Shoreditch, French Restaurant Guide

“A stunning venue with top-notch Gallic-inspired cuisine”: the Galvin Bros’ “beautiful” operation has all the elements for a “memorable experience” and – though its City-fringe location by Spitalfields Market makes it a huge hit for expense-accounters (“when you want to impress with a very elegant meal”), it’s also a “romantic favourite for the most special occasions”. Often mistaken for a converted chapel, the “dream location” of its ecclesiastical-style space was actually constructed to house a late-Victorian girls’ school, and was superbly stylishly converted by the Galvins in 2009. “Despite the striking surroundings, the staff manage to make it feel relatively informal”: “they are attentive but give you space and time”. And the food? “first class”, “precise French cuisine” that’s fully priced of course, but few begrudged the bill this year. Top Menu Tip – “Always try the magnificent Crab Lasagne: to die for!”

“Galvin restaurants always deliver”, say fans – but even so it is difficult to avoid a sense of missed opportunity with this bistro next door to the brothers’ flagship, La Chapelle. All reports rate it acceptably well, and no disasters are reported, but amidst some “fabulous” accounts, there are also those with elements that are “average” or “slightly disappointing”.

Dominic Hamdy has followed up Soho’s Bar Crispin with this fashionista-friendly Shoreditch bistro, where – as often happens in NYC – an old-school French formula somehow tickles the fancy of the hip crowd. It’s very ‘now’, even though its cream walls and candles stuck into bottles would have looked retro 40 years ago, as would many of the traditional French inspirations on chef Anna Sogaard’s hand-scrawled menu (e.g. grilled bavette in peppercorn sauce; plaice meuniere in capers and dill). Top Tip – pie!