Belgravia, French Restaurant Guide

A Japanese accent to the pastries adds exoticism (and expense?) to a trip to this swish perch, in the beating bougie heart of Belgravia. It originally opened in the foyer of the stunning-looking Pantechnicon building next door, which – in summer 2024 – rebranded as ‘19 Motcomb Street’ – leading (we understand from the press) to a relocation of the café to the ‘Halkin Arcade’.

“It always takes hours to decide on the wine!!” for fans of the grape at Gordon Ramsay’s mutedly luxurious Belgravia haunt, which is built around a wine cage and, of course, named for the famous Bordeaux appellation whose vintages contribute to its list. Though primarily nominated in our annual diners’ poll in the category for ‘Best Wine List’, its modern French cuisine under head chef Orson Vergnaud (at the helm since 2022) returned to stronger form this year and in a quiet way this is again one of the better restaurants in Gordon Ramsay’s stable.

“There’s a real feeling of a French Brasserie in the centre of London” at this Wolseley Group operation, whose ideal situation – on a corner of Sloane Square – makes it an ideal meeting place. “There’s always a great buzz, especially in the bar”, the menu of brasserie staples “suits all spectrums of the age range” and it’s “reasonably priced” too, especially for this glossy bit of town. There’s been “no drop in standards since C&K’s departure” from the group – indeed ratings here have strengthened across the board.