Some restaurants serve food, and then some restaurants do so much more. Club Gascon does both. More than just a restaurant, it tells a story of Gascony, where food, art, and love matter. Where the three collide to create delicious meals, crafted with so much love and attention to detail, it’s impossible not to feel transported into another world.
For over two decades, this Michelin-starred sanctuary has held a home in the heart of Clerkenwell, welcoming guests from around the world with wafts of delicious duck confit, sumptuous Armagnac, and delicious French flavours to those smart enough to follow the fragrances. With food fit for royalty, this restaurant is so much more than a restaurant.
It offers works of art, each one more perfect than the prior, and an experience of pure indulgence that is hard to forget. It’s a refined memoir to Gascony, a delightful region of France known for its richness, its heartiness, and its deliciousness; a reverent homage to its seductive, untamed soul – translated beautifully through the meticulous, imaginative hand of chef Pascal Aussignac.
The Venue: Magnificence in Marble
Set within a former Lyons Tea House, Club Gascon’s interiors are a nod to its antiquated past. The marble façades lining the dining room feel grand, their gorgeous stone glossy cocooning its guests. Post-refurbishment in 2017, the space is now a beautiful blend of historic charm – that rustic, French feel – with modern elegance. It’s the kind of room where you feel as if you have stepped into a historic era, where each glance from the Maitre, each clink of the wine glass, each glint of crystal, feels special. Across from the restaurant, its sibling wine bar ‘Le Bar’ buzzes with French fervour, offering the perfect place for an aperitif beforehand.
The Location: A Secret Worth Knowing
I stumbled upon Club Gascon, unsure of its whereabouts, ogling my map, and was surprised to find it tucked behind Smithfield Market. Surreptitiously hiding from plain sight, Club Gascon lives slightly off the beaten path – and that’s precisely the point. In a city that celebrates the new with short-lived obsession, this corner of Clerkenwell remains reassuringly constant. Cobblestone streets, cast-iron lampposts, and oozings of Old London, there’s a delightfully historical quality to it. It’s the kind of place that’s both hidden yet feels exclusive, as if stepping inside takes you into somewhere quite secret, where only those in the know know.
The Chef: From Stone Mason to Michelin Superstar
The Chef, Pascal Aussignac, has a fascinating journey. Originally from Toulouse, his story reads like a modern culinary fable. Born in Toulouse, he was trained by the likes of Gerard Vie and Guy Savoy, and, starting his career as a ‘stone cutter’, he used to lay stones – before he started laying tables. That artisan’s touch still pulses through every plate he serves. He loves to play with texture and tastes, creating interesting combinations that both startle and delight.
His love for Gascon cuisine runs deep, and whether it’s foie gras or faux gras, Aussignac treats each dish like an artist’s celebration of the region. Perhaps most impressively, despite his fame and success, he’s still there, daily, working the kitchen and arranging the flowers. He tends his craft like a garden, constantly working away, refining, improving, perfecting. No wonder then that the food was so divine.
A Summer Evening to Remember
My friend and I went on a warm Saturday night in summer, long overdue for a reunion together. We needed somewhere peaceful and quiet to talk, but where we could toast our friendship with champagne and delicious food. What a perfect choice we made. We were greeted by the lovely host who ushered us into our seats in this small, quaint room. It was oddly peaceful and quiet inside, with not that many tables, creating a rare experience in the hustle and bustle of London.
We felt ourselves exhale and soften into a state of deep relaxation, which felt apt, given the luxurious surroundings. The air between us hummed with anticipation as we caught up and started with a delicious glass of champagne. As we sipped away, happily, we perused the wine list, which, as an ode to southwest France, showcased a lot of interesting depth. Think, Pouilly-Fumé, Riesling Grand Cru and Meursaults, with reds like Saint-Emilion Grand Cru and Château Margaux. My mouth salivates even remembering that menu.
To eat, our lovely host recommended the tasting menu, and so we willfully agreed that this was the best way to taste all the flavours.
The tasting menu arrived like a procession of miniature operas. First, we had a delightful green asparagus gazpacho, delicately chilled, infused with frosted sorrel. This was refreshing, vegetal, and oh so refreshing after a hot day in London. Then came a smoked watermelon tataki, a fascinating combination that felt both airy and light, yet rich and incredibly interesting in its complex flavours, adorned with frosted spritz and wild garlic. It was playful, almost surreal, both summery yet smoky, complex yet clean.
It was the vintage waxed duck foie gras ‘Shabu Shabu’ that made our mouths really water, though. Served with cured anchovies, it oozed rich indulgence, the flavours lingering on our palate, making us hungry for more.
For mains, we were treated to the burnt lemon yellow chicken “ballotine”, a lovely dish nestled among tender spring greens, earthy, bright, beautifully put together. This was fresh as summer, yet pleasantly filling, and satiating – a fantastic wrap up to our meal. Then came a terrific palate cleanser, frosted basil, with notes of herbaceous sweetness, an interesting play on a sorbet.
And finally, the showstopper (for me at least). A beautiful dish of rhubarb variation, with crèmeux, elderflower, and thyme madeleine. Literally a work of art, it was as if the garden had come to the table in full bloom. Every bite was fragrant, floral, and incredibly delicious; it was truly a stellar end to our meal.
Club Gascon: Timeless Excellence
Club Gascon is not the place to go to be ‘seen’ on a Friday night. It’s not where you will find droves of Instagram influencers. It isn’t ostentatious, glittering, or covered in gold. It is simply elegant and delicious – a timeless, luxurious, indulgent, yet oh so comfortable place to escape from the madness of the city, and return to the things that matter: good food, good produce, art, and love. Because really, it is a love letter to Gascony, and also to the art of really enjoying food. This is a restaurant where every dish is so wonderfully complex, bringing out each ingredient, each morsel, and painting a picture worth a thousand words with it. It’s timeless. It’s excellent.
If you’re seeking a meal that feeds more than just your appetite, go to Club Gascon. Escape the hustle and bustle of London, and disappear into this little refuge, this glorious homage to delicious Gascony, where you can rest, be taken care of, and enjoy life – if even for an evening. Go to remember what dining, true, slow, glorious dining, should and can feel like.
Club Gascon
57 W Smithfield
London
EC1A 9DS
United Kingdom
