Covent Garden, French Restaurant Guide

“The go-to place to celebrate a special anniversary” – this “enchanting” Covent Garden haunt is “magical for a special occasion or simply a treat”; and is yet again voted Londoner’s No. 1 choice for a hot date in our annual diners’ poll. If possible, try to book a table in the “beautiful flower-filled conservatory”, where there’s an opening ceiling in summer and a log-fire in winter: “upstairs, the cosy and intimate dining rooms have a whiff of that atmosphere (e.g. similar white flowers across the ceiling) but are perhaps for more mature relationships!”. While not its USP, its French cuisine is by no means incidental – “beautifully presented and bursting with flavour”; but it is upstaged by the wine list, which is “a rival to ‘War and Peace’ in length”. Service that’s “extremely helpful and very welcoming” caps off an impressive all-round performance. Top Tip – “the weekday set lunch is astonishingly good value for such cooking, particularly as it also offers a small carafe of well chosen wine for a pretty modest supplement”.

This “big, buzzy faux-Parisian brasserie” in the heart of Covent Garden certainly looks the part, but it “can get very busy” and “extremely noisy” as a result. It provides “lots of classic French cuisine”, but with very mixed results: fans say it’s “executed pretty well” but reviews overall are often jaundiced – for example: “dull food, impossible to chat… really bad experience and a ridiculous bill”.

“Convenient, if unexciting, medium-priced brasserie two minutes from the Royal Opera House” that’s worth knowing about in the touristy ‘minefield’ it inhabits. The Gallic staples are “fairly priced” (“in particular, the set menus are good value”) and “service is acceptable for such a busy, central establishment”. Top Tip – “great pre-theatre”.

Fabio Lauro and his family – the new owners since 2022 – still have work to do in reinjecting life into this “very French” and “old-fashioned bistro”, near Covent Garden, which started small after WWII and has grown into various neighbouring buildings over many years. Fans still applaud its “Gallic bistro staples served in a cosy romantic space” and claim it has “perked up on the last couple of visits” (having been in decline up to the prior owner’s retirement). But while reports of “disappointing” or “less-than-mediocre” meals are in a minority, they remain too commonplace and its ratings in our annual diners’ poll remain well off their past best – “such a pity, the place still has potential”.

“A wonderful old-school oasis below the hell that is Leicester Square” – this “fabulous throwback to a proper wine bar” is “remarkably unchanged” since Don Hewitson opened it in 1971 (and his successor Will Clayton sticks to the winning formula). “The famous ham-and-cheese pie is well worth its million-odd portions! and is the perfect accompaniment to a great wine list”.

“Busy… touristy… but capable, in a neighbourhood where most restaurants (including for a pre-theatre meal) are well underperforming”: this “long-established brasserie next to the Covent Garden piazza” is decorated in an engaging, traditional Parisian style and won a strong thumbs-up this year as one of the best bets in the surrounding tourist hell. “The food is reliable and fairly priced, especially if you can get a deal (which is not difficult)”. “Always use this place for coffee. Love it, and seriously good snacks”.

Open in June 2024, in Covent Garden’s Henrietta Hotel, an Art Nouveau-styled bistro from hot chef Jackson Boxer (of Brunswick House and Orasay) in concert with the Paris-based Experimental Group, with whom he opened a restaurant at Cowley Manor in the Cotswolds last year. Here, he’s inspired by his jaunts to Paris as a young chef, with classics such as Fried Pied de Cochon, Grilled Snails and Globe Artichoke, and Steak-Frites, alongside a ‘charcoal grill’ section with celeriac; a half or whole Roast Chicken and a hefty 1 kg Côte de Boeuf: to finish, the likes of Lemon Sorbet or Riz au Lait.

“A true special-occasion destination” – Gordon Ramsay’s bijou first-floor dining room in the Savoy has been one of his best openings of recent times and provided one reporter’s “best meal in the last couple of years”. James Sharp oversees a “fabulous” tasting menu that deals excellently with the constraints of the main kitchen being at a distance from the dining room. There’s a thoughtful selection of wines by the glass – if you really want to push the boat out, you can even order 50 ml of 1779 Madeira for £750. The small space best suits it to an intimate diner à deux (easy conversation is provided by your bird’s-eye view of the comings and goings at the Savoy’s main entrance); although there are a couple of tables for larger parties. “Expensive but can’t fault it”.

Star chef Tom Sellers is responsible for this “great little bistro near the theatres” – an upscale, Parisian-style space on two floors with marble counters and leather seating, tucked away in Covent Garden and overlooking Neal’s Yard (the “seating upstairs is great for watching the world go by”). “Simple, tasty food” is the watchword, with a good selection of seafood and fish and meat grills to counterpoint the headline event, which is rôtisserie chicken and fries (a whole bird costs £57).

“Just off Cambridge Circus”, this “little piece of France in the centre of London” dates from 1972 and hasn’t changed much in the interim. “Great-value wines and simple dishes” are the draw: the latter might be Boeuf Bourguignon or Saucisses de Toulouse or one of a fine selection of cheeses. There’s also a “private members’ restaurant downstairs”. Anyone interested in gastronomy should probably head elsewhere, but for old-school character at affordable prices it’s a big hit.