“This is the beginning of a new chapter”

After 18 years working for Gordon Ramsay (eight of which were spent as chef de cuisine at his three Michelin star flagship on Royal Hospital Road), chef Matt Abé has stepped out on his own. His debut restaurant Le Bonheur de Matt Abé, opened last week in Mayfair on the former site of Le Gavroche – a legendary address. Taking time out of the kitchen during a whirlwind first week, Abé spoke to CODE about the site, about his partnership with Gordon Ramsay, and about single-handedly spearheading the revival of Quiche Lorraine.

Congratulations on the new restaurant. How does it feel to be launching a restaurant on such a storied site?

“It’s really exciting. I’m really excited to be taking on the legacy and responsibility of a location that’s given so much to gastronomy in the UK for as many years as it has. Bonheur feels completely different to Gavroche. It’s very light, very airy, very spacious, a little bit minimalistic. The only thing we’ve kept is the kitchen; I’ve just made a few little modifications to it and I think I’m using it in a slightly different way to the Rouxs. The first time I came to view this site, within the first five minutes, I had that gut feeling that this was going to be home. I walk in now and I very much feel it is my space, it is my environment. This is the beginning of a new chapter. I’ve put together an amazing team and we’re all ready to see what the future holds.”

You’ve been associated with Gordon Ramsay for almost your entire career. What’s different now that it’s your name above the door?

“I worked for Gordon for 18 years. The first two years at Claridge’s and then 16 years at Royal Hospital Road. For eight years, I was solely responsible for that restaurant, maintaining three Michelin stars. That’s a part of me that I will never be able to leave behind. It’s a family that I’m now [part of]. But coming here, this is me; everything in here is me. The design, the menu, the wine list, the cutlery, the crockery, everything has been my own decision. It’s not been a consultation piece with anyone else. This is me in the room and me on the plate.”

How involved is Gordon?

“Gordon is my business partner. He’s my friend, he’s my mentor, that’s very much where the role begins and ends in a sense. I’ve worked for Gordon for so long he knows me inside and out and vice versa. He’ll give his opinions when and where he feels they might be necessary but he’s clear it’s his opinion; he’s not telling me I have to do something. It’s just food for thought. I don’t think I could find a better business partner, to be honest. I think of all the amazing people that he’s mentored and the successes the group has produced over the years. Half the London scene has probably come through a Gordon Ramsay restaurant. That says a lot.”

Has he given you any particular advice?

“The biggest piece of advice that he’s given me is that this is a marathon; it’s not a sprint. It’s a journey growing and building a restaurant. You’ve got to get out of the gates but it’s that longevity that we’re looking for. We’re not looking for five minutes; we’re looking for a long time here.”

Can you tell us a little about the food?

“I’m classically trained so I love classical French cuisine, but coming from Australia where there’s a lot of Asian influence – I’ve been around it my whole life – I’m able to blend some of the classics with some new ways of thinking and blending, very gently, very carefully, a little bit of Asian influence here and there, while obviously showcasing the amazing British produce that we have: the beef, the venison, the scallops, the monkfish, the turbot. We literally do have some of the best produce in the world. When it comes to what’s on the plate, for me it’s very important that it’s either a nod to a classic that’s reinvented or modernised or tweaked to our palate and our dining style now. Or sometimes I’ll play on people’s emotions a little bit, on old childhood memories that I think a lot of people may have experienced. For instance, on my pecan dessert we make this beautiful cocoa nib ice cream inspired by Coco Pops milk. I’m not here to make food complicated; I’m here to bring some amazing produce together with some flavours that really work. Nothing too leftfield, nothing too crazy.

One of the dishes we’ve got on the opening menu is quiche Lorraine. Everyone thinks, ‘hmmm…how can you make that special?’. I really love taking those humble things that we all take for granted a little bit and elevating them into an amazing product. It is a quiche Lorraine but it’s not a quiche Lorraine.

We have à la carte and two tasting menus – a five-course ‘journey’ menu and a longer ‘dream’ menu that includes the pièce de resistance is the 125-day aged Cumbrian blue grey sirloin which has been a labour of love, developing it over quite a number of years to really push the ageing of the beef.”

Do you think there’s still a lot of interest in classical fine-dining?

“Massively. The way I put my dishes on the plate, it’s product-forward. It’s generosity. If it’s about the beef, the beef is the main thing. There is always going to be a time and a place to be intrigued by some unique, weird, random products or random ways of doing things but, at the end of the day, we always feel comfort in things we have some form of association with. The name ‘Bonheur’ is a place of happiness. We want it to exude that sense of warmth and welcoming. I don’t want it to be daunting for anyone; I don’t want anyone to sit here confused as to ‘Why am I eating this? This doesn’t make sense’. It’s very much to embrace it from the beginning of the experience to the end.”

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