Since opening in 2009, Galvin La Chapelle has established itself as one of the City of London’s most loved Michelin-starred restaurants. Owned by brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin, founders of the Galvin Restaurants group, it represents the flagship concept of their approach to modern French cooking – that is to say, classical technique, seasonal produce and hospitality that feels warm and genuine, while unmistakably refined.
The restaurant has held a Michelin star since 2011 and remains a reference point for sophisticated but approachable dining in London. Having surpassed its 15th birthday, loyal patrons claim it is the consistently high level of experience that keeps people coming back – and a cellar built on regional French wines.
Housed in a Grade II listed former Victorian school hall in Spitalfields, just moments from Liverpool Street, the restaurant occupies a building completed in 1890 as St Botolph’s Hall, serving both the parish of Bishopsgate and the Central Foundation School for Girls. In the decades that followed, the structure fell into dereliction and faced demolition before ultimately being restored.
When the Galvin family undertook the refurbishment, they preserved the building’s lime plaster walls, granite pillars and timber ceiling, ensuring the integrity of the space remained intact. From the table, the sense of scale is immediate as the vaulted ceiling rises high above the dining room, and in the evening, when softened by candlelight, there is a subtle grandeur to the setting. Unlike so many venues, the space carries sound, allowing conversation to build and recede without any one table intruding on another, the essence of atmosphere.
Galvin La Chapelle’s dining room space with lofty vaulted ceiling.
Galvin La Chapelle
Over more than fifteen years, Galvin La Chapelle has adapted to changing tastes and economic pressures while holding firmly to its foundations. In a very difficult climate for the industry, that versatility is critical. As Chris Galvin explains, “We have constantly evolved our restaurants, listening to guests and working with our farm’s seasons and trends. We find ourselves in one of the most challenging times for hospitality in our living memory, but will always stick to the adage that quality always lasts.”
Brothers Jeff and Chris Galvin.
Galvin La Chapelle
Today the kitchen is led by Chef Director Arturo Granato, whose menus connect the Galvin brothers’ French heritage with wider Mediterranean influences. A seven-course tasting menu sits alongside a carefully priced set lunch and a flexible à la carte selection. Dishes such as Orkney scallop crudo with green apple, horseradish and hazelnut oil, barbecued Cornish monkfish with trompettes and Vin Jaune, and free-range English duck à l’orange are grounded in classical technique but presented with contemporary style.
For many, it is the wine list that adds the little extra magic to Galvin La Chapelle’s proposition. One would be forgiven for assuming the restaurant’s title is a simple nod to the building’s ecclesiastical history, but in fact it reflects an affinity with Rhône Valley producer Paul Jaboulet Aîné. During a tasting in the northern Rhône, Chris Galvin encountered La Chapelle, the modest chapel crowning the famous Hermitage hill. It lends its identity to Jaboulet’s Hermitage La Chapelle, a full bodied red made exclusively from Syrah. The reference felt a natural choice, given that the girls’ school had been designed as part of a nearby church, its lofty roof evoking a sense of the sacred.
Matching the implied gravitas, Granato has strong opinions on the importance of wine pairing. “The wine list is designed to complement the menu, by offering balanced pairings that should bring out the character of each dish. We have the classic Bordeaux and Burgundy selection, but also a wide choice of Mediterranean wines.” The backbone of the list is certainly Old World, incorporating wines from Italy, Spain, Austria and Germany. It’s a confident selection without being ostentatious, offering depth in key areas while remaining accessible across price points. With small boutique estates and lesser known varieties, it also encourages guests to engage with the sommelier if needed. Read the list carefully, as there are a few hidden gems. Look out for Famille Joseph Janoueix’s Pomerol.
Chef Director Arturo believes that wine is a fundamental part of the dining experience.
Galvin La Chapelle
For Granato, wine expresses the character of the restaurant as clearly as the food. “Wine helps express who the restaurant is. We think our wine program has a lot of care, quality, and attention to detail, much like the food itself. Wine doesn’t just accompany food; it brings out all the flavours. It’s understood by our guests that well-chosen wines can transform a good meal into a really memorable one.”
That philosophy is evident in specific pairings. He highlights the Dorset crab raviolo (served with charred fennel and beurre blanc) matched with Lismore’s ‘The Age of Grace’ Viognier 2022 from South Africa, where aromatic weight and texture enhance the sweetness of the crab and the richness of the beurre blanc without overwhelming them.
Long time guests might also note a subtle loyalty to the English wine scene. Having supported the industry over the years with regular inclusions, Chris Galvin points to one pairing in particular: “You simply can’t beat our paired barbecued monkfish with the 2022 Chardonnay from Danbury Ridge Estate in Essex. I’m a big fan of English Wine and it’s neighbouring to our country pub, Galvin Green Man – so always good to support our local friends.”
With so much of fine dining driven by themes, fads and throwaway theatre, it is refreshing to encounter a restaurant defined by good cooking. The fundamentals are in place – real food, great wine, sensible pricing, welcoming hospitality. Atmosphere inevitably follows. Not easy to achieve, but simple in principle. Over the last fifteen years, Chris and Jeff have converted a loyal following, a place people return to and share with others. Galvin La Chapelle is doing things the right way. Long may it continue.
Dining and Cooking