Clerkenwell, French Restaurant Guide

“Old-fashioned? Yes. Expensive? Yes. But Gorgeous!” – Otto Tepasse’s “charming and theatrical” bastion of classical cuisine near Gray’s Inn showcases “fabulous French food”, most famously its signature duck or lobster pressed at your table. The cuisine is “very rich” by today’s standards, and “not at all your everyday haute cuisine” – but “melt-in-the-mouth gorgeous” and the venue’s “great retro feel with its own character” means a visit is always special. Although the restaurant has been open since 2011 (and featured in this guide for years), a recent flurry of critical attention has brought Giles Coren from The Times and a gaggle from the Evening Standard to test themselves against the ‘Grande Bouffe’ blowout menu. Top Menu Tips – as well as the famous à la presse dishes, “Duck Pie – so ducky!”

Now in its 40th year, this “charming, family-run brasserie”, “hidden away near Smithfield Market”, is “about as close as you’ll get to France” without leaving Blighty. With a “great atmosphere, but still quiet enough to be able to chat”, it’s “a great place to seal a business deal” – but equally “French is always best for romance!”. In the evenings, “regular live music adds to the relaxed atmosphere”.

“It was very sad when the Bleeding Heart restaurant never reopened” – a victim of Covid-19 – “but the adjoining bistro” in a Dickensian yard “hidden around the back of Hatton Garden” is “still going strong” under its long-term owners Robert & Robyn Wilson (who established the business in 1983). “In a convenient location between the City and the West End”, the venue has always been popular amongst expense-accounters and “minimal intervention from the efficient service means it’s a great choice for a business lunch” and always feels “busy and buzzy”. The “reliable, classic French bistro cuisine provides something on the menu for all tastes” and “is consistently of a high standard”; and while the cellar is not quite as deep as when the restaurant was in full swing, there remains “a fairly comprehensive wine list”. Top Tip – in summer, “the really lovely terrace is an oasis in this busy part of London”.

“Transporting you to a French bistro in Lyon” – Henry Harris’s phenomenal, year-old sequel to his Knightsbridge Racine (which closed in 2015) just marches on and has quickly become one of the Top-10 most notable destinations in our annual diners’ poll, thanks to its huge and “sophisticated foodie fan base”. “It has an unpromising location – up a narrow staircase” above The Three Compasses pub near Farringdon tube – but once inside it’s “always buzzing” and “such a fun place to eat”. The “sublime” food from the blackboard menu here is “the stuff of dreams for lovers of traditional French cooking” (“no wonder so many chefs eat there!”): “proper French classics executed with skill and passion” (“just don’t check your cholesterol!”); and all “in generous portions and at ungreedy prices”. “It feels like it’s been here for decades, with its very confident and focussed menu”; and there’s “exemplary service from engaged and knowledgeable staff”. Just one thing… “it’s almost impossible to get a table…”. Top Menu Tips – “the rabbit in mustard sauce with Alsace bacon is one of the best dishes ever”; “delicious tête de veau with Henry Harris’s sauce ravigote”; “Escarole and Mimolette salad and Bayonne ham with Celeriac remoulade is generously portioned and very tasty”.