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RestaurantsLondonSohoW1D

survey result

Summary

£78
 ££££
5
Exceptional
4
Very Good
5
Exceptional
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Tiny, but perfect in every other way” – “you couldn’t ask for better bistro food” than that produced by Neil Borthwick (Angela Hartnett’s husband) at this quirky dining room, where “simple dishes are realised with flair” and with “big, big flavours”. “Downstairs is a throwback to Soho boozers of yesteryear, you head upstairs to eat” – the room where General de Gaulle composed some of his speeches during WWII. “With six or seven small tables, it’s a rustic and cosy room, complete with very friendly and entertaining service, a humble and charming chef, and a feel of spit-and-sawdust, it’s the perfect spot for a cosy Soho supper”. Top Menu Tip – “the crisp bacon jowl will live long in the memory… and even longer on the hips!”

Summary

£72
  £££
4
Very Good
4
Very Good
5
Exceptional
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“The lovely Soho institution above this legendary pub” (where de Gaulle is said to have composed some of his speeches during WWII) is currently “in the very safe hands of Neil Borthwick” (Angela Hartnett’s hubbie). There’s “wizardry afoot” here but “no faff or fancy” – by “doing simple but really excellent things to top produce but not doing much to it” he creates “a tight menu of absolute bangers”, with “big flavours singing out” (“a plate of greens can be as full of oomph as a tartare or a chop”). “Staff are tremendous” and for many reporters this is “a go-to destination in the West End”.

Summary

£67
  £££
3
Good
4
Very Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Another reincarnation for the slightly cramped room above ‘The French’… and this is a good one!” – Neil Borthwick and his team produce “simple and gutsy food, with big steaks, fresh fish, and tasty Gallic classics on a daily changing menu which will leave you full and pleased that you visit the old place”: “a London fixture of decades’ standing”.

Summary

£72
  £££
3
Good
4
Very Good
5
Exceptional
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

The “intimate” dining room above one of Soho’s most historic bars is “the perfect spot for a Soho lunch” (“before a pint at Norman’s” for the full media in-crowd experience). Fittingly, it serves “good French food” – “seasonal stuff done deftly” – which you can “eat while admiring the history-laden walls” that tell the tale of General de Gaulle and his Free French, who kept their spirits up here during WWII exile. The kitchen is now run by Neil Borthwick, Angela Hartnett’s other half. And it was here, 30 years ago, that Fergus Henderson of St John first made his mark as a chef.

For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).

Have you eaten at The French House?

+−
Leaflet | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
49 Dean Street, London, W1D 5BG

Restaurant details

No dress code

The French House Restaurant Diner Reviews

Reviews of The French House Restaurant in W1D, London by users of Hardens.com. Also see the editors review of The French House restaurant.
S R
Nice an honest French kitchen. Very nice an...
Reviewed 2 months, 27 days ago

"Nice an honest French kitchen. Very nice and cosy Ambiente "

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S R
One of the nicest cosiest French restaurant...
Reviewed 4 months, 2 days ago

"One of the nicest cosiest French restaurants in London"

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J P
Really a top-notch lunch. No fripparies, ju...
Reviewed 7 months, 13 days ago

"Really a top-notch lunch. No fripparies, just really good ingredients well cooked. Excellent Achill oysters, full of flavour, and a simple but excellent John Dory with borlotti beans - perfectly cooked. Will definitely return "

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S R
Very cosy small French restaurant with grea...
Reviewed 9 months, 30 days ago

"Very cosy small French restaurant with great honest food."

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Bruce G
One scallop for a starter, a nonsense, very...
Reviewed 10 months, 20 days ago

"One scallop for a starter, a nonsense, very overpriced fairly ordinary wine, overfawning waiter who emphasisd last syllable of every sentence in a laughable way, main courses well overpriced but turbot cooked well. Having a laugh I think!"

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What the Newspaper Critics are saying

Evening Standard

Theming his review around Valentine’s Day, David Ellis declared his passion for a restaurant he loves – upstairs at a veteran Soho watering-hole, where Scottish chef Neil Borthwick (“primary influences Michel Bras and Phil Howard”) has run the kitchen since 2018.

“Have you ever fallen for a friend, noticing their looks long after the first meet?” David asked. “The French is a bit like that. Unassuming until it isn’t.”

He enjoyed dishes of calves brain and cod, pointing out that this is food that “does not show off” – which means the restaurant can be returned to time and again. “It is conspiratorial, trustworthy, fun, encouraging, and reliably always there, whether in times of crisis or celebration. What else is there in love?”

David Ellis - 2025-02-09

Prices

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Pudding
£18.00 £21.00 £14.00
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £30.00
Filter Coffee £3.00
Extras  
Service 10.00%
+−
Leaflet | Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
49 Dean Street, London, W1D 5BG
Opening hours
MondayCLOSED
Tuesday12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm
Wednesday12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm
Thursday12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm
Friday12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm
Saturday12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑9 pm
SundayCLOSED

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