Best French restaurants in London Published 14 April 2025
London’s French restaurants span everything from charming local bistros to grand dining rooms like The Ritz, showcasing the depth and finesse of French cooking in every corner of the capital. Whether you're in search of rustic Provençal comfort or elegant haute cuisine, the city offers a rich and varied take on one of the world’s most celebrated culinary traditions.
From Soho to South Kensington, these restaurants are united by a commitment to well-sourced ingredients, time-honoured technique and a certain je ne sais quoi. Explore our guide to the best French restaurants in London and discover where to enjoy everything from soupe à l’oignon to soufflé, served with style.
Fitzrovia is not necessarily short of smart, efficient bistros with a switched-on city ambience, but here is one that stands head and shoulders above the competition. The layout will look familiar – close-packed tables,… Read more
Fitzrovia is not necessarily short of smart, efficient bistros with a switched-on city ambience, but here is one that stands head and shoulders above the competition. The layout will look familiar – close-packed tables, glass dividers, an open kitchen at the back – but there is a distinctiveness to both the atmosphere and the essentially French cooking. Staff are knowledgeable and voluble in equal measure, and there is no cold feeling of being processed. The kitchen, under Stuart Andrew, is conscious of making an impression – even something as humble as soupe au pistou comes out swinging, full of tiny carrot and courgette brunoise, bites of green bean, poached fresh coco beans and super-fine noodles, with a generous dot of intense basil pistou. To follow, a fillet of sea bass on spinach with mussels in a saffron-scented sauce made with the mussel liquor is a star performance, while the game season furnishes a roast partridge with boudin blanc, quince and parsley roots. The side-order of truffade (a baconed-up dauphinoise with a breadcrumb topping) is a must. Finish with something as simple as a Neapolitan triumvirate of homemade ice creams or tarte au citron with bergamot Chantilly. An impressive wine list has been meticulously selected with an eye to the quality-price ratio; glasses start at £8, and there are some real treasures on the splash-out 'cellar list'.
Archetypal Mayfair brasserie that oozes class and civility
Run with consummate grace and decorum by ever-present Gavin Rankin, this archetypal Mayfair brasserie feels as if it has been around forever – even though it only arrived on the scene in 2004. Inside, the green banquettes ar… Read more
Run with consummate grace and decorum by ever-present Gavin Rankin, this archetypal Mayfair brasserie feels as if it has been around forever – even though it only arrived on the scene in 2004. Inside, the green banquettes are almost an institution in themselves, and everything about the beautifully appointed dining room speaks of discreet civility and understated class – no wonder the late Queen Elizabeth felt right at home here.
In fact, everyone is most welcome and the whole place exudes genuine warmth – thanks in part to ‘truly exceptional’ staff and classical service of the old school. The menu is built on precisely executed, canonical specialities with Provençal overtones – think asparagus with hollandaise sauce, iced lobster soufflé and jambon persillé ahead of steak tartare with Pont Neuf potatoes, red mullet with anchovy butter or entrecôte of beef with pommes frites.
Many dishes have impressed of late, from devilled eggs (rich and creamy) to Dover sole, executed with consummate elegance, flair and copious quantities of butter – plus a dash of seasoning to bring it home. Desserts are well-tried classics, from île flottante, Marina’s chocolate cake and tarte tatin to Bellamy's famous 'soft' ice creams. Otherwise, a bowl of Minstrels (often brought out by Rankin himself) provides the final satisfying flourish. The lunchtime table d’hôte is a steal, and the fiercely Francophile wine list (from £30) offers terrific value across the range.
Enticing French bistro cooking in swanky surroundings
Modernist lighting, high-toned detailing and lots of elegant curves – the former bar area of Wild Honey makes a suitably swanky backdrop for Anthony Demetre's more informal spin-off and is ‘a lovely space to … Read more
Modernist lighting, high-toned detailing and lots of elegant curves – the former bar area of Wild Honey makes a suitably swanky backdrop for Anthony Demetre's more informal spin-off and is ‘a lovely space to pop in for a drink or a longer meal’. Arguably, the biggest draw is the bargain prix-fixe of just two choices at each course, offered from noon to 6.30pm, but the much pricier carte is vital and seasonal, filled with enticing and irresistible dishes.
The menu makes no bones about its Francophilia, but there are modern touches along the way and the quality of the produce is outstanding. You can, of course, opt for just a burger with fries or merguez sausages with lyonnaise potatoes, but should three courses beckon, a salad of autumn leaves with pear, walnut and soft cheese dressing is deliciously new wave, while pork, chicken and duck terrine ‘en croûte’ is a typically classic opener. The standout at our lunch was rabbit à la moutarde, fall-apart meat simmered in white wine and mustard, with a side of crushed charlotte potatoes in spiced brown butter – though we found similar contentment in a dessert of light, creamy tiramisu.
Staff are admirably well versed in the niceties of their trade and there’s a serious dedication to the drinks side of things, from perfect Negronis to an exemplary choice of wines by the glass. And if you decide to drop by between 5pm and 7pm (aka ‘cinq à sept’), you can order a glass of the day’s red or white with a choice of ham or cheese croquettes for £11.
