Waltham Abbey, French Restaurant Guide

“One can never tire of Gavin Rankin’s discreet, restrained and brasserie”, “quietly located” in a Mayfair mews (“an institution that lives with the legacy that the late Queen visited it twice”). “You can start your meal with cocktails in the bar (next to the restaurant)” and then move to the dining room for “classic’ Anglo/French cuisine” that’s “comfortingly familiar” and “superb in its simplicity” (the harsh might say “staid and unadventurous”); and “good value too”. “Service is excellent – one always has everything one needs but is otherwise left alone”. For an “understatedly elegant” business occasion – perfect! Top Menu Tip – “outstanding value for money from the table d’hote menu”.

“David Moore is a most wonderful host” and has lovingly nurtured this “London stalwart” on Fitzrovia’s ‘restaurant row’ since it first opened in 1991, maintaining it all the while as “everything a fine-dining restaurant should be”. A bijou site, the space has been much improved over the years, with a “cosy and comfortable” ground floor (and glossy, glam private rooms on the upper levels). A succession of chefs have made their name here over the years, and the latest to arrive mid-survey in March 2025 is Alberto Cavaliere from Sabor (who replaces Phil Kearsey, who had to quit over a leg injury). We’ve rated it on historical feedback, though, on the judgement that under David’s watchful eye its “fabulous standard of cuisine” that’s “worth every penny” will be maintained. Top Menu Tip – “a great plant-based menu” has become a hallmark feature. (“I have been visiting here since the 1990s when I worked just around the corner in Fitzrovia. Not being a vegan, it was my daughter who introduced me to vegan options at this place and I was amazed at what had been achieved with the vegan tasting menu, well up to standard of the usual fare – fine vegan dining is not only possible, but can be exceptional!”)

“Everything is comme il faut” at this “rapid-service and good-value” duo from Lyon-born Aurelia Noel-Delclos, which capture “something of the style and liveliness of a French bistro”. The newer branch, in Victoria, has “clearly been discovered by Civil Service bods, so is often full” (and the “excellent breakfasts” there are an added bonus). Covent Garden is easily overlooked in the tourist ‘Ground Zero’ at the heart of the market itself. Top Menu Tip – “well-flavoured chicken breast with a good piperade and smoked new potatoes; good example of duck confit; decent creme brulée”.

An “atmospheric gem” that brings a “rustic taste of the French countryside to Covent Garden”, this bistro is “one of the few London restaurants that has been under the same family ownership since the 1980s”. “Fantastic for date night”, “perfect for pre & post-theatre dining, or a catch-up with friends”, it has a “terrace ideal for people-watching on a sunny day over a glass of Côtes de Provence rosé”. One or two dissenters, though, leave nonplussed: “didn’t live up to its promise” – “the food was very average”.

“You name it, they’ve got it!” – a “stunning wine list” is the main event at this Marylebone spinoff from Parisian institution Taillevent (est. 1946), and its “distinctive feature is the offer of 110 wines by the glass (70ml or 125ml)”, affording guests “the opportunity to taste some world-class wines”. These are served alongside “delicious and well presented” modern French cuisine in a “spacious dining room with high ceilings – this Georgian mansion was previously a branch of Coutts Bank”. Complaints are most notable by their absence, and this was the site of numerous best meals of the year for diners in this year’s annual poll.

“Quite a find in the heart of the City” and “deffo worth a trip from beyond the Square Mile” too – this “simple and unpretentious restaurant with exceptional wine” would be welcome in any postcode, but is a particular boon in the still-arid wastelands of the Square Mile. Established in 2017 by Master Sommeliers Xavier Rousset and Gearoid Devaney, its “highly knowledgeable and attentive service” is a particular strength; but it’s a good all-rounder too, whose elegant interior and “beautifully presented” modern French cuisine help make it “perfect for lunch with colleagues or clients”. As you’d expect, however, its prime feature is the “sublime wine selection, with a particularly fine selection from Burgundy”: “an offbeat list guaranteed to tantalize the interest of enthusiasts”.

2024 Review: A “real favourite” of well-heeled foodies, this classy if relatively unsung Mayfair hotel dining room boasts in “William Drabble, the most underrated of chefs – and one of great longevity” after 15 years at the helm. There is an eight-course ‘Menu Gourmand’ (for £125), but also à la carte options (starting in the evening with a two-course meal for £82 – lunchtimes are cheaper).

“Worth it just for the Cassoulet”, say fans of Pascal Aussignac and Vincent Labeyrie’s “super, very inventive southern French cuisine” – their homage to the gutsy cuisine of Gascony, opened in a fine marbled hall near Smithfield Market in 1998 (originally built as a Lyons Tea House). There was some unusually critical feedback this year though which dragged ratings down, with quite a few reports along the lines of: “hadn’t been for a while, but my return visit was below what I expected…”; “went with high hopes but the food was just OK”.