St James's, French Restaurant Guide

For a quick ‘hit’ of Parisian chic in St James’s, this “comfortable” and “nicely buzzing” brasserie – with its white leather seating and artfully muted design – is just the job. Its “reliably delivered, French bistro-style dishes” are particularly recommended for an “excellent if pricey light lunch”; and especially liked for a business meal (“it’s bustling, but the reasonably spaced tables and corner tables allow for an uninterrupted discussion; service is always professional and a solid wine list is managed by the knowledgeable team”). On the downside, it can also seem like a place for those who “like burning money”. Top Tips – “I love every time of day at Maison François, but especially breakfast!”; “the dessert trolley is out of this world!” with “the various drawers revealing pastries of top quality”. And “Frank’s Bar downstairs is louche and great fun too”.

2022 Review: Below Maison François (see also), this amiable, new, no-bookings wine bar in St James’s mixes a nowadays-proven formula of unconventional wines with hearty Gallic small plates: charcuterie, pâté and so forth. Handy to know about in a pricey area.

This “very trad’ French” operation in St James’s – on the former site of Boulestin and L’Oranger – is led by sommelier Richard Weiss and features a superior (if perhaps rather “safe”) “bistro-style menu”. “Equally good for business and social gatherings”, it’s “particularly pleasant when the courtyard is open”.

“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”.

“Very ‘French’ in feel… and buzzing (maybe too buzzing, conversation can be difficult)” – this busy Soho bistro is named for the mother of the three brothers (Maxime, Malik and Yannis) who founded it. The short menu covers the bases with meat, fish and vegetarian sections, and for larger groups, sharing plates of charcuterie – or, more unusually, cheese and honey pairings – come into their own.

2021 Review: An all-day brasserie-concept from luxury Mayfair restaurant Park Chinois: the 92-cover venue launched in July 2019, with chef Gennaro Vitto, who was previously a pastry chef at Park Chinois, at the stoves.

2022 Review: Following closure of L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon and the death of the man himself, this Picadilly café is now one of two London ventures opened in late 2019 by the group he founded. It’s all very chic and continental, but you don’t come here for culinary adventure – but to buy or snack on everyday staples (lots of tempting patisserie and viennoiserie, lasagna, club sandwich, Caesar salad…).

“If you’re looking for glamour on a budget this is your place!”. “A truly stunning fin-de-siècle style French brasserie, of a type which probably doesn’t exist in Paris anymore!” – this “superb Beaux-Arts dining room” inhabits a dazzling Grade I listed basement just seconds from Piccadilly Circus, and although it looks like it’s been around forever, actually only opened in 2015. One of London’s Top-20 destinations in our annual diners’ poll, it inspires a broad spectrum of opinions, but the overall conclusion is that it is “still firing (mostly) on all cylinders” and “more or less the same as before Jeremy King lost the boardroom battle to run it”. In particular, it has a “terrific ambience” (regularly zhooshed up with live music) and “despite changes in management, it still offers outstanding value for such a prime location” (“Wonderful prices. How do they do it?”). True, as ever there are sceptics who feel it “cynically churns out substandard dishes flung from a kitchen conveyor belt”. But, surely that’s true in Paris too! Of course, catering on this scale means the vast, “something-for-everyone” menu of Gallic brasserie fare feels a bit “formulaic”. Yet, “stick to the simpler dishes (the more expensive ones are more hit-and-miss) and the food is good”, especially at “prices which won’t frighten your father-in-law!”. And the service – if not quite as sharp as when Jeremy bestrode the floor – is really pretty decent. “Get there early to treat yourself to a cocktail in the Bar Americain next door before your table is ready”. Top Menu Tips – “Still the best Andouillette in town”; “the Carrottes Rappés is delicious as is the bread and butter to go with it and the Steak Haché with delicious peppercorn sauce and skinny chips is just heaven”; “one of the only places in the West End with a good Île Flottante”.

2023 Review: With a menu inspired by the French Riviera, this spacious outfit in Golden Square “quickly became a firm favourite for business lunches”, despite the unfortunate timing of its launch in late 2019. Parisian patron Guillaume Depoix’s vision of the ‘perfect Soho brasserie’, it delivers “delicious French food done simply and well”, with a “great clubby feeling, especially when the DJ is there at weekends”.

Part of the luxe international chain of the star French chef, who passed away five years ago: this Mayfair yearling took over the site of the more casual ‘Comptoir Robuchon’ and is a return to London for the ‘Atelier’ brand (whose former incarnation in Covent Garden closed five years ago). “The recent refurbishment has made the room much easier on the eye” and “it’s great to watch the immense care given to cooking even a humble dish” by the assembled brigade. Most reports, though, focus on value with a widespread feeling that “while the food is good, it is very expensive for what you get”. Perhaps the recent appointment of chef Qassim Bouhassoun will zhoosh it up a bit.