As a neighbourhood bistro of the old school, Xavier Rousset's Comptoir, just off Marylebone High Street, fits its London purlieu to a T. Tables squeezed into a higgledy-piggledy set of spaces, keyed-up French staff, a general air … Read more
As a neighbourhood bistro of the old school, Xavier Rousset's Comptoir, just off Marylebone High Street, fits its London purlieu to a T. Tables squeezed into a higgledy-piggledy set of spaces, keyed-up French staff, a general air of warm-heartedness and a commendable wine list specialising in the expansive fertility of the Rhône region all contribute to the appeal. Sharing dishes suit the mood – think a baked Camembert with onions and pancetta followed by a great hunk of côte de boeuf with skinny frites and peppercorn sauce. We enjoyed a chicken and chanterelle tart positively blitzed with capers, and a more off-piste serving of juniper-cured sea trout in teriyaki dressing with slivers of ultra-ripe mango. Pork in the form of a rump steak with a black-pudding croquette, creamy morel sauce and mash are what bistro cooking is all about, or there may be hake with a chargrilled tiger prawn in sea herbs and lovage oil. For pudding, our pear tarte fine lacked a little dessert energy, but its accompanying vanilla ice cream was the business. If the broad French boulevards of the main list don't haul you in, look to the separately printed glass selection. Who could resist the siren-like call of Xavier Gérard's Condrieu?
Are high-profile restaurants above pubs becoming a thing in London? On the first floor of the Three Compasses pub in Farringdon, this reworking of Henry Harris’s famed (and much missed) Racine in Knightsbridge revives the ch… Read more
Are high-profile restaurants above pubs becoming a thing in London? On the first floor of the Three Compasses pub in Farringdon, this reworking of Henry Harris’s famed (and much missed) Racine in Knightsbridge revives the chef’s avowed mission to provide resolutely French food and drink after a gap of seven years. Reached via steep stairs, it’s a pleasant, light-filled room, where a lot of effort has gone into creating a mood that is warm and unpretentious. Come here if you want straight-talking Gallic brasserie classics, dishes straight out of Larousse Gastronomique. Escargots à la bourguignonne, perhaps, or Bayonne ham with celeriac rémoulade, then rabbit with mustard sauce or côte de boeuf with sauce béarnaise. All dishes are chosen from a large, densely written blackboard menu, hoisted from table to table – a convincing slice of France if it weren’t for the mainly English accents of the on-the-ball waiting staff. Our meal opened with a gutsy, rich scallop dish (one of the evening specials), served with its coral atop a purée of fennel, lemon and olive oil, ahead of a Racine classic – tête de veau with a punchy sauce ravigote (one of the best-selling items on the menu). To conclude, we enjoyed a hard-to-fault pot de crème aux griottines. The mainly French wine list is a good one, with about 14 by the glass (from £7.50), and bottles from £29.95.
Bastion of French-accented cuisine in Swiss Cottage
Ticketholders heading for the nearby Hampstead Theatre take full advantage of the fixed-price supper menu on offer at Simon Bradley’s neighbourhood stalwart, which has been a diamond for the denizens of Swiss Cottage and bey… Read more
Ticketholders heading for the nearby Hampstead Theatre take full advantage of the fixed-price supper menu on offer at Simon Bradley’s neighbourhood stalwart, which has been a diamond for the denizens of Swiss Cottage and beyond since 1992. Fans appreciate the fact that the chef serves up ‘excellent ingredients in a relatively simple and unfussy way’ – no wonder locals pack the good-looking dining room with its pastel shades, big contemporary canvases and spotlights twinkling from the ceiling.
Simon’s cooking may have a noticeable French accent, but he buys British – procuring oysters from West Mersea, seafood from Cornwall, lamb from West Country farms and Scottish beef for his Sunday roasts. This translates into dishes such as steak tartare with spiced parsnips and pickled walnut ketchup, wiener schnitzel or gurnard with ratatouille, wilted greens and a side order of gratin dauphinoise.
There is also plenty of finesse on show when it comes to desserts such chocolate pavé or black cherry and orange soufflé with vanilla ice cream – although there’s also traditional comfort in the shape of blackberry and apple tart. Service is ‘spot-on, precise and knowledgeable without being overly formal,’ observed one regular. Prices are ‘exceptionally reasonable’ – and that includes the wine list, which does its job admirably (note the terrific section by the glass).
* Head chef Jamie Smart has moved on, and Cadet's kitchen is now run by former sous-chef Julie Hetyei.*
There’s a new breed of eatery in London that blurs the lines between wine bar and restaurant. Not so Cadet on Newington… Read more
* Head chef Jamie Smart has moved on, and Cadet's kitchen is now run by former sous-chef Julie Hetyei.*
There’s a new breed of eatery in London that blurs the lines between wine bar and restaurant. Not so Cadet on Newington Green, which is a wine bar through and through. Defining features: no reservations; seating at high bar stools only; a blackboard menu; a cracking wine list. That said, chef Jamie Smart (Flor, P. Franco, Auberge de Chassignolles) and London charcutier George Jephson have put this neighbourhood ‘cave à vin’ on the restaurant map – so do come ready to eat your way through the menu, a doable feast of around dozen dishes. We like the speed of service – order a glass of Languedoc rosé and a plate of rillettes or tomato salad and it can be in front of you within seconds of sitting down. In the case of Jephson’s epic pâté en croûte and fromage de tête, all the hard work is done long before you arrive. The pâté, stuffed with dried figs, green peppercorns, pistachios, and rich in jelly, is a thing of beauty. Other dishes at our July inspection included the following: lamb leg with peas and mint; monkfish liver tartine; a generous tranche of trout with beurre blanc and pickled wild onions that were little bigger than peppercorns; a slice of honey semifreddo with apricots and the careful addition of lavender. The menu changes daily, so also expect the likes of quail with sprout tops and chestnuts or smoked eel chou farci, depending on the calendar. Take your time over the full drinks list, which encompasses cider, Belgian beers, orange wines, fizzy tipples and more, mainly from France and all available to go – selections by the glass are scrawled on the blackboard. Note: service is compris – factored into the menu pricing.
