Waterside Inn
Encyclopedia
Waterside Inn, located in Bray, Berkshire
, England
, was founded by the brothers Michel
and Albert Roux
after the success of Le Gavroche
. It is currently run by Michel's son, Alain. The restaurant has three Michelin stars
, and in 2010 it became the first restaurant outside of France to retain all three stars for twenty five years.
. Pierre Koffmann was made the first head chef, having worked for Michel
and Albert Roux
at Le Gavroche. Koffmann remained as head chef until 1977 when he left to open his own restaurant, La Tante Claire
. Michel Roux took over as head chef at the restaurant, slowly handing the reins over during the 2010s to his son and the current chef-patron, Alain Roux. Michel spoke of the handover, "The Waterside Inn has been my life but now my son runs it. What could be better? I am very proud of him. After all his name is above the door." Alain has added his own menu items to the restaurant while keeping Roux family classics like soufflé suissesse and tronçonnette de homard. Diego Masciaga has been the restaurant manager since 1988, and speaks of the two chefs highly, "Mr Michel was always there in the kitchen – morning, afternoon, night – with his big voice. Now it is the turn of Alain. Alain is a great man, too, but in his own way."
In addition to being a restaurant, the Waterside Inn has been slowly expanding the number of rooms available for overnight stays since 1992. The interiors were designed individually in a French style by Michel Roux's wife, Robyn.
In 2010, the Waterside Inn became the only restaurant outside of France to retain three Michelin stars for twenty five years. To celebrate, a party was held for which every Michelin starred chef in the UK was invited; 116 chefs attended. In addition, an offer was extended to local residents for lunch at 1985 prices, at a cost of £14.50 each instead of the normal £56.
in 2002, gaving the restaurant a rating of eighteen out of twenty, and stated that the price of the meal was "money very well spent". Max Davidson, in the same year, described the food as "Nothing flash, just mouthful after mouthful of pure quality," while writing for the Daily Mail
, giving the restaurant three stars.
Matthew Norman, reviewing the Waterside Inn for The Daily Telegraph
in 2010, he praised the setting and the attentive service but criticized the value for money of the food served; giving a total of six out of ten, but did describe the cheese trolley as "spectacular". Also in 2010, John Walsh for The Independent
visited the Waterside Inn shortly after it celebrated 25 years with a Michelin star. While he also criticized the cost of some of the courses, saying "I knew it was expensive. Everybody knows that.", he celebrated the quality of the food, describing his main course as "ambrosial" and "fabulous". He gave the restaurant four out of five each for food and ambiance, and five out of five for service.
The Waterside Inn placed eighteenth in the Good Food Guide
's top 60 restaurants in the UK for 2011. Heston Blumenthal
's nearby Bray based restaurant The Fat Duck
placed first, while Le Gavroche
placed fifteenth.
Bray, Berkshire
Bray, sometimes known as Bray on Thames, is a village and civil parish in the English county of Berkshire. It stands on the banks of the River Thames, just south-east of Maidenhead. It is famous as the village mentioned in the song The Vicar of Bray...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was founded by the brothers Michel
Michel Roux
Michel Roux is a French-born chef and restaurateur working in Britain.Born in Charolles, Saône-et-Loire, Roux moved to Paris with his family after the war, where they set up a charcuterie...
and Albert Roux
Albert Roux
Albert Roux OBE is a French-born restaurateur and chef working in Britain. He and his brother Michel operated Le Gavroche, the first restaurant in the UK to gain three Michelin stars. He helped train a series of chefs that went on to win Michelin stars, and his son, Michel Roux, Jr...
after the success of Le Gavroche
Le Gavroche
Le Gavroche is a restaurant on 43 Upper Brook Street in Mayfair . It was opened in 1967 by Michel and Albert Roux although the original premises were on 61 Lower Sloane Street until 1981....
. It is currently run by Michel's son, Alain. The restaurant has three Michelin stars
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
, and in 2010 it became the first restaurant outside of France to retain all three stars for twenty five years.
Description
The Waterside Inn opened in 1972, following the Roux brothers' success at Le GavrocheGavroche
Gavroche is a fictional character from the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo.-Gavroche in the novel:Gavroche is the eldest son of M. and Mme Thénardier. He has two sisters, Éponine and Azelma, and two unnamed younger brothers. He is also technically unnamed; the reader is told he chooses the...
