Bonheur By Matt Abé Review | “A New Lease of Life for an Iconic London Restaurant Site”
At Bonheur, Matt Abé is proving he’s a chef at the top of his gameWhen Le Gavroche closed after 57 years, there was always going to be huge interest in what went into the site vacated by one of London’s most iconic restaurants. Eventually, it was announced that Matt Abé , who spent 18 years at Gordon Ramsay’s Royal Hospital Road (with three Michelin stars), was taking on the space, and he opened Bonheur (with the backing of Ramsay) in October 2025. Just a few months later, it went straight into the 2026 Michelin guide with two stars. For anyone familiar with Gavroche, the space is still recognisable, but now looks a lot more modern and brighter as a result of a lovely refurb. It somehow looks a lot bigger too, which is perhaps partially down to the fact that they removed a lot of the tables so there’s a bit more space around the room. Before we get to the food and drink, we have to talk about the music however. Our lunch was soundtracked by one of the most random playlists we’re yet to encounter in a fine dining restaurant – and we’ve eaten at The French Laundry where they give the music duties to a different staff member each night and we heard Britney Spears at least three times. At Bonheur we went from Here Comes Johnny to The XX; from Robbie Williams to Smooth Operator; from Elton John to the Kooks; from Toploader to The Smiths; and, finally to Toto’s Africa, the sunrise anthem to every Hackney house party when you should really have gone home already. Don’t get us wrong, some tunes in there, but all felt slightly mad in its flow. It kept us very entertained though. What to EatThere is an a la carte option, but the vast majority of people will opt for of two tasting menus: ‘Journey’ at £195pp or ‘Dream’ at £225pp. These are perfectly respectable prices for the type and quality of cooking here, despite what a clickbaity Sunday Times review headlining a £1k+ bill might have you believe. We went to Bonheur for lunch, so actually went for the shorter Journey menu – if you go for dinner, you may as well go all out for the Dream menu at £30 more. Whichever you go for, the meal begins with an assortment of snacks – a beautiful tuna tart with a Thai-style dressing; a potato dauphine topped with caviar; a parmesan cracker; and, our favourite, a chicken and duck liver tartlet. There was also an incredible Japanese milk loaf served with fresh butter – just try and resist ordering a second round of that. Then, a decidedly two-star version of a quiche Lorraine with big chunks of smoked ham, leek, and Gruyère, in a crisp pastry casing. Cornish Turbot was poached and served with asparagus, lemon, and a bright fresh lovage sauce, which really made the dish sing. A slice of pink, gorgeosly fatty Herdwick hogget was the main event, served with finely chopped courgettes and a small scoop of olive tapenade, which worked wonderfully. To finish, there was a pre dessert of Charentais melon with lime, jalapeño and verbena granita; an elevated spin on the classic Île Flottante – a circle of meringue topped with mini strawberries atop a custard sauce; and a round of excellent petit fours with tea. Drink ThisThere’s an extensive wine list, and this is where you could easily send your bill northwards. There are no doubt excellent wines on offer, so what you drink will largely be decided by your budget. There are pairings available of course or if you are trying to keep things sensible, there is a red and a white by the glass for £10 each, and a Henri Giraud Brut Nature champagne for £24. Why GoMatt Abé is a chef at the top of his game, and Bonheur is an all round excellent experience for fine dining fans. We’re sure he’ll be working towards a third star in the years to come. 43 Upper Brook St, London W1K 7QRbonheurbymattabe.com
