Hatfield, French Restaurant Guide

This “French gem” in a “pleasant little pub tucked away in a corner of Ayot Green” serves “good food at sensible prices” in an atmosphere that’s “refined without being daunting”. Patron Laurent Brydniak has “run the place well” for 15 years, and does a good trade at lunchtime feeding walkers visiting the nearby Brocket Hall Estate.

“Locals and visitors” beat a path to this “lovely pub with top-notch food” from chef James Rix and his wife Bianca, who have transformed it into an “Interesting and exceptionally busy venue” over the past 20 years. Top Menu Tip – “dessert on a whole different level: Paris Brest, choux pastry, praline cream, hot chocolate sauce & toasted nuts of exceptional taste and quality”.

East Finchley is “so lucky to have this hidden high-street gem” – one of north London’s more popular and “welcoming” local restaurants “serving delicious, well cooked food” from a resolutely French menu. Top Tip – “the three-course set lunch is a wonderful bargain”.

“Lovely food, lovely atmosphere and discreet staff” are the attractions at this “local” bistro, a Crouch End fixture for more than 20 years. “Love it! The rooms are like a maze”, with white tablecloths adding a touch of style.

This “lovely old pub” in the Chilterns, handy for the Harry Potter antics at Warner Bros Studio nearby, built up quite a reputation for its Anglo-French cooking over nearly two decades under husband-and-wife team Sally & Alvin Michaels. The 18th-century venue is now managed by Alvin’s former protégé Matt Jackson (and part of the growing RedCat pub company) but, on limited feedback this year, its “exceptional pub dining” still makes it a local magnet.

“Consistently good food and a lovely atmosphere” backed up by “intelligently engaged and well-informed service” deliver everything you could reasonably expect from this handsome Georgian tavern in Hampstead, run for more than 20 years by Beth Coventry (sister of Fay Maschler, the doyenne of London restaurant critics). “The pub’s keenness to welcome dogs (with their own menu) may divide opinion” – but also wins many friends. Top Menu Tip – “save room for dessert; it’s sometimes the star of the show”.

800+ wines by the bottle and a selection of 75 craft beers are the USP of this intriguing Tufnell Park showcase for regional French drinks and produce. The menu changes every six weeks with a different region moving into focus – it’s short and in a supporting role to all the delicious grog, but good value.

“A diamond gem of the neighbourhood!” – this “unique”, if “tiny and cramped” traditional Gallic bistro in Crouch End is “always a joy”, according to most of the many who comment on it. “Chef Robert and FOH Jean-Christophe are simply wonderful” (“two guys having fun on their own terms”) and “the interaction with the owners and French retro-cooking served with real enthusiasm make for a really delightful experience” (and one that’s “pretty good value considering the quality”). More cautions reporters like it, but say “it’s fine if you treat it as a local bistro that’s good but not exceptional all round” (“we ourselves do not visit for the quality of the cuisine, but it’s the lovely and jolly service and the liveliness of the atmosphere that justify the 30-mile round trip from Theydon Bois!”). Fans, though, say it’s sheer “perfection”: “if I lived nearby I’d go every night!”. Top Menu Tips – “perfect onion soup”; excellent rib-eye with peppercorn sauce; “beautifully rich Tarte Tatin”.