Soho, French Restaurant Guide

“Stepping through that front door (you ring to enter) takes you into a better world” at Alexis Gauthier’s “quirky”, converted townhouse in Soho, which provides “some of the best French cooking in London”. “The cuisine achieves a masterful balance of traditional technique applied to the finest ingredients – flavour, intensity, plus beautiful presentation”; and the “empathic service” is “friendly but always professional”. The venue’s “distinctiveness continues into the maze of cosy yet elegant rooms” spread “higgledy piggledy” over a couple of floors, and “with only a few tables in each room”, the style is “peaceful” going on “seductive”. Why Michelin took their star away is an utter mystery. Top Tips – “the eight-course tasting menu is a fabulous foodie experience; the three-course De Luxe lunch is an absolute steal”; “the devoted vegan tasting menu is superb”; last but not least, “the truffle risotto is a ‘Desert Island Dish’”.

Quirky, French-run wine-bar (plus upstairs dining room) tucked away just off Carnaby Street, which has dropped on and off the foodie radar in recent years. Scores currently are well off their highs of a few years ago, but it’s still tipped for its wine list and reasonable selection of accompanying nibbles (which incorporate some fairly substantial options).

“Traditional French dishes with well-integrated flavours”, a “classic bistro atmosphere” and “remarkably good value” add up to a “reliable experience” at this Soho sibling to Pierre Victoire. The set lunch menu also offers an “unusually large choice”.

“Specialising in Gallic small plates, cheeses and charcuterie” plus dry-aged beef – and with “portions somewhere between tapas and a full plate” – this French-owned duo in Soho (2013) and Brick Lane (2016) have earned quite a culinary reputation, and – though “cramped” and “very noisy” – have a “fun atmosphere”. Although praised by their many fans as a “reliable” option, their ratings slipped this year, with various gripes about the tapas-y format: either that it’s “expensive”, “un-relaxing” or just “doesn’t suit this kind of French food”.