South Kensington, French Restaurant Guide

“Boeuf bourguignon was done to perfection” – typical of the “very solid French cooking of meat and fish courses” at this “reliable neighbourhood restaurant”, on the well-heeled borders of Earl’s Court and South Kensington. Top Tip – “it’s best to eat upstairs”.

2019 Review: “Fabulous breads and pastries” (as well as “better coffee than some of the favourites”) bring a taste of ‘the boulangeries and patisseries of rural France’ to the three west London sites operated by this outfit from Nantes.

“You could be in Paris… except the staff are nicer” at Didier Garnier’s stalwart “absolute old favourite” in a quiet Chelsea backstreet. For its silver-haired Francophile following, it ticks all the boxes for “a proper French restaurant”, serving ultra-classic bistro fare (“the menu changes rarely”), “wonderful desserts” and a “fabulous Gallic wine list at very reasonable prices”. More sceptical reporters feel it’s “delightful”, but that “it’s a pity they don’t put a bit more effort into the cuisine”. They are drowned out, though, by the proportion who feel that “for a very relaxing meal, there’s nowhere better”. Top Tip – “try and get a table under the awning”.

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.