French Restaurants in Waltham Abbey
1. Les 110 de Taillevent
French restaurant in Marylebone
16 Cavendish Square - W1
“If you love wine… heaven!” – a “huge list (almost 2,000 bins)”, “some with no mark-up from merchant prices” and including 110 available by the glass (hence the name), is the big attraction at this plush Cavendish Square venue from a famous Parisian operation. It “finally seems to have found its footing as a real restaurant, not just somewhere that serves food as an afterthought to the wine list – there’s some very good cooking here”.
2. Le Garrick
French restaurant in Covent Garden
10-12 Garrick Street - WC2
“Candlelit booths, rustic French food and wine, and discreet service” make this “little slice of France in Covent Garden” “perfect for a date or anniversary”. If possible, “go downstairs and experience the brick arched cellar dining area, which is full of character and charm”. The “classic bistro fare” is “adequately prepared and comes at very reasonable prices considering the location”.
3. Seven Park Place
French restaurant in St James's
7-8 Park Pl - SW1
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).
4. Clarette
French restaurant in Marylebone
44 Blandford St - W1U
“The wine list is pricey, even by Marylebone High Street standards” at this Tudorbethan pub, with leaded windows and inset stained glass. That’s to be expected, as it’s backed by Alexandra Petit-Mentzelopoulos – part of the family who own the legendary Château Margaux – and you really have to be a lover of wine (some famous names are available by the glass using the Coravin system) to get the most out of the place, which has extensive listings – amongst other areas – of bottlings from Bordeaux and Burgundy: for example, there is a ‘Château Margaux Experience’: a ‘degustation’ of 50ml glass of 4 vintages for £95. Viewed purely as a place to get fed? “We liked it, the food is lovely, but there are options offering better value”.
5. Pied à Terre
French restaurant in Fitzrovia
34 Charlotte St - W1
“Over 30 years on this is still a class act” – David Moore’s Fitzrovia townhouse has proved one of London’s enduring temples of top gastronomy – currently under chef Asimakis Chaniotis – and “this old favourite has also evolved over the years”: “the introduction of a vegan alternative menu is pure genius (as an unreformed eater of meat and fish, I was well-and-truly wowed by the plant-based version)”; and “as always the wine list is a treasure trove”. There are a few quibbles: that “commercial pressure seems to have limited choice” a little of late; the odd “unexceptional” meal is reported; and its “long and thin” premises can feel “a little crowded”. But overall feedback is sunny, helped by “thoroughly welcoming and unobtrusive service” which also helps make it a strong “romantic” bet.
6. Chez Antoinette
French restaurant in Covent Garden
Unit 30 The Market Building - WC2
This “bustling bistrot tucked down a side street near Victoria” feels “just like being in a small, rushed French café”. Lyon-born founder Aurelia Noel-Delclos named the business after the grandmother who inspired her love of food. The 10-year-old original branch, in the tourist ‘ground zero’ of old Covent Garden market, is less reported-on, but said to be “decent” for “post-matinée early dinner”.
7. Bellamy’s
British, Modern restaurant in Mayfair
18-18a Bruton Place - W1
“A haven of calm in an ever-changing world”: “they cater for the most conservative of palates (and the deepest pockets)” at Gavin Rankin’s “old-school, brasserie-style restaurant in Mayfair” (which had the rare privilege of hosting the late Queen Elizabeth on a couple of occasions). Its Anglo-French fare is “super reliable, if not exciting” and service “immaculate”. “If you like the kind of place where you still need to dress up a bit, this is it”, but “the ambience is set by its older, quietly-spoken crowd: don’t visit if you are planning a loud-laughing night!”. Top Menu Tip – “good value lunch menu; and staples such as iced lobster soufflé, smoked eel mousse and steak tartare”.
8. Club Gascon
French restaurant in Clerkenwell
57 West Smithfield - EC1
“Reliably inventive Michelin-quality tasting menus with quirky-but-good wine pairings” continue to inspire joy at Pascal Aussignac and Vincent Labeyrie’s long-standing foodie temple to the cuisine of southwest France, which occupies a stately former Lyons Tea House near Smithfield Market. It partly achieved its renown originally by serving everything with foie gras, but nowadays a “superb vegetarian tasting menu” is also a feature.
9. Cabotte
French restaurant in Bank
48 Gresham St - EC2V
“One of the best options for fine dining in the City” – “if you want a good French restaurant in the Square Mile, with a great wine list, look no further” than this “slick and intimate” venue, which boasts “one of the best wine selections in London” – a particular “dream-list for lovers of Burgundy and Champagne”. “Very good service is worth a shout out”.
10. Provender
French restaurant in Wanstead
17 High St - E11
“Typical French cuisine perfectly cooked” has won a solid reputation for this “great Wanstead local” – a traditional-ish Gallic bistro, with terrace. Veteran restaurateur Max Renzland, who founded it in 2011, stepped down in 2021, with no evident change in its performance.
