French Restaurants in Blackfriars
1. Club Gascon
French restaurant in Clerkenwell
57 West Smithfield - EC1
“An unfailing choice, near Barts” – Pascal Aussignac’s & Vincent Labeyrie’s homage to gutsy Gascon cuisine and wine opened in 1998 in an idiosyncratic and grand marble-walled former Lyons Tea House near Smithfield Market. It’s now one of London‘s longest established temples of French gastronomy, but chef Pascal has lightened and modernised his cuisine over the years (and foie gras – once omnipresent – only makes the odd appearance on menus nowadays). There is a six-course tasting menu for £120, but also a much cheaper three-course version; and you can also eat here à la carte.
2. Cigalon
French restaurant in Holborn
115 Chancery Lane - WC2
“Consistently lovely for any occasion” – this unusually attractive venue occupies a graciously converted former Georgian auction house in Chancery Lane (dating from 1807), complete with period glass ceiling. It celebrates its 15th anniversary this year as part of Pascal Aussignac’s Club Gascon group, and offers “good value Provence-inspired cuisine and unusual wines from South West France and Corsica”. The basement cocktail bar, Baranis, boasts London’s only indoor pétanque court.
3. Gazette
French restaurant in City of London
17-18 Took's Court - EC4A
“Correct Gallic fare where comfort rather than wow is the name of the game” sums up this “good-value French bistro” group, which has a flagship in Battersea and branches in Putney, Wandsworth Common, the City and at the Institut Français in South Kensington. Sceptics judge it “rather run-of-the-mill”, but more commonly it’s seen as a useful standby and continues to garner a voluminous amount of feedback. In particular, fans say, it’s a “favourite place for steak & chips because they do it the French way”.
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