Rickmansworth, French Restaurant Guide

A “very pleasant country pub” helmed by Sally & Alvin Michaels for two decades, and whose “good food” of Anglo-French bent (including home-smoked fish and meat, and local game) “attracts diners from well beyond its area”; indeed, one reporter who took far-flung American visitors found that they “loved the location and quaintness” of this attractive Georgian locale – also handy for the Harry Potter experience at Warner Bros Studio nearby.

This “stylish restaurant” near the bridge to Windsor has been run for almost 50 years by co-founder Lin Gilbey, who is responsible for its interior design. Her husband and business partner Bill (scion of the Gilbey’s Gin dynasty) sadly passed away in 2022, but Lin has pressed ahead with improvements, acquiring the premises next door to offer corporate entertainment and private dining facilities. Modern British cooking is generally felt to be “solid”.

This former coaching inn has “everything you’d expect from a Roux Brothers brasserie” – plus a fascinating history as one of the world’s top nightclubs in the ‘70s, when John and Yoko dropped in; it was reborn again when Alain Roux and his late father Michel Roux senior took over in 2017, and the “superb atmosphere by the river” currently abets “top-quality” French cooking at “reasonable prices” too (a snip compared to their Waterside Inn, a couple of miles away).

“The French bistro at its best”, this “reliable” Gallic fixture by Acton Green is “a small bit of Paris in Chiswick”, with “perfect food (including oysters) and an atmosphere for romance”. Top Menu Tip – “delicious soufflés”.

“Traditional but still at the peak of its appeal” – Alain Roux’s Thames-side “stalwart of French haute cuisine” is “still the most glorious of gastronomic treats”. Founded by his late father, Michel, in 1972 – with the closure of Le Gavroche in early 2024, it now becomes the surviving flagship of the famous Roux dynasty. “Service is incredible”, with “the friendly staff offering the warmest of welcomes”; and the “magical setting” by the river “is very hard to beat” and means a summer meal here can start with a glass of fizz either on the waterside terrace, or actually on the river in their electric launch. The “sublime” cuisine is resolutely of the old school (a signature dish is ‘Lobster Medallions with Vegetable Julienne and White Port sauce); and backed up by an “exciting wine list” in a similar vein. “Obviously it’s also incredibly expensive” – to an extent a few regard as “clearly overpriced” – and some would argue “surpassed by quite a few other restaurants, despite its three stars”. But, “if you can afford it, this is THE place to go for romance and if you really want to splash out, the rooms overlooking the Thames are a perfect location for a night away (because one night is all you will be able to afford…)”

“This better-than-solid bistro” in East Finchley offers “excellent value and sound cooking – the very strong local following is justified”. It’s old-school in the best way – and “the staff are charming”.

This “retro neighbourhood French bistro” in a parade of shops near Kew station is “massively popular with the locals due to its competitive prices” for “Gallic classics with a little twist” (and gets “very crowded at lunchtimes”).

By many accounts “by far the best gastropub in the Hampstead area”, this particularly “welcoming and charming” Georgian tavern has been run for two decades by Beth Coventry (sister of the doyenne of restaurant critics, Fay Maschler). “Great outside seating… if you can nab it”.

“Run by Michel Roux’s daughter” Emily and her husband Diego Ferrari (former head chef of Le Gavroche), this Notting Hill five-year-old “gives us the best of two culinary worlds: French and Italian”. The “precise, thoughtful and delicious dishes (celeriac, crab, turbot, veal)…” are “real high-end comfort food” and the “dining room is cool and buzzy without being overly formal”. “Both wine list and cheeseboard are on the conservative side, but none the worse for that”; and “the Italian sommelier has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Italian wines and will always steer us to something new and unusual”. Some reports note a “post-Covid blip amidst staff changes”, and a slip in ratings generally backs up those who feel the experience is “not bad, and better than average, but not quite the quality it was previously”. Top Tip – “lunch is particularly good value”.