The younger sibling of Maison François in St James's, Café François plays the cheeky barrow boy to its suited-and-booted older bruv. Extending over two floors in Borough Yard, it has a deli counter, show kitch… Read more
The younger sibling of Maison François in St James's, Café François plays the cheeky barrow boy to its suited-and-booted older bruv. Extending over two floors in Borough Yard, it has a deli counter, show kitchen and ground-floor rotisserie, while upstairs, under the brick railway arches, you sit at long wooden benches, elbows in, amid the jolly jostle.
Digging deep into the roots of French canteen cooking, the kitchen produces moreish gougère puffs filled with Comté cheese, crispy frogs' legs with ravigote dip, and escargots lathered in garlic and parsley butter. There are one or two excursions into other territories (although pumpkin with freekeh and labneh could still have come from some backstreet Montmartre bistro), while the bacon and egg muffin, partnered with a positive slab of foie gras, takes its inspiration from French-Canadian Joe Beef in Montreal. The French-Viet bánh mì baguette filled with soft-shell crab looks good too. If rotisserie cooking still strikes you as a bit Abigail's Party, try the herb-scented chicken portions (with optional merguez sausage) or prime rib in red wine jus, and be converted.
Other main dishes take in a monkfish and mussel vadouvan curry, and the all-important quiche du jour with green salad. Dessert offers up a clutch of éclairs, including our luscious pecan and vanilla version, as well as the likes of tarte au citron and hazelnut Paris-Brest. ‘The language of wine is truly international,’ begins the list, articulating a sentiment that would have caused a fit of the vapeurs in France a generation ago, but the selection soon romps off round Europe and into the New World. House selections from a biodynamic Bordeaux vineyard (in all three colours) start at £9 a small glass.
Here we have a little haven of French provincial cooking amid the bustle of Borough Market, a neat, simply dressed bistro with candles on the tables and a menu featuring pâté en croûte, grilled ox heart with Caf… Read more
Here we have a little haven of French provincial cooking amid the bustle of Borough Market, a neat, simply dressed bistro with candles on the tables and a menu featuring pâté en croûte, grilled ox heart with Café de Paris butter, and a daily line-up of blackboard specials. Clare Lattin and Tom Hill cut their teeth at London’s Ducksoup, then moved on to osteria Emilia in Devon, so they have serious chops when it comes to running restaurants. There’s nothing quite like the buzz in here when the place is full, with upbeat service adding to the all-round joie de vivre.
The kitchen is run by Elliot Hashtroudi, who takes due account of seasonal British produce for a series of delicious French vignettes where each plate is allowed to shine in its own right. We kicked off with a snack of smoked eel served atop curried devilled eggs, before tackling a starter of white crabmeat perfectly matched with a barattiere melon and cucumber emulsion, heritage tomatoes and a melon granita. For the main course, the richness of a superb Welsh pork schnitzel (crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside) was offset by a salad of greengage and crispy pig's ear – although a combo of octopus, pig's trotter and bacon looked equally intriguing.
To finish, we were taken by the peach tart and the canelé with lemon curd, but finally settled for a rich dark chocolate marquise topped with Chantilly cream and beef-fat salted caramel. A dozen low-intervention wines from small French and Italian producers start at £35, with by-the-glass selections changing each day.
Booking is absolutely essential at this tiny, stereotypical French bistro, where the floor is all black and white tiles, the gingham-clothed tables are tight-packed, and the walls sport French advertising posters. That said, every… Read more
Booking is absolutely essential at this tiny, stereotypical French bistro, where the floor is all black and white tiles, the gingham-clothed tables are tight-packed, and the walls sport French advertising posters. That said, everyone is here for the good food and jolly atmosphere. The daily menu – only three choices per course – is chalked up on a blackboard, and when dishes are gone, they are gone. This is proper cuisine grand-mère, where a bowl of soupe à l'oignon, kept steaming hot with the traditional blanket of melted Gruyère on toast, might precede confit rabbit leg accompanied by a traditional sauce moutarde (served on very decent mash) or monkfish with saffron risotto and squid ink. There’s a typically Gallic shrug when it comes to vegetables, but portions are generous, expertly cooked and served with a certain elan by heavily accented French staff. Not everyone makes it to pudding, but if you do, you’ll find classics such as île flottante – a perfect example, not too sweet and dotted with toasted almonds. Though no one ever seems to rush, the 25 or so seats will be turned at least twice a night. The wine list (also scrawled on a blackboard) stays in France, with every bottle offered by the glass and carafe.
Slip away from the frenzy that surrounds Liverpool Street station into this charming little piece of Paris (formerly Galvin Hop). You’ll find all the expected tropes here: red-check tablecloths, windows stencilled with brass let… Read more
Slip away from the frenzy that surrounds Liverpool Street station into this charming little piece of Paris (formerly Galvin Hop). You’ll find all the expected tropes here: red-check tablecloths, windows stencilled with brass letters advertising ‘bière’ and ‘tarte flambée’, and efficient waiters in blue-striped tops. Order up a bowlful of blistered Padrón peppers, or share one of those snackably crisp tartes. Move on to a chunky pork terrine studded with whole pistachios, sweetened with prunes and perked up with pickles – or a serving of burrata, whose mild softness is invigorated by a draping of Bayonne ham and the charred edge of roasted delica pumpkin. Mains could be a piece of pearly cod on a heap of creamy coco de Paimpol beans with wilted spinach, or Ibérico pork that ripples with flavour-giving fat and comes with celeriac, caramelised apple and chunks of black pudding to create an autumnal feast of a dish – the standout of our October visit. To finish? A classic tarte tatin could fit the bill, or a bright buttermilk panna cotta heaped with blackberries and scattered with shortbread. It’s always good to see wines by the 500ml carafe – in keeping with the Parisian bistro vibe. Look out for the lunchtime prix-fixe – £28 for three courses – if you fancy lingering over a déjeuner that’s easier on the pocket than many similar restaurants.
