French Restaurants in London
1. 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”.
2. 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.
3. 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”.
4. 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”.
5. 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”.
6. 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”.
7. 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.
8. 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).
9. 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”.
10. 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.
11. Coq d’Argent
French restaurant in City
1 Poultry - EC2
“Signs of returning normality with a full Coq!”. This “purring” D&D London operation sits on the top floor of No 1 Poultry – with leafy roof terraces in sight of the Bank of England – and is a well-established linchpin of the Square Mile lunching scene. For foodies, it can seem a disappointing experience, but for those packing corporate plastic it’s valued as a “great location in the heart of the City for a pricey-but-decent business lunch serving upmarket staples with a French twist”. Top Tip – “good for breakfast in the summer on the outside terrace”.
12. Relais de Venise L’Entrecôte
Steaks & grills restaurant in City
5 Throgmorton St - EC2
“So long as you don’t mind queuing and the fact that there’s just one item on the menu” – “entrecôte, salad, secret sauce and sublime frites” – this Gallic duo in Marylebone and the City can offer “a wonderful evening of no-frills dining”, and it’s an “obsession” to more ardent fans . “The only pressing question is ‘house red or Bordeaux’” – while the “hugger-mugger seating and bustle is all part of the charm”. The original Paris branch opened 60 years ago in a bankrupt Italian restaurant – hence the name.
13. Café du Marché
French restaurant in Clerkenwell
22 Charterhouse Sq - EC1
“You actually feel as though you might be in a brasserie in France” at this City-fringe “favourite”, tucked away in an atmospheric former warehouse, near Smithfield Market (and long predating the trendification of the area). “A great staple for both business and pleasure”, it “has a lovely atmosphere with a real, vibrant buzz which should surely impress” either a client or date. The “pleasing”, solid Gallic fare offers “decent value”, but “it is the overall experience that makes it stand out”.
14. Comptoir Gascon
French restaurant in Clerkenwell
63 Charterhouse St - EC1
2022 Review: “The duck burger is sublime and the triple-cooked duck-fat chips are moreish” at this offshoot of nearby Club Gascon, which offers a more informal venue for simpler but similar cuisine from SW France. We’ve rated it on the basis of its consistent pre-pandemic performance, as it remains closed as of September 2021 while the team waits for folks to return to their offices around Smithfield.
15. Boro Bistro
French restaurant in Southwark
Montague Close, 6-10 Borough High St - SE1
2021 Review: “Interesting and very edible food in ‘tapas mode’”, at “very reasonable prices”, is on offer at this contemporary Franco-Hispanic bistro in Borough Market. “Charming service” from “efficient and friendly staff” adds to its attractions – along with “plenty of outdoor tables” for summer scoffing.
16. La Dame de Pic London, Four Seasons Hotel
French restaurant in City
10 Trinity Square - EC3N
“A perfect marriage of traditional and modern culinary approaches” is to be found in the “impeccably-run” dining room of this impressive five-star hotel near the Tower of London. The Pic in question is Anne-Sophie, owner of Maison Pic near Lyon and Michelin’s most decorated female chef. Fans say her team’s contemporary French cuisine, led by head chef Evens López, is “on a different level from almost every other restaurant in the capital – presented like modern art and with each dish a lovely surprise”. In fact, given its consistent quality (as recognised by two of the tyre men’s stars) it’s surprising that – perhaps due to its Square Mile location – it still maintains a relatively low profile in the capital’s food scene.
17. Bleeding Heart Bistro
French restaurant in Clerkenwell
Bleeding Heart Yard - EC1
This “impressive French-inspired bistro” is cutely tucked away in a historic yard on the fringe of the City, and thrives on its “simple typically Gallic cooking with good ingredients”, its high-quality wine list, and its “attentive and friendly service”. “It’s not quite what it was” when the adjoining buildings held a posher sister restaurant, but “a reliable mainstay that’s still well worth a visit”, and which is still a go-to business entertaining venue. Top Tip – large and very attractive terrace for the summer months; and “the set menu isn’t bad value either”.
18. Bleeding Heart Wine Bar
French restaurant in Clerkenwell
Bleeding Heart Yard - EC1
2022 Review: On the fringe of the City, this large tavern is part of the well-known eateries grouped around Bleeding Heart Yard, all under common ownership. A “decent-all-round and handy standby”, it was in particular “a perfect place to meet people for the elusive business meetings that could take place between lockdowns”. Reported by Google as ‘Temporarily closed’ in October 2021, we have rated it on the basis that – as the Square Mile picks up – its return is likely.
19. Le Cellar
French restaurant in Islington
130 St John Street - EC1V
2021 Review: Promising initial feedback on this tiny, wine, cheese, charcuterie and tapas yearling in Clerkenwell, whose backers include wine buyer Anthonin Charlier (formerly at Cellar and Club Gascon). French and Spanish flavours are to the fore – “a really happy discovery: both food and wine are great, but the service makes the place”.
20. Galvin Bistrot & Bar
French restaurant in Spitalfields
35 Bishops Square - E1
Occupying “an excellent spot in the City, overlooking a pedestrian square behind Bishopsgate” – this is, say fans, a “reliable” bistro, whose “great French food and friendly service” delivers “the Galvin experience, but at approachable prices”, right next door to the brothers’ high-end La Chapelle (see also). More critical reporters, though, diagnose price creep here, which they feel is starting to erode the level of value, especially given the relatively humble interior. Top Tip – “sit outside on the terrace”.
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