South Kensington, French Restaurant Guide

“Always reliable and first-class French cooking” is complemented by a serious wine list, including nine from Margaux, at this upmarket neighbourhood spot over two storeys at the Earl’s Court end of South Kensington.

“My refuge when feeling homesick for France” – Didier Garnier’s “long standing favourite” in a quiet Chelsea backstreet is “a typical French restaurant of the kind that you might find in the Dordogne”. “It can get very crowded and there’s not much privacy between the tables. But it has a very loyal following” particularly amongst a well-heeled, silver-haired crowd, for whom it’s a “go-to” destination thanks to its “traditional, buzzy atmosphere”, “dependable French-bistro cuisine” and a “wine list which has some great bargains” (“not your usual SW3 mark up – try the wines priced £30-£60, top value”). Didier himself presides over the “discreet and effortless service” and provides “excellent professional advice on the choice of vintage”. The odd naysayer finds it all “shockingly old-fashioned”… but folks have been saying that for years.

2022 Review: ‘A taste of rural France on the Fulham Road’ is the promise at this ‘gourmet traiteur’ in Chelsea: an early 2020 newcomer where dishes (to go or for delivery within 4 miles) are designed for reheating at home and prepared by Chris Hill, who most recently worked as a senior sous chef at The Ritz. It’s owned by Dimitri and Mira Plaquet, of a high-quality Belgian food group called La Villa Lorraine. They must be doing something right, as in mid 2021 they launched a second store in Wimbledon.