Through an entrance draped with hanging flora, La Chapelle makes the most instant statement of all the Galvin brothers' venues, and now has a fresh new look to coincide with its 15th anniversary in 2024. Inside, it's a cavernous, … Read more
Through an entrance draped with hanging flora, La Chapelle makes the most instant statement of all the Galvin brothers' venues, and now has a fresh new look to coincide with its 15th anniversary in 2024. Inside, it's a cavernous, high-ceilinged space with swagged marble pillars and sky-high windows, sultrily lit of an evening to ensure that it feels like a proper occasion. Service of exemplary courtesy helps no end as well. The kitchen deals in a style of modern French cuisine with interesting twiddles. A duck terrine of leg and liver comes with pain d'épices of mandarin and coffee, scallops and crab are fashioned into a reimagined lasagne in beurre nantais, and Yorkshire rhubarb turns up with dark chocolate in a sauce for a barbecued Bresse pigeon. Fish could be Scottish lobster in a construction with fregola, buffalo mozzarella, preserved lemon, tuna bottarga and wild rocket. Also look out for new dishes such as a ballotine of Orkney scallop with gambero rosso, squid-ink aïoli, kimchi water and nasturtium oil. The precision of presentations matches the accuracy of timing and seasoning in these dishes, and the same is true of something as textbook as tarte tatin with Normandy crème fraîche, or the satisfyingly liquorous rum baba dressed in blood-orange and Espelette chilli. The 'gourmand' menu comes in a vegan version to show that all may enter the kingdom. Wines are a classy Eurocentric coterie, with a useful range by the small glass from £9.50. Note that the restaurant is open all week and even provides a Sunday lunch.
Clever twists to familiar dishes at this fresh take on a French bistro
Jackson Boxer is a man whose bow has many strings. The creative force behind Brunswick House in Vauxhall and Notting Hill spot, Dove (formerly Orasay), his latest venture is a bistro on the ground floor of the Henrietta Experiment… Read more
Jackson Boxer is a man whose bow has many strings. The creative force behind Brunswick House in Vauxhall and Notting Hill spot, Dove (formerly Orasay), his latest venture is a bistro on the ground floor of the Henrietta Experimental hotel in the heart of Covent Garden. A Parisian hommage may not be an entirely unique selling point just now, but Boxer understands this food better than most. In a narrow dining room with marble-topped tables, wood panelling and comfortable booth seating, the ambience is relaxed, informal – décontracté, if you will – with chatty staff and mesmerising cocktails named after legendary French chefs.
Off-piste riffs on the familiar see the traditional Bordeaux cannelé advanced up the menu from coffee hour, filled with seaweed and sour cream and capped with trout roe for a sharp appetiser. Defiant simplicity is one of the keynotes of French bistro dining, as witness a salad of shredded carrot spun with tapenade and sesame seeds. We can't help but admire the brio in pairing a serving of risotto cooked in veal stock with skewered snails drenched in garlic and parsley butter, or the earthy fundamentalism of a brace of runny fried eggs in buttery sauce dense with morels and black oyster mushrooms.
Look to the board to see what's being put on the charcoal grill, perhaps Brixham cod (served with crab bisque and lime leaf), or let the whole table set about a roast of herb-fed chicken with turnips and morels. Big cake action awaits the intrepid at the end of proceedings, with Royal Opera torte in a PX libation as well as chocolate sabayon cake with yoghurt sorbet. The wine list spurns French blinkers for a wide-ranging international array, with glasses from £7 and half-bottle carafes from £20.
Claude Bosi's assured homage to classic bistro cooking
Josephine is that rare combination, a classic-looking French bistro that serves its neighbourhood well but is also worth travelling across town for. The fact that the driving force behind the operation is chef Claude Bosi makes it… Read more
Josephine is that rare combination, a classic-looking French bistro that serves its neighbourhood well but is also worth travelling across town for. The fact that the driving force behind the operation is chef Claude Bosi makes it easy to see why news of its repute has spread far and wide – the dining room is regularly packed to capacity, humming with noise and activity.
The menu is classic French through and through, with a focus on bistro classics and regional Lyonnaise specialities from Bosi’s home town. Though the food stays in familiar territory rather than going adventuring, everything is produced with great assurance – as one might expect, given Bosi's elevated reputation. Indeed, one sign of a good kitchen is what it can do with humble ingredients. Consider, for example, the soupe à l’oignon, widely copied although we’ve yet to eat one that comes even close to this version.
Many staples are here (terrine, filet de boeuf au poivre, lapin à la moutarde, gratin dauphinois) – dishes that people really enjoy eating. And judging by the elegant simplicity of leeks vinaigrette, or skate wing in a brown butter and caper sauce, or even a light, puffy vol-au-vent filled with chicken and morel sauce, there are never too many tastes on the plate, either. Like the cheeseboard, desserts are resolutely Gallic – think oeuf à la neige, prâline rose, and tarte au citron meringue. The good value of the daily plat du jour and the short-choice set menu offered at lunch and dinner add to Josephine's allure.
With Lucy Bosi overseeing front of house alongside general manager Will Smith (the ex-Arbutus/Wild Honey frontman lured back from Scotland), it's clear that all aspects of running a restaurant – buying ingredients, cooking, ambience – have been brought together without fuss or ostentation. House wines are available bouchon-style (you only pay for what you have drunk), and the full list is an oenophile's tour of the Rhône Valley.
