RestaurantsLondonSt James'sSW1Y

Harden's says

High-ceilinged, chic newcomer – opened in September 2020 – that sits in a shiny new St James’s building (‘The Marq’). It’s a site which those with long memories may still recall as Green’s (long RIP). The longish menu of small plates and rather ‘haute’ brasserie dishes (with deserts from a posh trolley) is a witting homage to the grand brasseries of Paris, Lyon and Alsace. But the more substantial options are not served at prices we associate with the term ‘brasserie’. If you’re counting the pennies, head for the basement wine bar, Frank’s (see also).

survey result

Summary

£95
 ££££
2
Average
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

For a quick ‘hit’ of Parisian chic in St James’s, this “comfortable” and “nicely buzzing” brasserie – with its white leather seating and artfully muted design – is just the job. Its “reliably delivered, French bistro-style dishes” are particularly recommended for an “excellent if pricey light lunch”; and especially liked for a business meal (“it’s bustling, but the reasonably spaced tables and corner tables allow for an uninterrupted discussion; service is always professional and a solid wine list is managed by the knowledgeable team”). On the downside, it can also seem like a place for those who “like burning money”. Top Tips – “I love every time of day at Maison François, but especially breakfast!”; “the dessert trolley is out of this world!” with “the various drawers revealing pastries of top quality”. And “Frank’s Bar downstairs is louche and great fun too”.

Summary

£89
 ££££
3
Good
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

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”.

Summary

£87
 ££££
3
Good
4
Very Good
5
Exceptional
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Paris comes to St James’s” at this “beautiful and buzzy” two-year-old, which has been one of the more impressive arrivals of recent years (it opened in autumn 2020). “Proper, well-executed French-brasserie food” (snails, crab salad, roast chicken, veal, steak and chips…) – “such a relief after all of the faddy nonsense dominating the London restaurant scene” – is delivered by “first-rate” staff throughout the day, from breakfast onwards. And together with the “amazing” high-ceilinged interior, the overall combination makes for a superb “all-round experience”, if one “with prices to match the location”. Top Tips – “the best dessert trolley in London!” and a “fun” basement wine bar called Frank’s.

Summary

£87
 ££££
4
Very Good
4
Very Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“A modern, London take on a classic French format” – this high-ceilinged, “super-cool looking” newcomer opened in September 2020 and sits inside a “beautifully fitted out” new St James’s building (‘The Marq’ – on the site that once was Green’s, long RIP). The longish menu of “classic” small plates and more ‘haute’ brasserie dishes (with desserts from a posh trolley) is a witting homage to the grand brasseries of Paris, Lyon and Alsace – but the more substantial options are not served at prices we associate with the term ‘brasserie’. There’s also a basement wine bar, Frank’s (see also). Top Tip – as well as the expected wine list, there’s also a “fun cocktail selection, which is unusually comprehensive for a restaurant of this high level of cooking”.

For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).

Have you eaten at Maison François?

34 Duke Street St James's, London, SW1Y 6DF

Restaurant details

Highchair,Menu
18
No dress code

Prices

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Pudding
£17.00 £30.00 £12.00
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £47.00
Filter Coffee £0.00
Extras  
Service 15.00%
34 Duke Street St James's, London, SW1Y 6DF
Opening hours
Monday11:30 am‑12 am
Tuesday11:30 am‑12 am
Wednesday11:30 am‑12 am
Thursday11:30 am‑12 am
Friday11:30 am‑12 am
Saturday11:30 am‑12 am
Sunday5 pm‑12 am

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