And while an invitation to this intimate gathering is unlikely to reach anyone other than the extended Roux clan, you can, however, secure a table for the Caractère Christmas dinner — prepared by Michel Roux Jr and his daughter, Emily.
Hosted on selected dates throughout December and January, the Michelin-starred Notting Hill restaurant — run by Emily and her husband, Diego Ferrari — offers an annual festive celebration that now stands as one of the very few opportunities to experience Michel Roux Jr’s cooking since the closure of Mayfair’s Le Gavroche in early 2024. At a late-November preview, the Caractère team appeared just as delighted to cook alongside Michel as guests were to taste his dishes. “The chefs have all been asking for pictures with him in the kitchen,” Emily noted as she welcomed diners to her neighbourhood restaurant.
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In another nod to Le Gavroche’s legacy, the restaurant’s front-of-house duo identical twins Ursula and Silvia Peberschlager (also known as ‘The Sisters’) will lead the Caractère dining room for the Christmas series.
This rare professional collaboration culminates in a four-ish-course menu shaped by family tradition but refined with the elegant, polished touch that defined once Le Gavroche — and now Caractère. Louis Roederer champagne and canapés open the evening; Orkney scallops with braised, jammy leeks and a crisp of Ibérico ham follow.
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A second course of roasted wild sea bream with ribbons of pasta-like celeriac in a rich beurre blanc is both silky and indulgent. For the main event, the team leans into the classics: turkey. Though a Christmas staple, it seldom appears in fine dining for fear of dryness — a concern expertly avoided here. Black winter truffle-stuffed bronze breast is lacquered in glossy madeira jus. Dessert is a deceptively light chocolate mousse with nutty praline and alcohol-soaked morello cherries.
Caractère’s sommelier, Marco Nardi, has created a primarily French bespoke pairing to accompany each course with finesse. A buttery Domaine Jacques Dury Burgundy complements the bream; a 2009 Pomerol is matched with the turkey; and a honeyed Château Suduiraut Sauternes rounds out the evening alongside dessert. Oenophiles are in for a genuine treat.Roux
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Family Christmas at Caractère will be available December 16-20 and January 8-10. From £195 (approx. $260) per person, charactere.com