A Holland Park fixture since 1969, rebooted Julie's gives every impression of fitting its local constituency like a glove: here you will find ‘artists, thinkers, Martini drinkers,’ as the website proclaims. ‘I ra… Read more
A Holland Park fixture since 1969, rebooted Julie's gives every impression of fitting its local constituency like a glove: here you will find ‘artists, thinkers, Martini drinkers,’ as the website proclaims. ‘I ran into an old friend who has appeared in Tatler,’ one reader happened to mention casually. Summer evenings that begin with a drink on the terrace are a definite lure, and the interior ambience, which extends to a stylish bar, elegant striped banquettes and parquet floors, makes all the right noises too.
The new owners have acquired the services of chef Owen Kenworthy, ex-Brawn and local pub the Pelican, who delivers a menu of French bistro and haute-cuisine classics ensuring solid neighbourhood support. Canapés set the tone with a lemon- and fennel-scented spider crab en croûte, as well as radishes and taramasalata. The main menu is like surrendering to a warm embrace in the sumptuous shape of truffled leek and Gruyère quiche with a mustard-dressed salad of fine beans, or perhaps duck liver schnitzel with shallot marmalade and a quail's egg. Unshowy but hugely satisfying main dishes take in everything from crab and scallop tortellini with brown shrimps and spinach in beurre blanc to a flavourful lamb rump with coco beans and tomato.
Desserts could have high-tailed it from the 8th Arrondissement, what with crème caramel, chocolate pavé or a slice of rhubarb and almond tart with crème fraîche in the offing. There is good drinking to be had, by no means all of it from the French elite. Wines by the glass (from £9) keep everyone onside, but even the aristos of Bordeaux and Burgundy come at a fraction of what you would pay in the West End.
London's oldest French restaurant still going strong
Opened in 1927 as L’Escargot Bienvenue (complete with a snail farm in the basement), this bastion of old Soho has moved gently with the times while retaining its ageless sense of style – thanks in part to its current p… Read more
Opened in 1927 as L’Escargot Bienvenue (complete with a snail farm in the basement), this bastion of old Soho has moved gently with the times while retaining its ageless sense of style – thanks in part to its current patron Brian Clivaz. A substantial refit in 2023 enhanced the famously warm, softly lit interiors, numerous salons and private spaces, and the veritable gallery of artwork lining the walls.
‘Slow and sure’ is the restaurant’s motto, and the kitchen continues to deliver a comforting rendition of 'la cuisine bourgeoise' – which means lobster salad, navarin of lamb, grilled halibut with hollandaise, confit duck with Puy lentils, crème brûlée and chocolate soufflé. The titular gastropods are shipped up from Herefordshire these days, although their treatment is as emphatically traditional as ever – slathered with parsley and garlic or, perhaps, flambéed with Pernod. Occasionally the menu strays off-piste for the likes of crab linguine with leeks and tarragon or asparagus and pea risotto, but it's back to France for cheeses and madeleines.
Fixed-price lunches and pre-theatre deals are good value for the postcode, afternoon tea is a pleasing surprise, and ‘flavoursome’ Sunday lunches have delivered ‘exceptional quality’ – from ‘rôti de côte de boeuf à l‘anglaise’ to tarte au citron. Wines are patriotically Gallic, of course, with big-ticket bottles for those who want to splurge but also some more affordable regional options for everyday drinking.
Quite a caricature of a French bistro, complete with bentwood chairs, gingham tablecloths and workaday glassware, this neighbourhood favourite ensures that diners’ expectations are focused mistily across the Channel even bef… Read more
Quite a caricature of a French bistro, complete with bentwood chairs, gingham tablecloths and workaday glassware, this neighbourhood favourite ensures that diners’ expectations are focused mistily across the Channel even before they sit down. The menu also delivers, from soupe de poissons to steak frites, but stay with the theme to get the best from it: salty samphire with roasted garlic prawns or crispy confit duck with soft-textured Puy lentils, say. The house dessert – a 'petit citron' posset – is worth holding out for, and readers have raved about the warm pot au chocolat. Drink French wines by the carafe and stick to the weekly set menu (or the daily deals) to keep things reasonably affordable.
On the corner of Harley Street and Cavendish Square, this wine bar/brasserie from Parisian big hitter Le Taillevent puts wine front and centre to dining here. Indeed, the sheer breadth, kind pricing, accessibility and rarity … Read more
On the corner of Harley Street and Cavendish Square, this wine bar/brasserie from Parisian big hitter Le Taillevent puts wine front and centre to dining here. Indeed, the sheer breadth, kind pricing, accessibility and rarity of the wines on offer really rewards drinkers. As well as an encyclopaedic list, there are 110 by the glass – hence the name. By using a very handy, easy-to-navigate grid, each menu item is matched to four wines in different price brackets, offered in 70ml and 125ml measures. Should that prove too confusing, a sommelier is on hand to give very good advice. Cooking remains understated, everything is done with care, using good ingredients, overlaid with precision and French familiarity. Sauces are a real strength – notably a light but complex spin on bonne femme accompanying mushroom-stuffed Cornish turbot fillet. A lobster dish, deceptively complex and superbly balanced, utilised pickled discs of pumpkin as a sharp-sweet foil to a light and delicate foaming bisque containing generous amounts of claw and leg meat, all topped by two perfectly poached slices of tail finished with pieces of orange and pumpkin seeds – perfect with a 2015 Anjou Blanc. Elsewhere, an exquisite, glossy and translucent sauce tinged with coffee complemented two pink roasted slices of venison loin, while a whole baby parsnip, parsnip purée and some roasted hen of the woods mushrooms made for a classically sweet garnish – superbly matched by a glass of 2015 Zinfandel. Lunch began with a benchmark gougère filled with hot cheese cream, a glass of perfectly made foaming ajo blanco, and a whole round loaf of malted sourdough alongside generously salted butter, while various riffs on blackberry (sorbet, bavarois, soup) with vanilla yoghurt foam and some meringue shards provided a fitting finale. Set in a former Coutts bank, the whole place looks sleek, glossy and plush – although it comes with a relaxed vibe and surprisingly straightforward service.
