Harden's says
On the former Indian Accent site, French TV chef Cyril Lignac has opened his Saint Germain bar and restaurant in Mayfair this; patisserie and cocktails feature heavily.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Superb!” Saint Germain comes to Mayfair at TV-chef Cyril Lignac’s luxurious three-year-old, which – like his original Parisian venture – offers “the fusion of Japanese food with French expertise”. In practice that means a selection of raw seafood; sushi and sashimi; salads; and Asian-inflected seafood mains, with the odd tidbit for meat-eaters such as Wagyu sando; all followed by French desserts. It took brickbats last year for seeming “fancy” and “flash”, but this year inspired little but praise for “top-quality dishes”. And “it’s great fun to watch the guys behind the bar” all adding to the “excellent dining experience”.
Summary
This ‘Franco-Japanese fusion’ – a two-year-old Mayfair spin-off from TV chef Cyril Lignac’s Paris restaurant St Germain des Prés – excites contradictory responses (and relatively little feedback overall). For fans, “the fusion of Japanese food with French expertise has resulted in an excellent dining experience”. For the odd critic, though, it’s nothing more than a “flash, cramped and noisy Euro place with prices that reflect the name of the celebrity French chef and the fancy crowd”.
Summary
“Asia meets France” at this Mayfair yearling from French TV chef Cyril Lignac, named after his Paris restaurant in St Germain des Prés. “There’s a large team of sushi chefs and the place has a lively, Parisian feel”, with “French desserts, which are superb” – as they should be, given that Lignac trained as a pâtissier. It’s no shock that the place is pricey, but fans say it’s worth it: “absolutely top class, can’t wait to return”.
Summary
On the Mayfair site of Indian Accent (RIP), this chic May 2021 newcomer is the first London outpost of Gallic TV chef Cyril Lignac, who owns four Parisian restaurants. Unlike his St Germain venture of the same name – which serves only raw food to soak up the cocktails – here at this 100-seater (with ground floor and basement) you can find luxurious hot bites: e.g. scallops with caramelised miso, Madras curried crab, or satay fillet steak. There are also nearly 250 wines and cocktails. Early reporters acclaim this as an “amazing and really original” venue, but even they can find it “overpriced” (a slight echo of the views of the Guardian’s Grace Dent, who judged it ‘a not-very-good restaurant’).
For 33 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 Bar des Prés?
16 Albemarle Street, London, W1S 4HW
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £75.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £5.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 15.00% |
16 Albemarle Street, London, W1S 4HW
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑11 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑11 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑11 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 6 pm‑11 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑11 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑11 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 6 pm‑10 pm |
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