French
Although Alain Ducasse might be better known for his uber fine dining spots like Le Meurice or his newly-opened riverboat on the Seine, this bistro has been around since 1932. Once owned by Marthe Allard, and kept in the family for centuries, not much has changed about this charmingly quaint spot in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, since Ducasse’s takeover. You arrive in a corridor opposite a tiny, semi … Continue reading Allard, Paris
Hélène Darroze at The Connaught hotel has held its two michelin star status for over 5 years now. Everything about the place feels glamorous and special, from the dark wood panelled walls to the plush carpet and immaculately dressed staff. As fine dining restaurants go, y’know, ones with tablecloths, this is one of the best. They’ve started offering a new menu, Le Poulet du Dimanche, … Continue reading Hélène Darroze at The Connaught
This is the groups fourth London restaurant which specialises in steak and their ‘secret’ special sauce (£24). There’s something about their one in Marylebone; the constant queue, the paper tablecloths, the tightly packed tables, the kebab shop lighting – I just love it. This one in Soho on the corner of Dean Street feels a bit more chainy for some reason. For starters, the sign … Continue reading Le Relais de Venise, Soho
A day trip to Paris is far less extravagant than you might think and it’s the perfect way to get your Parisian fix without spending a fortune on a hotel. With a small gang, we booked Alain Ducasses’s michelin starred bistro Benoit on rue Saint Martin. It’s as quintessentially French as you could hope for; brass rails, red velvet banquettes and wood panelled walls. And … Continue reading Benoit, Paris
Otto’s is one of those restaurants that seriously doesn’t follow trends. The food is as dated as the decor, yet the whole thing, from the handshake you receive as you walk in the door, to the perfectly cooked classics, makes you fall in love with the place. As we were going for the pre ordered canard a la press (£140 for two), something of a … Continue reading Otto’s, Grays Inn Road
I remember first visiting L’Escargot back in the Marco Pierre White days and it was stuffy, fussy and a little bit shit. It was then taken over by a lovely chap called Brian Clivaz (who’s also soon to open a new swanky members club in Devonshire Square) and a club prive was added above the ground floor restaurant. I was surprised to see the place … Continue reading L’Escargot, Soho
Casse-Croûte is a tiny little French bistro on Bermondsey Street which couldn’t be any more Gallic if it tried. The staff are French, the menu’s French, the radio in the background is French; on our visit for a Saturday lunch with the sun shining, it actually felt like we were on holiday. The daily changing menu, written on the blackboard, featured three starters, mains and … Continue reading Casse-Croûte, Bermondsey Street
L’Escargot is London’s oldest French restaurant which is a pretty impressive statement. I remember going for dinner here back in the days when it was owned by Marco Pierre White and it was crap; stuffy atmosphere and service with mediocre food. It has since been given a rather dashing makeover and it’s now in the capable hands of a chap called Brian Clivaz who’s also … Continue reading L’Escargot, Greek Street
I’d never heard of Le Mercury (a French restaurant in Islington) until a friend suggested it for a cheap and cheerful dinner. It’s been going strong for nearly thirty years and it’s so popular they’ve even opened a second restaurant down the road, Le Mercury Deuxieme, which serves exactly the same menu. It was packed when we arrived so we were seated in the upstairs … Continue reading Le Mercury, Islington
Owned by three French brothers, Blanchette is a charming little bistro on D’Arblay Street in Soho (opposite the wonderful Copita). It serves small sharing plates; think French tapas with a good selection of cheese and charcuterie. On our Tuesday night visit the place was heaving and with no reservation we were offered a seat at the bar. The stools (which I normally dread) turned out … Continue reading Blanchette, Soho
Owned by the Galvin brothers, Galvin La Chapelle near Spitalfields Market has held its Michelin star for over two years. The brothers also own one starred Galvin at Windows on the 28th floor of the London Hilton hotel on Park Lane, so the pair have plenty of experience in classical French fine dining. We arrived at the restaurant and were taken aback by its enormity; the … Continue reading Galvin La Chapelle
I first visited Corbin and King’s Brasserie Zedel during their soft launch and fell in love with the place. It has since become my favourite restaurant in London; its Piccadilly location, the lavish surroundings and affordable prices make it the perfect place for a bite to eat. My visit on this occasion was with my lady friend for dinner and a spot of cabaret in … Continue reading Brasserie Zedel
Pied à Terre is a Michelin starred restaurant in Fitzrovia – all the good places are in Fitzrovia these days! It’s owned by David Moore (you might remember him from the TV series The Restaurant with Raymond Blanc) who also owns Michelin starred L’Autre Pied and the new pop-up Pieds Nus in the old Roganic site, both in Marylebone. I first visited the restaurant a … Continue reading Pied à Terre
There’s currently three Le Relaise De Venise L’Entrecote restaurants in London which are all based on the original in France. We chose the one in Marylebone for a mid week dinner and at 6:30 we were able to walk in no problem – be warned, by 8:30 the queue was rather large! The set up is simple; £23 per person gets you a salad to … Continue reading Le Relais de Venise L’Entrecote
Little Social is a French bistro based in Mayfair and it’s the creation of Jason Atherton – who owns Michelin starred Pollen Street Social (right opposite) and Social Eating House in Soho. It was a lovely looking restaurant with “ox-blood banquets” and booth seating. It all felt very French; framed French posters hung on every inch of the walls and there was a tres French … Continue reading Little Social