A genuine restaurant du quartier, if ever there was, this Crouch End spot is run by the titular duo of Robert Reid at the stoves and Jean-Christophe Slowik (JC, to the army of regulars) out front. If only one of them is French, he… Read more
A genuine restaurant du quartier, if ever there was, this Crouch End spot is run by the titular duo of Robert Reid at the stoves and Jean-Christophe Slowik (JC, to the army of regulars) out front. If only one of them is French, he is at least bubbling over with enough unabashed Gallic bonhomie for two. Battleship-grey panelling, undressed tables and a trio of blackboards busily covered in numerous chalk-scribbled specials form a backdrop to Reid's assured Gallic cooking. You might easily guess what's on the menu, sight unseen (soupe à l'oignon gratinée, garlic-buttered escargots, Bayonne ham with celeriac rémoulade for starters), although you might not anticipate the panache with which the dishes are realised – or the uncommon quality of the raw materials. Moving on, mains might bring entrecôte or ribeye steaks with béarnaise sauce and piles of frites or smoked haddock in mustard sauce topped with a poached egg. The non-meat alternative of, say, artichokes with ratatouille and chickpeas in cumin-scented roast tomato sauce shows more consideration for veggies than you might find in many a traditional French bistro. Finish with rum baba and apricot compôte or tarte fine aux pommes. A French wine list covers all bases, with glasses from £7.95, plus still or sparkling Kir to start.
Paris comes to St James's in the shape of this strikingly modern brasserie
Inspired by the French 'grand brasserie', and running from breakfast to dinner, Maison François is light and spacious, with an impressive double-height ceiling, an open kitchen at one end and Frank’s (a moodily l… Read more
Inspired by the French 'grand brasserie', and running from breakfast to dinner, Maison François is light and spacious, with an impressive double-height ceiling, an open kitchen at one end and Frank’s (a moodily lit wine bar) in the basement. The vibe is smart-casual with comfortable seats, reasonably spaced tables and unfailingly warm service (judging by feedback we've received). Indeed, one contributor who took advantage of a special offer of ‘very good’ moules frites for £15 had this to say: 'we were eating the cheapest meal on the menu, but were treated as though we had ordered the most expensive.'
The carte is a dream line-up of Gallic classics (hake with sauce bouillabaisse, entrecôte de boeuf au poivre), and everything we ate was spot-on at our most recent visit. Pâte en croûte, Comté gougères and jambon noir de Bigorre with celeriac rémoulade proved to be just perfect, while côte de veau arrived precisely cooked with the fat beautifully caramelised. Then, as a finale, the desserts appeared. Can anyone resist a trolley laden with macarons, tarte aux pommes, Paris-Brest, mousse au chocolat and much more?
Prices aren't greedy considering the well-heeled location (a short walk from Fortnum & Mason), while the lengthy wine list genuinely offers something for everyone, with France as the main contender but back-up from the rest of Europe and the New World.
Otto Tepasse is not one to hide his light under a bushel, and why would he? His Gray's Inn Road spot is justly celebrated as a redoubt of French cuisine à l'ancienne, from the black-and-white floor and mint-green … Read more
Otto Tepasse is not one to hide his light under a bushel, and why would he? His Gray's Inn Road spot is justly celebrated as a redoubt of French cuisine à l'ancienne, from the black-and-white floor and mint-green walls to the publicity shots of Marilyn Monroe (mais bien sûr), and a culinary approach that reaches far back into nostalgic recall. Order in advance and you can relive the gastronomic heyday of canard à la presse, homard à la presse and Anjou pigeon à la presse (though not all at once to the same table). Even those who haven't thought ahead can be regaled with steak tartare assembled before their very eyes, or calf's brain pané in grenobloise, or coquilles St-Jacques in their shells with beurre blanc. The tournedos Rossini is by no means the only dish to feature foie gras, which is more or less everywhere, while a romantic dîner à deux might turn on a mighty gigot of milk-fed Pyrenean lamb in a glossy jus alive with rosemary and thyme. Boozed-up desserts could easily lead you astray: the baba and pineapple flamed with Jamaica rum; the flaming crêpes Suzette; the Grand Marnier soufflé. Finish with a shot of aged Calvados, but only after testing the bank balance with one of those classic French wines, which ascend gracefully into the four-figure stratosphere.
Quirky old-fashioned bistro with bags of natural charm
On a side street close to Warwick Avenue tube, this delightfully eccentric bistro has all the trappings of a quirky dining room belonging to a rich, dotty aunt who has travelled the world and is partial to a midday tipple. Inside,… Read more
On a side street close to Warwick Avenue tube, this delightfully eccentric bistro has all the trappings of a quirky dining room belonging to a rich, dotty aunt who has travelled the world and is partial to a midday tipple. Inside, it's a mishmash of closely packed wooden tables and chairs (some covered in gingham tablecloths), antique lampshades, eye-catching floral patterned wallpaper, shelves of wine and a service bar decked out like a country-house kitchen.
There’s a natural charm to the place and we'd venture there’s nowhere else quite like it in London. That natural charm extends to the attentive staff who will greet you like a long-lost friend, even if it’s your first visit – although we got the impression that many guests in the packed, buzzy room were regulars. You may find it hard to resist their offer of some reasonably priced fizz to fill the stylish etched Champagne coupe that’s ready and waiting for you at your table. The resolutely French menu is executed with obvious care and skill. Our chicken liver parfait (silky and delicious) was classically made and served with a beautifully composed salad generously dressed with a good old-fashioned mustard vinaigrette to cut through the richness.
