French Restaurants in Epsom
1. Seven Park Place
French restaurant in St James's
7-8 Park Pl - SW1
A “real favourite” of well-heeled foodies, this classy if relatively unsung Mayfair hotel dining room boasts in “William Drabble, the most underrated of chefs – and one of great longevity” after 15 years at the helm. There is an eight-course ‘Menu Gourmand’ (for £125), but also à la carte options (starting in the evening with a two-course meal for £82 – lunchtimes are cheaper).
2. Chez Antoinette
French restaurant in Covent Garden
Unit 30 The Market Building - WC2
This “bustling bistrot tucked down a side street near Victoria” feels “just like being in a small, rushed French café”. Lyon-born founder Aurelia Noel-Delclos named the business after the grandmother who inspired her love of food. The 10-year-old original branch, in the tourist ‘ground zero’ of old Covent Garden market, is less reported-on, but said to be “decent” for “post-matinée early dinner”.
3. The French Table
French restaurant in Surbiton
85 Maple Rd - KT6
“A local treasure” – Eric & Sarah Guignard’s long-established “little gem” in “a tree-lined road 10 minutes walk from Surbiton station” (“handy if you wish to enjoy their brilliant wine list”) remains a shining and much commented-on beacon in the ’burbs. “Eric and his team consistently create high-class modern French cuisine while Sarah and her front-of-house team provide very professional, very genuine service – dining here is first-class”. Even those who note “the somewhat unpromising shape of the room” say it “continues to provide an excellent experience year after year” and one that’s “very good value”. Top Tip – “they also have a great little pastry counter next door”.
4. Bellamy’s
British, Modern restaurant in Mayfair
18-18a Bruton Place - W1
“A haven of calm in an ever-changing world”: “they cater for the most conservative of palates (and the deepest pockets)” at Gavin Rankin’s “old-school, brasserie-style restaurant in Mayfair” (which had the rare privilege of hosting the late Queen Elizabeth on a couple of occasions). Its Anglo-French fare is “super reliable, if not exciting” and service “immaculate”. “If you like the kind of place where you still need to dress up a bit, this is it”, but “the ambience is set by its older, quietly-spoken crowd: don’t visit if you are planning a loud-laughing night!”. Top Menu Tip – “good value lunch menu; and staples such as iced lobster soufflé, smoked eel mousse and steak tartare”.
5. Cabotte
French restaurant in Bank
48 Gresham St - EC2V
“One of the best options for fine dining in the City” – “if you want a good French restaurant in the Square Mile, with a great wine list, look no further” than this “slick and intimate” venue, which boasts “one of the best wine selections in London” – a particular “dream-list for lovers of Burgundy and Champagne”. “Very good service is worth a shout out”.
6. Le Garrick
French restaurant in Covent Garden
10-12 Garrick Street - WC2
“Candlelit booths, rustic French food and wine, and discreet service” make this “little slice of France in Covent Garden” “perfect for a date or anniversary”. If possible, “go downstairs and experience the brick arched cellar dining area, which is full of character and charm”. The “classic bistro fare” is “adequately prepared and comes at very reasonable prices considering the location”.
7. Clarette
French restaurant in Marylebone
44 Blandford St - W1U
“The wine list is pricey, even by Marylebone High Street standards” at this Tudorbethan pub, with leaded windows and inset stained glass. That’s to be expected, as it’s backed by Alexandra Petit-Mentzelopoulos – part of the family who own the legendary Château Margaux – and you really have to be a lover of wine (some famous names are available by the glass using the Coravin system) to get the most out of the place, which has extensive listings – amongst other areas – of bottlings from Bordeaux and Burgundy: for example, there is a ‘Château Margaux Experience’: a ‘degustation’ of 50ml glass of 4 vintages for £95. Viewed purely as a place to get fed? “We liked it, the food is lovely, but there are options offering better value”.
8. Pied à Terre
French restaurant in Fitzrovia
34 Charlotte St - W1
“Over 30 years on this is still a class act” – David Moore’s Fitzrovia townhouse has proved one of London’s enduring temples of top gastronomy – currently under chef Asimakis Chaniotis – and “this old favourite has also evolved over the years”: “the introduction of a vegan alternative menu is pure genius (as an unreformed eater of meat and fish, I was well-and-truly wowed by the plant-based version)”; and “as always the wine list is a treasure trove”. There are a few quibbles: that “commercial pressure seems to have limited choice” a little of late; the odd “unexceptional” meal is reported; and its “long and thin” premises can feel “a little crowded”. But overall feedback is sunny, helped by “thoroughly welcoming and unobtrusive service” which also helps make it a strong “romantic” bet.
9. Les 110 de Taillevent
French restaurant in Marylebone
16 Cavendish Square - W1
“If you love wine… heaven!” – a “huge list (almost 2,000 bins)”, “some with no mark-up from merchant prices” and including 110 available by the glass (hence the name), is the big attraction at this plush Cavendish Square venue from a famous Parisian operation. It “finally seems to have found its footing as a real restaurant, not just somewhere that serves food as an afterthought to the wine list – there’s some very good cooking here”.
