Charing Cross, French Restaurant Guide

“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.

“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!”.

“This intimate little counter-dining venue” in an ancient pub that nowadays finds itself part of Chinatown “shows levels of skill and technique to compete with much better-known places that leave you with a far higher bill”. James Goodyear has taken over from Luke Selby (the latter departing to be head chef at Le Manoir), but all reports swoon over “a truly special experience” and a multi-course tasting menu that’s “absolutely exceptional”. “Love the counter-top layout of the restaurant and the chefs are very happy to talk, explaining in detail how things are made (important to me because I am a very keen cook!)”. “It has a buzzy vibe and is a bit of a squeeze (in both space and time), making it a very different formula than nearby Aulis. Having said that, the cooking is consistently delightful, imaginative and bold. The menu feels well thought-through, building and balancing as it progresses”. “File it under ‘one to watch’ as they plan to build out the ambition even further”: from mid-2023 they are opening on Monday nights and also incorporating their wine bar, The Mulwray, and the pub, The Blue Posts, into the overall offering at Evelyn’s Table.

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”.

“Alexis is now 100% vegan and the result is outstanding”, say disciples of his quirky Soho venture – a “beautiful townhouse with a series of intimate, romantic rooms”, which he’s run since 2010, and which went fully meat-free in 2021. Vegetarians of course worship it, but so do many meat-eaters too (“I am an avowed carnivore and my mind was blown by this restaurant – how anyone can create something so superb from the humble vegetable is beyond my comprehension”). But that’s not to say it’s all plain sailing as many diners are in two minds about the switch and “still not completely convinced that the vegan offering is as good as the old omnivorous one”. One or two are just outright disappointed; but for most there’s a feeling that “some menu items are trying too hard and miss the mark”. A recurrent gripe is that “it seems odd that so much of his vegan menu imitates meat forms” (“I have no problems with a vegan establishment; my only annoyance is the tendency to imitate non-vegan dishes. I just wish they would stick to their guns and stop impersonating non-vegan cuisine because there is no question that Alexis and the team are very talented chefs”). The “slick service” and “fabulously atmospheric” space are the same as they ever were.

“Transport yourself to an imaginary 1930s world of Parisian glamour, as might be imagined by Fitzgerald or Hollywood”, when you visit this Art Deco basement, “bang in the heart of town”, just seconds from Piccadilly Circus. “The vast (Grade I listed) room is a crowded symphony of marble and gold leaf, with an immense buzz” and is “a faithful facsimile of a traditional French brasserie”, complete with an excellent American Bar. Fans say “if you want to impress without spending a fortune then this is the place to go” and since its founding (in 2015) it’s become a byword for “affordable luxury”, with most folks tolerating its “dull and unmemorable” Gallic staples for the overall package. Since changes in the group, however, the equation is beginning to shift and fears are growing that “the package all-round is not quite good enough”. “Service in particular has fallen notably in the post-Jeremy King era” and for more critical types “the whole experience is rather underwhelming” (“it was busy, but instead of making the atmosphere vibrant, there was a tired feel to the experience”). That’s not yet the dominant verdict though: most diners still “never tire of visiting… it always feels like a wonderful and extravagant treat”.

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”.

This “smart bit of France in swanky St James’s” is becoming an established favourite in the West End thanks in large part to its elegant and “buzzy” setting and the fact that it is “well organised”. The classic menu of “French brasserie classics” has “lots of crowd-pleasers”, but opinions divide on the results – to critics it is “a little expensive for what it is”, but fans feel “the food is top-notch” and ratings tend to support those who say this is “a place for serious cooking, not just a big café”. Top Tip – “the dessert trolley is an utter treat”.

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.

For a “really good-value meal” (including a “pretty decent steak-frites”) “in the heart of the West End” it’s hard to beat this Soho brasserie. “The simplicity of the menu” and “wide variety of choices” mean “there’s something for everyone”, so it’s “a real go-to”, especially for its set-price lunch or pre-theatre deals.

This “delightful” and “very trad (in a good way) French resto” in St James’s thrives on its “unpretentious, classic cooking delivered by efficient and accommodating waiting staff” under an “entertaining boss who seems to know everyone”. “There have been several very good restaurants on this site (Boulestin and L’Oranger inter alia) and Saint Jacques is up there with any of them”. Top Menu Tip – “the theatre of crêpes Suzette cooked by the table is highly recommended”.

This Gallic treasure (est. 1927, but ultimately dating back to 1896) is London’s oldest French restaurant and – complete with its snail carpet – remains a Soho landmark. Its standards under owner Brian Clivaz have held up well over the years, and its ratings continued to be solid in this slightly turbulent year (which saw the establishment close from February to May 2023 to allow for a financial restructuring). The fairly classic menu is appealing and mixes affordable entry-level dishes (croque monsieur at £12) with more luxurious options (such as baked lobster with garlic butter, or fillet of beef ‘Rossini’, both at £54). Top Tip – superb-value prix fixe at lunch and early evening: two courses £19, three courses £24.

“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.

A past winner of the World’s 50-best – chef Mauro Colagreco of Mirazur is to run three of the dining spaces at this new Raffles hotel in Whitehall’s former Old War Office building. As well as his flagship dining room – which is to showcase ‘hyper-local, hyper-seasonal ingredients for a culinary experience of discovery’, there will be Mauro’s Table (a private room with space for 10); and ‘Saison’, a brasserie in a fine high-ceilinged room.

“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”.

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”.