This “consistently fabulous restaurant” in St John’s Wood has a “special and romantic atmosphere” thanks to its “charming” French owner Catherine Parisot, who has run it for 42 years and ensures the “service is so good and personal” that “you can’t fail to feel boosted by a visit”. The classic ‘cuisine bourgeoise’ hits the spot every time, too.

What to make of TV-star Tom Kerridge’s Thames Valley pub, which helped catapult him to stardom in 2012 when Michelin awarded the place two stars. The choice of this ordinary-feeling inn on the edge of town was always “a little quirky”, but for many years satisfaction levels here held up even if the “ambience varies depending on where you are sat, as it can be nice and atmospheric, or you can feel very much shunted to one side”. But for the most part, folks historically didn’t quibble: they just focused on the down-to-earth style and “very high-quality British cooking”. The latter is still sometimes applauded, even if dishes can seem “more traditional and less interesting/exciting than expected”. But the overall tide of sentiment has turned in recent years, with a growing view that “it’s such a pity that what was a fantastic restaurant has now become overpriced and overrated”. Even those who still hail it as “quite possibly the best gastropub in Britain” can still view it as “seriously overpriced and certainly not worthy of two Michelin stars”. And that’s still the upbeat verdict. More representative of feedback are those who say it’s “horrendously overpriced for what is only reasonable pub food” (“two stars? I’m sorry, but that really is a case of the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes’”). Despite this being one of Michelin’s worst ongoing conclusions, with their history of kowtowing to TV celebrities we’re not betting on a re-rating any time soon.

Simon & Jolanta Bradley’s “efficient” veteran of 30 years’ standing near Swiss Cottage station “never lets you down” and it’s a “great option if going to the Hampstead Theatre around the corner”. But while fans say “the quality of the food is such that it shouldn’t be only for pre-theatre”, there’s also a view that “it can feel rather soulless” as a destination in itself.

This “dependable neighbourhood bistro”, on a busy stretch linking Hammersmith and Shepherd’s Bush, combines classic gingham tablecloths with a menu inspired by Provence – favoured holiday destination for proprietors Lawrence & Emily Hartley, who previously operated the site as Mustard.

This “friendly family bistro serving classic” Breton galettes, seafood and cider has been a fixture near Richmond Bridge for 35 years, and is for many local reporters “a go-to restaurant for lunch or dinner” – whether at one of the “far tables which overlook the Thames” or in the “private room upstairs, ideal for parties”. In early 2023 founder Lindsay Wotton put the business up for sale so she could retire.

For a quality meal out St Margaret’s way, this conventional French restaurant – set in agreeably old-fashioned Victorian premises – provides a traditional and enjoyable experience that’s consistently well-rated in our annual diners’ poll. Top Tip – good-value ‘menu du jour’ available at lunch and at dinner early in the week.

A focused menu of “high-quality ingredients with excellent provenance and preparation” together with “attentive and adaptive service” continue to win praise for Richard Wilkins’s small (seating a maximum of 16) venue, which has an unobtrusive frontage on a corner-site in the Notting Hill/Bayswater borders. It has a comprehensive wine list, running to the likes of clarets and burgundies at over £1,000 per bottle.

“Great vibe”, “wonderful cooking”, “super wine list” and “so, so French!” – this “friendly and authentic” little wine bar/bistro in Westbourne Park celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.

“For a reasonable pre-theatre/concert meal” on the South Bank, the SE1 branch of this Gallic brasserie chain is “a useful option behind the Royal Festival Hall”; its City and Legal-land outlets are serviceable for a working lunch; and its W6 branch has a “classy” position on the river. Over time, though, it has “declined from being one of the better multiples” and is nowadays “very, very average indeed” – with the possible exception of Hammersmith, you wouldn’t make them a destination in their own right. BREAKING NEWS. In October 2023, a third branch was announced on the South Kensington site that – appropriately – traded for yonks in time gone by as La Brasserie (long RIP).