11. The Fox And Hounds Restaurant & Bar
French restaurant in Hunsdon
2 High Street - SG12
Chef James & Bianca Rix celebrate 20 years at their smart pub/restaurant this year, recording high levels of feedback and satisfaction for their “much better than usual pub operation” – “food and service are great and it’s reasonably priced”. Top Menu Tip – “the clams and fish are always good”.
12. Bistro Aix
French restaurant in Crouch End
54 Topsfield Pde, Tottenham Ln - N8
2021 Review: A “long-time, local favourite” – this “relaxed”, retro bistro brings the classic flavours of France to Crouch End. Chef-proprietor Lynne Sanders and her team send “reliably good food” out from the kitchen.
13. Table Du Marche
French restaurant in East Finchley
111 High Road - N2
“This better-than-solid bistro” in East Finchley offers “excellent value and sound cooking – the very strong local following is justified”. It’s old-school in the best way – and “the staff are charming”.
14. Royale at East London Liquor Company
French restaurant in Bethnal Green
Bow Wharf, 221 Grove Road - E3
2022 Review: Born of necessity but now here to stay – this pandemic pop-up from the team behind Leroy turned permanent in June 2021. Within Bow Wharf’s East London Liquor Co – and with a large outside terrace – it aims to bring some easy going Provençal good times to E3, in the form of rotisserie chicken and other ‘comforting’ dishes, plus gluggable wines.
15. Planque
French restaurant in Haggerston
322 Acton Mews - E8
An “incredible wine list from a seriously passionate and knowledgeable team” is backed up by “lovely modern food” in this hip ‘wine drinkers’ clubhouse’ set in a pair of Haggerston railway arches. “The restaurant has been designed beautifully and it feels like serious money has been spent on the project”, even if wine is the primary focus. (Members enjoy priority booking and can store their reserves in the cellar.)
16. Authentique Epicerie & Bar
French restaurant in Tufnell Park
114-116 Fortess Road - NW5
800+ wines by the bottle and a selection of 75 craft beers are the USP of this intriguing Tufnell Park showcase for regional French drinks and produce. The menu changes every six weeks with a different region moving into focus – it’s short and in a supporting role to all the delicious grog, but good value.
17. La Petite Auberge
French restaurant in Islington
283 Upper St - N1
“Calves’ liver, perfect coq-au-vin, deeply flavourful venison stew” – this Gallic venue in Islington doesn’t aim for foodie fireworks, but fans like its traditional approach, “warm” atmosphere and “willing” service. The less rosy view is that the cooking is “rather standard French food, if good enough for an evening with friends”. Top Tip – the interior is split level in some areas and regulars say “the top section especially feels romantic”.
18. Le Mercury
French restaurant in Islington
140a Upper St - N1
It’s “not haute cuisine”, but you’ll find “reasonably well-cooked bistro fare that’s very well-priced for the location” at this old-school haunt that has done sterling service for almost 40 years on the Islington main drag, opposite the Almeida Theatre. “The two-tier Parisian theatre boxes are a bit of a mad addition to the interior design”, but they make “a great spot for a family meal before a show”.
19. Le Sacré-Coeur
French restaurant in Islington
18 Theberton St - N1
“French comfort food in a cosy setting in the heart of Islington” is just the ticket at this long-serving outfit, where “both cuisine and ambience resemble a bistro in France two or three decades ago”. “Wines have a restrained mark-up”, and there’s a “super-value set lunch which is also available on Saturdays”. Top Menu Tip – “boeuf bourguignon is particularly good”.
20. Bellanger
French restaurant in Islington
9 Islington Green - N1
“Evoking a big Parisian brasserie”, this Wolseley Group venture on Islington Green has had a chequered history. Opened in 2015, when Corbin & King owned the business, they closed it again in 2019 saying “we just couldn’t make it the success we aspired to”. But then, in 2020 – having failed to sell the property – they re-opened and had a second run at making a go of it. With Corbin & King then forced to exit the business in 2022, we are now going around again under the new owners. In June 2023, after our survey had completed, the restaurant re-opened yet again after a complete refit of the vast space and a new menu. Though brighter, the decor is still in the traditional brasserie mould. When it comes to food: out go the retro ‘tarte flambées’ and the chicken schnitzel – in comes the focaccia and – according to the PR – an ‘evolving seasonal menu… taking inspiration from the southern Mediterranean coastal regions’. Er, except it also includes very un-Mediterranean dishes like Dressed Dorset Crab, Loch Duart Salmon with jersey royals and a watercress velouté and Flat Iron Steak Frites. The weekend brunch – with its pancakes and Eggs Benedict – also owes little to Spain, Italy and Greece. Other novelties are a new cocktail bar, and a DJ booth (the latter of which really risks ‘Dad dancing’ for this kind of venue). Our pre-revamp feedback suggested the same rather ‘OK but not particularly distinguished’ performance of old. But we’ve left it unrated on the basis of the latest changes, as this sounds like a case of ‘outlook negative’.
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