small complain is that the portions were tiny as with many fine dining restaurants. I was still pretty hungry by the end of it!

A lovely 'date' restaurant. Service was impeccable and friendly. We went for lunch, but I think the full effect of the atmosphere would be better experienced when it was dark. The only note is for the vegetarians- I was disappointed that their only 'vegetarian' dish contained parmesan, which is a problem if you exclude rennet from your diet. I'm sure you could have asked for it to be removed, but it was one of the main flavours of the dish.

Where do I begin first time here and very well impressed The ox cheek was spectacular so much flaivour the jue it was covered was delicious and great paring with the pistachios on top and the onion on the side was very well seasoned and brined so much flavour very well put together dish welldone chef Even the duck was delicious and I wouldn't ever pick a duck meal but I would of happily eaten the whole duck breast alot of taste there very moist and cooked to perfection superv experiance very friendly and professional staff also great scenery inside and beautiful architecture inside