From the recited list of specials, we plumped for a large T-bone of well-seasoned tender pork, which came with nicely rendered, crisp fat and a textbook mustard cream sauce that had an excellent depth of flavour. Even the skin-on fries impressed, served crisp, hot and salty with a terrific potatoey flavour. Portions are generous, and we couldn’t manage desserts – although the chocolate soufflé tart looked well worth saving room for.
They take their wine seriously here, with vintage Burgundies and Bordeaux at not-too-silly prices, plus Coravin selections and monthly in-house tastings. There's plenty of choice below £50 too, which helps to make Paulette a nigh-on perfect neighbourhood gem.
Homely French cooking in an endearingly quirky setting
The rear of a children’s playground may be an unusual spot for a restaurant, but the unique setting is indicative of Pique-Nique’s distinctive charms. This offshoot of the equally characterful Casse-Croûte (just … Read more
The rear of a children’s playground may be an unusual spot for a restaurant, but the unique setting is indicative of Pique-Nique’s distinctive charms. This offshoot of the equally characterful Casse-Croûte (just around the corner) is more secluded from the bustle of Bermondsey Street and feels like a destination in its own right. Adorned with vintage French posters, Tudor-style timberwork and festive fairy lights, the dining room evokes the relaxed cheerfulness of a tavern but is still special enough for an occasion.
The chalkboard menu is explicitly geared for sharing which fosters a lively atmosphere as well as generating a regularly full house. To begin, a salad of crisp, garden-fresh lettuce, buttery Jersey Royals and deep-pink slices of salted ox heart, dressed in a pleasantly tangy Roquefort sauce and rounded with plenty of green herbs, was faultless in every respect. We can also recommend the lobster, served with chard leaves as big as fans and bathed in a spirited, ultra-savoury bisque cut with tarragon.
Elsewhere, a centrepiece dish of veal en croûte was faultlessly executed and full of flavour – a generous log of golden, ornately patterned flaky pastry sliced at the table to reveal gently blushing meat rolled in an autumnal, earthy blend of pine nuts and mushrooms. The cooking has a ‘wonderful home-cooked feel’, notes one fan, although our dessert was enjoyable rather than memorable: the blueberry beignets arrived tepid, bursting with a tart, fruity filling that overpowered the creamy accompanying pistachio ice cream.
Pique-Nique’s admirable food is complemented by a comprehensive drinks list covering all bases, from good-value wines to smooth aperitifs. Service was very friendly but not always as confident as the cooking, although this was overshadowed by the delightful flavours and joyful ambience that defined our visit.
The reincarnation of a similarly named restaurant along St James’s Street, Saint Jacques occupies the space that used to be L’Oranger and more recently, Boulestin. Eating here can feel like a case of déjà… Read more
The reincarnation of a similarly named restaurant along St James’s Street, Saint Jacques occupies the space that used to be L’Oranger and more recently, Boulestin. Eating here can feel like a case of déjà vu. It's a beautiful, light-filled room with considerately spaced, white-clothed tables (perfect for enjoying a natter with good wines and food), while the outdoor terrace is one of most attractive in town. The food is unapologetically Gallic, with brasserie staples such as escargots or twice-baked goat’s cheese soufflé appearing on the menu, alongside classics including steak tartare (skilfully prepared on a traditional guéridon trolley). The kitchen also knows how to make familiar ideas interesting: the richness of pan-fried foie gras, for example, is offset by pickled rhubarb and rhubarb jam, while hand-dived scallops are paired with pea purée and ventrèche bacon. Elsewhere, tender rabbit leg is stuffed with a truffle-spiked mousse and partnered by duchesse potatoes and morels, with a rich veal jus helping to amalgamate all the relevant flavours. Desserts are a roll call of classic French greatest hits – how do you choose between tarte tatin, crème brûlée and blood orange soufflé? We plumped for the added theatre – and the boozy, citrussy aromas – of crêpes Suzette flambéed at the table. Food like this is as comforting and reassuring as a warm hug, while staff help to maintain a sense of entente cordiale – although prices reflect the prestige address. With help from next-door wine merchant Berry Bros & Rudd, chef-owner Richard Weiss and his experienced sommelier have developed a wine list with a heavy French accent and some marvellous bottles from Burgundy and Bordeaux, plus a flight of Guigal Rhônes – although the dozen by-the-glass selections offer far less excitement.
The 10 Cases is so named because owners Will Palmer and Ian Campbell buy just 10 cases of each listed wine on their 23-bin list – all offered by the glass, carafe and bottle (from around £33) – then don’t s… Read more
The 10 Cases is so named because owners Will Palmer and Ian Campbell buy just 10 cases of each listed wine on their 23-bin list – all offered by the glass, carafe and bottle (from around £33) – then don’t stock it again when it's all sold. However, this is no spot for cult producer fanciers chasing the rarest Burgundy or for those who just want to glug cheap plonk; it's somewhere for those who want to drink well for not too much money and embrace quality wines slightly outside the norm – we sampled a bottle of 2014 Morgon Les Charmes from Château Grange Cochard, a richer, modern style of Beaujolais. All in all, it’s a crowd puller. The place is also billed as a neighbourhood Bistrot à Vin, with a menu of simple, affordable French classics – perhaps smoked duck breast with rémoulade and candied walnuts or steak frites with peppercorn sauce – all served against a pitch-perfect backdrop of small tables, warm, low lighting and white walls covered with blackboards listing wine and food. We kicked off with a trio of small plates: blistered Padrón peppers hot from the fryer and dusted in rosemary salt; cod cheeks in a light, crisp tempura-style batter sprinkled with chilli and spring onion and served with a sweet, smoky, spicy vadouvan mayo; and a bowl of bacon-rich, creamy rillettes topped with cornichons. Next up, a whole roasted pork T-bone chop (for two to share). This was carved into slices alongside the bone and served with a wonderfully intense meat sauce, light and creamy celeriac purée and two halves of roasted apple – plus two huge slabs of confit-style potatoes layered with roasted onions on the side. To finish? Panna cotta with pistachios, and treacle tart with crème fraîche. Next door is the Cave à Vin wine bar, which is for walk-ins only.
