Whitechapel, 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.