French Restaurants in Covent Garden
1. 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”.
2. 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”.
3. Clos Maggiore
British, Modern restaurant in Covent Garden
33 King St - WC2
“On more than one occasion we have observed someone ‘popping the question’ here!” – the “magical” setting “never fails to impress” at this Covent Garden oasis, yet again voted London’s No.1 venue for romance in our annual diners’ poll. “Sitting in the conservatory is a joy, especially in good weather when the retractable roof is open” and its “most beautiful interior courtyard is tailormade for a date”. “The largely Provençal and Tuscan cuisine is good but the star of this show is the magnificent wine list, with choices from around the world and prices to suit all budgets. The only recommendation is to read the wine list at home in advance, otherwise you’ll spend the first hour ignoring your date!”.
4. Boulevard
International restaurant in Covent Garden
40 Wellington St - WC2
A “Covent Garden staple” for 33 years, this “bustling French bistro with packed tables but speedy service” serves “good-value, reliably cooked traditional Gallic fare” that belies its somewhat touristy looks. Top Tip – “a wide-ranging menu and the set menus and special deals add to its appeal; and it’s a good choice for families with children”.
5. Mon Plaisir Restaurant
French restaurant in Covent Garden
19-21 Monmouth Street - WC2
“The charming warren of rooms helps make for a happy experience” at this “nostalgic”, and “immensely charming” Gallic super-bistro, near Covent Garden, which opened just after WWII and which has rambled over the years into neighbouring buildings. “For many decades the menu has hardly changed and continues to reflect Parisian bistros with confit de canard, steak grillé and a fine chariot de fromages... warming in winter and equally welcoming the rest of the year”. New owners, Fabio Lauro and Family took over in 2022 from Alain Lhermitte (who owned it since 1972) “leaving some people worried this place has gone off”. But “the food was not what it was” before Alain retired, and ratings improved here somewhat this year – hopefully the start of a positive new chapter for this old veteran.
6. Louie
French restaurant in Covent Garden
13-15 West Street - WC2H
2023 Review: Rihanna celebrated her birthday in February 2022 at this lavish Creole haunt next to The Ivy, in Covent Garden, where the former site of L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon nowadays combines a restaurant (ground floor), bar (first floor) and roof garden. Whether the tastes of New Orleans are faithfully replicated is a matter of some dispute – there is the odd take-down of “overpriced and under-seasoned dross”, but most reports actually say its gumbo, Louisiana crab cakes and other eclectic dishes are “very good”.
7. Cork & Bottle
British, Traditional restaurant in Covent Garden
44-46 Cranbourn St - WC2
“A secret, below-ground escape from the mayhem of Leicester Square” for more than half a century – this “well-hidden”, “old-school” wine bar has “only got better” over the years, first under founder Don Hewitson and latterly under Will Clayton. Top Menu Tip – “share the ham and cheese pie (it is absolutely enormous)”, and has sold around a million portions since 1971.
8. Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay
French restaurant in Westminster
Strand - WC2R
“Beautifully decorated”, this small, gold-decorated jewel box of a restaurant in the Savoy opened in 2022 (a location that in days gone by was a cheaper eatery called ‘Upstairs’, long RIP). A major plus is its bird’s-eye view of the comings and goings at the hotel’s main entrance, providing a superb talking-point for your date: the best use for the place as its few tables are mostly doubles and space is tight. The main kitchens are elsewhere in the building, so the menu is “limited” but “very good if you like what you receive”.
9. Story Cellar
French restaurant in Covent Garden
17 Neal's Yard - WC2H
A back-to-basics offshoot of Tom Seller’s celebrated Restaurant Story, this new Covent Garden venue opened in April 2023, inspired by his love of Parisian brasseries. Dine on rotisserie chicken (the big deal here) or other brasserie fare including large cuts of meat from the grill to share. Most of the ground floor is counter seating, with more conventional tables in the cellar. It’s an atmospheric winner on most accounts, and – when it came to the food – The Standard’s Jimi Famurewa awarded it full marks, applauding “a careful Jenga tower of elements” that transforms “a deceptively basic concept” into “stylish, subtly affecting excellence”. Not all our early reporters are quite as wowed though – it can also seem “perfectly good if expensive; and unclear what the Michelin background really adds to this type of cooking”.
View full listings of 9 French Covent Garden Restaurants
Popular Covent Garden Restaurant Searches
Covent Garden Restaurant News
Top Covent Garden Restaurants
Hot Newcomers & Coming Soon
Hot Newcomers
Coming Soon