Spitalfields, French Restaurant Guide

“Still 10x French” – this cute ‘bistroquet’ has flown the Tricolore in Brick Lane curry territory for a dozen years, and remains a “great local”, with a “minimal menu, but the food is good and the service very friendly”.

“Always impressing anyone who visits” – the Galvin Bros’ “elegant and professional” destination by Spitalfields Market boasts one of London’s most “glorious” dining spaces: “a high-ceilinged Victorian room that seems far too grand for its one-time use as a girls’ school”. “To accompany this wonderful atmosphere is a menu that really showcases fabulous international dishes focussing on the classics”, alongside “a wine-list offering plenty both at the high end for celebrating and at the lower end for when you need to stick to your expense-budget!”. (The cellar has “the largest collection of La Chapelle outside of the Rhône”, with a complete selection of vintages back to 1952). Boosted by its City-fringe location, it is “perfect for business entertaining” with just the right “serious tone” but also with a bit of a bounce to the occasion. “The food can misstep when it’s trying too hard, but the more traditional dishes are really very good”. Top Menu Tips – “an absolute winner is the crab lasagna: divine!”: “excellently slow- cooked Herdwick lamb shank and tarte tatin properly infused with a Calvados caramel”.

The Galvin Bros’ five-year-old Spitalfields bistro, next door to their La Chapelle flagship, offers a “tasty” menu of French classics (mouclade, cassoulet, baba au rum, tarte tatin), and at busy times the “ambience is helped by the fact everyone seemed to be having a fine old time – including the staff”. Ratings are held in middling territory, though, by one or two sceptics who say the food is “better than average… not quite good”; or who find the atmosphere a little elusive.

2023 Review: In May 2022 (too late for any survey feedback), this Shoreditch design hotel reopened its ground-floor bar/restaurant (fka The Albion Café) as an all-day brasserie. The 100-seat space, whose original hard-edged design was overseen by the late Sir Terence Conran, has been modified and somewhat cosied up (no longer with its own street entrance). Chef Robin Freeman also looks after the hotel’s glam-looking refurbished rooftop bar and restaurant, while what was once Tatra in the basement is nowadays an event space. The rooftop looks set to become the place to be here.