10. La Poule au Pot
French restaurant in Pimlico
231 Ebury St - SW1
Dark and candle-lit, this “unchanging French” old charmer in Pimlico has “lots of tiny tables squeezed into its intimate nooks”; and yet again comes highly recommended for a steamy date in our annual diners’ poll. The very Gallic service “can be a bit hit ’n’ miss (it helps if they know you)” but typically “makes you feel so cosseted and looked after”. “There aren’t so many restaurants left in Paris serving such traditional bistro fare” (Tarte à l’Oignon, Beef Bourguignon, Crème Brûlée…), all served in “very generous portions” and “with a sensibly priced wine list”. Top Tip – “great terrace for al fresco dining” in summer.
11. Club Gascon
French restaurant in Clerkenwell
57 West Smithfield - EC1
“Reliably inventive Michelin-quality tasting menus with quirky-but-good wine pairings” continue to inspire joy at Pascal Aussignac and Vincent Labeyrie’s long-standing foodie temple to the cuisine of southwest France, which occupies a stately former Lyons Tea House near Smithfield Market. It partly achieved its renown originally by serving everything with foie gras, but nowadays a “superb vegetarian tasting menu” is also a feature.
12. José Pizarro at The Swan Inn Esher
British, Modern restaurant in Esher
2 Hare Lane - KT10
Food TV staple José Pizarro’s first outfit outside the capital – and first gastroboozer (with rooms) – is set in “a not-completely-obvious location” in the Surrey ‘burbs. Reviews were slightly muted this year: while most praised the “great modern Spanish food” (including “fabulous tapas”), others noted a lack of atmosphere (“wouldn’t be hard to make it feel a bit more intimate”).
13. The Cricketers
French restaurant in Cobham
Downside Common - KT11
Given its attractive setting on Downside Common, this “lovely country pub” (part of Raymond Blanc’s White Brasserie chain) in the heart of plush stockbroker belt would likely be a local destination come what may. But it also goes the extra mile and – though it’s not particularly ‘gastro’ – wins consistently high acclaim for its “cheerful welcoming staff” and high quality of cooking. “It was done up over the winter; and although there is no longer a set menu, the prices are reasonable in the current climate”. Top Menu Tip – “well-prepared steak and very good tartiflette starter”.
14. Colette
French restaurant in Wimbledon
77 High Street Wimbledon - SW19
2022 Review: ‘A taste of rural France on the Fulham Road’ is the promise at this ‘gourmet traiteur’ in Chelsea: an early 2020 newcomer where dishes (to go or for delivery within 4 miles) are designed for reheating at home and prepared by Chris Hill, who most recently worked as a senior sous chef at The Ritz. It’s owned by Dimitri and Mira Plaquet, of a high-quality Belgian food group called La Villa Lorraine. They must be doing something right, as in mid 2021 they launched a second store in Wimbledon.
15. Le Salon Privé
French restaurant in Twickenham
43 Crown Rd - TW1
For a quality meal out St Margaret’s way, this conventional French restaurant – set in agreeably old-fashioned Victorian premises – provides a traditional and enjoyable experience that’s consistently well-rated in our annual diners’ poll. Top Tip – good-value ‘menu du jour’ available at lunch and at dinner early in the week.
16. Chez Lindsay
French restaurant in Richmond
11 Hill Rise - TW10
This “friendly family bistro serving classic” Breton galettes, seafood and cider has been a fixture near Richmond Bridge for 35 years, and is for many local reporters “a go-to restaurant for lunch or dinner” – whether at one of the “far tables which overlook the Thames” or in the “private room upstairs, ideal for parties”. In early 2023 founder Lindsay Wotton put the business up for sale so she could retire.
17. Gazette
French restaurant in Putney
147 Upper Richmond Rd - SW15
This popular small bistro group is “so very French”, especially when eating at the original “buzzy” Battersea branch, which opened in 2007 “at an attractive location near the river”. The other branches – in Putney, Wandsworth Common and the City (plus one inside the Institut Français in South Kensington) – are also applauded as “good value” options, but results can also seem a little “unadventurous”.
18. Chez Vous
French restaurant in Warlingham
432 Limpsfield Rd - CR6
2022 Review: The French cuisine may not be cutting-edge, but it is both consistent and highly accomplished at this ten-year-old restaurant with rooms in north Surrey. Chef owners Laurent Pacaud and Martin Bradley ran the business as a catering company for ten years before that.
19. Gazette
French restaurant in Battersea
79 Sherwood Ct, Chatfield Rd - SW11
This popular small bistro group is “so very French”, especially when eating at the original “buzzy” Battersea branch, which opened in 2007 “at an attractive location near the river”. The other branches – in Putney, Wandsworth Common and the City (plus one inside the Institut Français in South Kensington) – are also applauded as “good value” options, but results can also seem a little “unadventurous”.
20. Soif
French restaurant in Battersea
27 Battersea Rise - SW11
With its charcuterie, gutsy small plates, cheese and wacky vintages, this venture from Les Caves de Pyrène (est 2011) helped inspire the current vogue for low intervention wine bars in the capital. Feedback is scarce nowadays, but still suggests it’s worth a try if you’re in the vicinity of Battersea Rise.
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