Fitzrovia, French Restaurant Guide

“This corner of Fitzrovia is a must-visit if you enjoy fine and very well-priced wine”, also accompanied by “superb French cooking”. Owner Mathieu Germond (former manager of Pied à Terre) is “a great host”, who provides “absolutely stellar service”. He named the venture after his grandparents’ village in the Loire Valley, and makes it “feel like a local restaurant even though it’s in central London”.

“David Moore is an absolutely charming host” and – having kept his foodie temple in a Fitzrovia townhouse at the pinnacle of London’s dining scene for the last 30 years (he launched at roughly the same time as Harden’s) – “he certainly knows how to keep up with the times with his constantly evolving menu and restaurant offerings”, most notably of late, one of London’s most ambitious vegan menus. Head chef, Asimakis Chaniotis delivers “fascinating dishes with fabulous ingredients” – “sheer class” – and there’s a heavyweight wine list “with some really interesting suggestions”. “The truly personal service seems unfazed by the stresses and shenanigans of recent times” and creates a “first class ambience” in the compact space.

Jun Tanaka’s brilliant Mediterranean-inspired cooking is showcased at its best at his casual six-year-old HQ in Fitzrovia. It’s “notably good value” for cooking of this “excellence” and “variety of flavours” – the sort of place you’ll “definitely go back to again”. Tanaka has done some TV but is relatively unsung – if he was a little better known, this place would be a household name.

Bloomsbury greasy spoon that’s been artfully transformed into a simple bar and modern bistro by the team behind 40 Maltby Street, with Anna Tobias (P Franco, Rochelle Canteen) at the stoves. It was launched in December 2020 and won a big thumbs-up from Guardian reviewer Grace Dent, who – while noting that it “looks a bit like a sandwich shop with lofty aspirations” – found “finely judged, nicely eccentric cooking with a strong undercurrent of country-house living”. Our early feedback is limited but similarly upbeat.