“A really special experience for serious foodies” – Layo & Zoë Paskin’s (also of Barbary and Palomar fame) intimate 12-seater is part of a period Chinatown pub, where they have created different venues on each level. Here in the former beer cellar, “the only option is the kitchen counter, so you are right in on the action” and the creation of “superbly executed cuisine” from a small team, which is now headed by Seamus Sam, former head chef at Tom Aiken’s Muse, whose August 2024 arrival post-dated our diners’ poll. Feedback volume and ratings have slipped marginally since Luke Selby left for Le Manoir at the end of 2022. The most critical report? “A perfectly competent meal, served in an appropriately reverential atmosphere, albeit a cramped and uncomfortable setting (but then places of worship often are) by suitably devout believers and not cheap”. But perhaps there will now be an uptick under the new chef? Top Tip – a variety of drink pairings range from ‘Firm Favourites’ to ‘No & Low’ (a mixture of alcohol-free and low ABV wines).

“Stunning food in the most unusual and exotic environment” has won renown for this “gorgeous” shimmering chamber on the top floor of the well-known Mayfair palazzo, which is much more lighthearted in style than most temples of gastronomy, yet has won the highest culinary accolades (not least three Michelin stars) for its creators: Parisian restaurateur Mourad Mazouz in collaboration with celebrated chef Pierre Gagnaire. Day-to-day, the head chef is Daniel Stucki, who presents “a variety of textures and flavours and unexpected combinations” in the “imaginative menus”, and results are “exceptional” (“we ate here four times over the year; each meal was superlative and a fun experience”). Not everyone has always thought the place lives up to its stellar reputation however, and doubts were again in evidence this year with a significant number of reporters registering very disappointing meals.

“Whimsical” decor – including artworks from Yinka Shonibare on the walls and famous egg-shaped WC cubicles – creates the “quirky and distinctive ambience” of this fashionista favourite, which enjoys a spectacular location inside a Grade II-listed Palladian mansion in Mayfair. Despite the odd highpoint in reports though, the relatively straightforward cooking “doesn’t live up to the hype” or “justify the prices” (in contrast to its genuinely good sibling upstairs in the ‘Lecture Room & Library’, see also).

2021 Review: In a Mayfair townhouse that was formerly the short-lived Babel House (RIP), this ‘contemporary bistro de luxe’ features a southern French menu from chef Thierry Laborde, and opened in mid-2019, too late for any survey feedback. In his early review, The Evening Standard’s David Sexton focused on its handsome design, variably realised and expensive cuisine, impressive wine list and bargain set lunch (£25 with wine).

With the closure of Pollen Street Social opposite (as Mary’s, see also), Jason Atherton’s elegant small Mayfair venue is now one of his two remaining ‘Socials’. It still wins praise for its “delicious, bistro-style offer” (e.g. “superb succulent pork chop with mash”) and “lovely booths and dining at the bar”. But its ratings slipped this year: service has seemed more up-and-down of late; and there is a view that it’s “a competent bistro with sound cooking but otherwise unexciting”. Perhaps as the dust settles on the reshaping of the Atherton empire, it will regain its va-va-voom?

“If all vegan restaurants were this good, I’d never eat meat” – Since Alexis Gauthier went fully meat-free in 2021, his “lovely old Soho townhouse” has put “a vegan twist on French classics, served with charm and style”. It was an incredibly brave move for a conventional venue whose renown was built on classic Gallic cuisine: a beautiful and romantic old Georgian building on many levels, where you have to knock on the door to gain access. The result is an “exceptional foodie experience, with incredible flavours”. Where there are complaints from diners, they often relate to the use of flesh or cheese substitutes (“Gauthier, you really don’t need to make vegan food look like meat”). But for most diners, “the acid test of a vegan restaurant is whether the food is good enough to stop you thinking about veganism. And Gauthier wins this easily!” with “food of the highest quality, unusual at times and innovative, and never failing to impress”. Service here is particularly strong too: “helpful and thoughtful, never pushy”. Its ratings are still not quite back to the pre-2021 pinnacles here since he broke with meat and the audience is perhaps not quite as large as it was. Overall, though, it seems to be a decision that’s working out increasingly well.

“A wonderful old-school oasis below the hell that is Leicester Square” – this “fabulous throwback to a proper wine bar” is “remarkably unchanged” since Don Hewitson opened it in 1971 (and his successor Will Clayton sticks to the winning formula). “The famous ham-and-cheese pie is well worth its million-odd portions! and is the perfect accompaniment to a great wine list”.

“A splash of Mediterranean sunshine in Mayfair” – the “food tastes of its ingredients” at this Nice-comes-to-Mayfair fixture, whose “loud music” and energetic crowd only add to the vibe. True to its Côte d’Azur impression, it’s also “nose-bleedingly expensive”, a factor acknowledged by both fans and the odd foe alike. The latter says it “thinks it’s better than it is” and is just “chock-full of hedge fund types having business lunches with a shocking bill to match”. But to boosters, “it’s brilliant and the best” – “sure, prices are high, but when even the table-display tomato tastes like one of the best you have ever had, it has to be worth it!”. “Service is spot-on and there’s always some fun to be had people watching. It’s only ever a good experience!”