. Pierre Koffmann was made the first head chef, having worked for Michel
Michel Roux
Michel Roux is a French-born chef and restaurateur working in Britain.Born in Charolles, Saône-et-Loire, Roux moved to Paris with his family after the war, where they set up a charcuterie...
and Albert Roux
Albert Roux
Albert Roux OBE is a French-born restaurateur and chef working in Britain. He and his brother Michel operated Le Gavroche, the first restaurant in the UK to gain three Michelin stars. He helped train a series of chefs that went on to win Michelin stars, and his son, Michel Roux, Jr...
at Le Gavroche. Koffmann remained as head chef until 1977 when he left to open his own restaurant, La Tante Claire
La Tante Claire
La Tante Claire was a restaurant in London which opened in 1977 and closed in 2004. Owned and operated by Pierre Koffmann, it gained three Michelin stars in 1983, and held all three until the restaurant moved premises in 1998.-Description:...
. Michel Roux took over as head chef at the restaurant, slowly handing the reins over during the 2010s to his son and the current chef-patron, Alain Roux. Michel spoke of the handover, "The Waterside Inn has been my life but now my son runs it. What could be better? I am very proud of him. After all his name is above the door." Alain has added his own menu items to the restaurant while keeping Roux family classics like soufflé suissesse and tronçonnette de homard. Diego Masciaga has been the restaurant manager since 1988, and speaks of the two chefs highly, "Mr Michel was always there in the kitchen – morning, afternoon, night – with his big voice. Now it is the turn of Alain. Alain is a great man, too, but in his own way."
In addition to being a restaurant, the Waterside Inn has been slowly expanding the number of rooms available for overnight stays since 1992. The interiors were designed individually in a French style by Michel Roux's wife, Robyn.
In 2010, the Waterside Inn became the only restaurant outside of France to retain three Michelin stars for twenty five years. To celebrate, a party was held for which every Michelin starred chef in the UK was invited; 116 chefs attended. In addition, an offer was extended to local residents for lunch at 1985 prices, at a cost of £14.50 each instead of the normal £56.
Reception
Matthew Fort reviewed The Waterside Inn for The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 2002, gaving the restaurant a rating of eighteen out of twenty, and stated that the price of the meal was "money very well spent". Max Davidson, in the same year, described the food as "Nothing flash, just mouthful after mouthful of pure quality," while writing for the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
, giving the restaurant three stars.
Matthew Norman, reviewing the Waterside Inn for The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
in 2010, he praised the setting and the attentive service but criticized the value for money of the food served; giving a total of six out of ten, but did describe the cheese trolley as "spectacular". Also in 2010, John Walsh for The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
visited the Waterside Inn shortly after it celebrated 25 years with a Michelin star. While he also criticized the cost of some of the courses, saying "I knew it was expensive. Everybody knows that.", he celebrated the quality of the food, describing his main course as "ambrosial" and "fabulous". He gave the restaurant four out of five each for food and ambiance, and five out of five for service.
The Waterside Inn placed eighteenth in the Good Food Guide
Good Food Guide
The Good Food Guide is an annual guidebook to the best restaurants in the UK, published by Which?books.The Good Food Guide was first published in 1951 by Raymond Postgate, an enthusiastic gourmet, who was appalled by the standard of contemporary catering. He recruited an army of volunteers to...
's top 60 restaurants in the UK for 2011. Heston Blumenthal
Heston Blumenthal
Heston Marc Blumenthal OBE is an English chef and owner of The Fat Duck, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Bray, Berkshire voted Best Restaurant in the UK by The Good Food Guide 2007 and 2009, and voted best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine in 2005...
's nearby Bray based restaurant The Fat Duck
The Fat Duck
The Fat Duck is a restaurant run by chef Heston Blumenthal in Bray, Berkshire, England. The restaurant is known for its menu of unusual dishes, created following the principles of molecular gastronomy examples include: "snail porridge", "sardine on toast sorbet", "bacon and egg ice cream", and...
placed first, while Le Gavroche
Le Gavroche
Le Gavroche is a restaurant on 43 Upper Brook Street in Mayfair . It was opened in 1967 by Michel and Albert Roux although the original premises were on 61 Lower Sloane Street until 1981....
placed fifteenth.