For generations of thespians, journos and assorted bohemians, ‘The French’ has been a talisman of old Soho – a pub with its own code (no mobile phones, no music, beer in half-pint glasses). Yet this brilliant boo… Read more
For generations of thespians, journos and assorted bohemians, ‘The French’ has been a talisman of old Soho – a pub with its own code (no mobile phones, no music, beer in half-pint glasses). Yet this brilliant boozing relic also sports a cosily traditional upstairs dining room with proper culinary aspirations. The kitchen has played host to a clutch of big-name chefs in the past, but current incumbent Neil Borthwick seems set for a long run – thanks to his stout-hearted, no-nonsense approach to rustic provincial French cooking. He also allows British ingredients to do a merry jig with their Gallic counterparts, resulting in dishes that defiantly avoid clever-clever frills and furbelows. Instead, visitors can expect a line-up of classics bursting with gutsy up-front flavours and bags of largesse: Archill oysters with mignonette sauce; chargrilled ox tongue with rémoulade sauce; calf’s brains doused with brown butter, capers and parsley; ink-braised cuttlefish with coco beans. Order steak and you will get a mighty rump or ribeye plus French fries, watercress, shallot salad and béarnaise sauce. For afters, indulge in the French-accented cheeseboard, a plate of madeleines or something sweet such as Madagascan chocolate mousse with crème fraîche. Drink French cidre or pick from the pub’s all-Gallic wine list (with plenty by the glass).
A restaurant that can tempt people out in the grim chill of February ('we have been coming here for 20 years, and it's always amazing') certainly has something going for it, and our wires are reliably abuzz with the French Table's… Read more
A restaurant that can tempt people out in the grim chill of February ('we have been coming here for 20 years, and it's always amazing') certainly has something going for it, and our wires are reliably abuzz with the French Table's satisfied customers. Nor is this simply heritage bistro cooking; it also has a vigorous contemporary style that people find convincing. Having sampled charred Cornish mackerel with salt-baked beetroot, beef fillet with glazed ox cheek, and a dessert of dark chocolate fondant, one reader reckoned that the kitchen never missed a beat. Eric Guignard remains in pole position but with Richard Giles now installed as head chef – a promotion from within the team to ensure continuity as well as the expected flair. In the evenings especially, the menus get eye-catchingly creative. Begin with a mi-cuit of chalk stream trout with avocado crème fraîche gâteau and seaweed jelly, prior to an assiette of Cornish lamb with minted courgette purée, Caesar-dressed braised baby gem and Parmesan polenta. Dazzling flavour arrays ensure the desserts don't just slip into cliché: vanilla cheesecake comes with pear compôte, green apple gel, almond crémeux, and a green apple and star-anise sorbet. Inventive cocktails and mocktails kick things off with a bang, while wines fan out from the French regions, confidently hurtling off to Crete, Catalonia and deepest Kent. Small glasses start at £5.50.
Glitz and all-round excellence in London's most handsome dining room
As with bungee-jumping or a trip to Venice, dinner at The Ritz is one of those experiences that every life should ideally embrace at least once. There is nothing in either hemisphere that looks like the hotel's dining room on a ba… Read more
As with bungee-jumping or a trip to Venice, dinner at The Ritz is one of those experiences that every life should ideally embrace at least once. There is nothing in either hemisphere that looks like the hotel's dining room on a balmy day, with the sun pouring in off Green Park – unless it be the evening scene, when gilded Poseidon lolls on his pedestal, sparkling chandeliers twinkle and the silverware gleams like honesty in a sinful world.
In the distant past, the cooking idled amid pedestrian Anglo-French cliché, but under John Williams MBE, it began a steady ascent toward global greatness. Needless to say, the style of service is an exercise in arts that have been cheerfully abandoned elsewhere, and yet there is genuine warmth within the impeccable propriety. Prime materials from the home nations – organic Cornish beef, Lakeland lamb, Scottish lobster – furnish a menu that is supple enough to be parlayed into five- or seven-course ‘epicurean experiences’ for those reluctant to tear themselves away.
To start, there's Dorset crab dressed in crème fraîche and adorned with Imperial caviar, or you might plump for roast quail cooked in verjus and crunchy with hazelnuts. The delicacy of timing is exemplary throughout, from wild sea bass with artichoke and lemon to truffled veal fillet with chestnuts, but equally sharp judgement distinguishes the miraculously tender roe deer and its aromatic garnitures of smoked beetroot and juniper.
Tableside service was what there was before open kitchens, a chance to see the finishing touches being applied to dîner à deux servings of Dover sole or beef Wellington, followed perhaps by crêpes Suzette – an Edwardian culinary bloop that stuck. Otherwise, look to chocolate soufflé with vanilla Chantilly, chestnut Mont Blanc or the distinctly daring port-roasted figs in orange and olive oil.
If you're after a spot of wine as well, the Ritz can oblige. Perhaps start with a larger-than-average glass of the ‘Champagne of the month’, before setting about the main list. French and Italian classics form the solid, lottery-win foundation, but there are excellent selections from South America and Australasia too.
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