We love a laidback bistro as much as anyone but sometimes you really want to step it up a notch and these are some of the best restaurants in town for French flair and finesse.
Socca
Mayfair - 41A S Audley St, London W1K 2PS
Claude Bosi joined forces with restaurateur Samyukta Nair for this shiny slice of the French Riviera in Mayfair. The influence may be bistro but the ingredients (and pricing) definitely lean more towards fine dining. The slow-cooked lamb shoulder with Nicoise sauce is a signature worth having.
Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal
Piccadilly Circus - 68 Regent St., London W1B 4DY
Having had two Michelin stars at his previous place, The Greenhouse, chef Alex Dilling went straight back to the same level with his eponymous restaurant overlooking Regent Street. His dishes are beautiful to look at, and there's almost always something with caviar on the menu - a legacy of his time helming Caviar Russe in New York.
The Ritz
St James - 150 Piccadilly, London W1J 9BR
There isn't a restaurant in London to touch the glamour of the experience that is dining at The Ritz. Executive chef John Williams and his team delight in giving the best British produce the Escoffier-inspired treatment. There are trolleys galore and plenty of tableside theatrics making this a very special place indeed.
Noize
Fitzrovia - 39 Whitfield St, London W1T 2SF
Named after the Loire valley village where owner Mathieu Germond's (ex-Pied a Terre) grandparents had a farm, this cosy Fitzrovia restaurant channels a rustic French charm. Head Chef George Farrugia worked with both Koffmann and Chavot so he knows his (French) onions. The wine list is also superb.
Plu
St John's Wood - 12 Blenheim Terrace, London NW8 0EB
Chef Patron Elliot Moss (Stirling Moss's son) began his career at Le Gavroche which gives you an idea of how fine dining this St John's Wood restaurant is. Open just three evenings a week they serve up a 15-course tasting menu. Think amazing French and British produce cooked with French flair.
LPM London
53-54 Brook's Mews, London W1K 4EG
Since opening in 2007 LPM's aim has remained the same - to bring a little Riviera glamour to this tucked-away Mayfair mews. And it succeeds. The dining room is always buzzing with first dates, families and those celebrating. It now also has a handy bar too if you want somewhere quieter to thrash out a deal or catch up with a friend. Start with a tomatini and some superb seafood and don't miss their fabulous pain perdu.
Claude Bosi at Bibendum
Michelin House, 81 Fulham Rd, London SW3 6RD
Bibendum was first opened by Sir Terence Conran back in 1987 with Simon Hopkinson in the kitchen, occupying one of London’s most iconic buildings. It now has a Frenchman at the helm - Claude Bosi - and a clutch of Michelin stars (it went straight in the Guide with two stars within six months of Bosi coming on board). Grab a table in the beautiful dining room with a good view into the glassed-off kitchen and enjoy dishes like the Challans duck with sauce Rouennaise.
Chez Bruce
2 Bellevue Rd, London SW17 7EG
Bruce Poole and partner Nigel Platts-Martin opened Chez Bruce in 1995 but it remains relevant and vibrant to this day. As Marina O’Loughlin put it, “It is, and will continue to be, an absolute classic.” Under Bruce and Head Chef Matt Christmas, the kitchen here cooks up dishes “based loosely on classical and regional French/ Mediterranean cuisine”. But that might see everything from the classic Foie gras ballotine with green peppercorns, toasted brioche and quince to a vegetarian option of Celeriac and aged Comté strudel with parsley velouté.
Otto's
182 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8EW
Otto’s may only have been open for 13 years, but it feels like it’s been an integral part of London’s restaurant scene forever. At a time when restaurants were all about sharing plates and open kitchens, this Grays Inn Road restaurant was properly old school from day one - reintroducing Londoners to the joy of Gueridon service with dishes like the steak tartare prepared tableside. But really, there’s only one dish to order at Otto’s - the Canard Presse which is one duck for two guests over three courses of sheer theatricality (note that you have to order it in advance).
Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester
The Dorchester, Park Lane, London W1K 1QA
One of just a handful of three Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, Alain Ducasse opened this restaurant at The Dorchester back in 2007. Executive Chef Jean-Philippe Blondet picks the best French and British produce and then gives it his interpretation of the Ducasse treatment so Cornish turbot comes with Kalibos cabbage, walnut, watercress, sea urchin and - wait for it - plankton emulsion.
Club Gascon
57 West Smithfield, London EC1A 9DS
Over 25 years ago, Club Gascon caused a storm when it arrived on the London scene with chef Pascal Aussignac focusing on the delights of Toulouse cuisine and, in particular, duck and foie gras. But while the ingredients may be trad, Aussignac’s treatment of them is anything but, as anyone who has tried any of his many winning Taste of London dishes will know. So yes, there’s still foie gras on the menu but it’s served as a brulee with mandarin and cocoa dust. And - in keeping with modern tastes - there’s now a vegan version of it now too.
La Dame de Pic
Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square, 10 Trinity Square, London EC3N 4AJ
Much loved by Michelin, this is top French chef Anne-Sophie Pic’s first UK restaurant, one of two in the Four Seasons Trinity Square by the Tower of London. This is high-end French cooking applied to a plethora of ingredients from around the world - so you might find hand-dived Orkney scallops cured with nori and kombu or a white millefeuille with Tahitian vanilla, jasmine jelly and a voatsiperifery pepper cloud.
L'Escargot
48 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 4EF
First opened in Soho in 1896 by M. Georges Gaudin, the restaurant moved further up Greek Street in 1927 and was renamed after its best-loved dish. Perhaps its most famous period was in the eighties when it was taken over by Nick Lander and Jancis Robinson (their son Will now runs the Quality Chophouse among others) and the dining room was run by the iconic GM Elena Salvoni. After a few years finding its feet in a modern dining scene (including a protracted period of closure when fans feared for its future) it’s now firmly back, firing on all cylinders as one of Soho’s most iconic restaurants.
Galvin La Chapelle
35 Spital Square, London E1 6DY
Set within the former 19th century Central Foundation School for Girls, the Galvin Brothers really went for the wow factor with their Spitalfields restaurant. Cleverly built within the framework of the old building (but not touching it) this fine French restaurant is this year celebrating its 15th anniversary with what they're billing as a major transformation. Chef Patron Jeff Galvin and Head Chef Arturo Granato give what they call a "light modern gloss" to traditional French cuisine.
Gauthier Soho
48 Greek St, Soho, London W1D 4EF
Alexis Gauthier's Georgian townhouse in Soho is one of the few places in London offering a fine-dining vegan menu. With twenty-five years experience in classical French cuisine under his belt, Alexis serves up two fully vegan tasting menus here, showcasing just what can be achieved with a plant-based offering.
Hélène Darroze at The Connaught
The Connaught, Carlos Place, Mayfair, London W1K 2AL
You’re left in no doubt that excellent produce is at the heart of this Michelin-starred restaurant at The Connaught where chef Hélène Darroze sets out her stall as 'cooking from the heart'. That passion is what made this one of London's rare three Michelin-starred spots. Recent redesigns have included a glamorous chef's table experience which thrilled Dua Lipa when she visited with Vogue.
Orrery
55 Marylebone High St, Marylebone, London W1U 5RB
Perched high above Marylebone High Street, this restaurant first opened its doors in the converted stable block back in 1997 complete with an epicierie on the ground floor. Here was where you could spend a long boozy lunch, particularly as no one could see you on their terrace from street level. Now chef/patron Igor Tymchyschyn turns out modern dishes alongside French classics like Tornedos Rossini. Make sure to try the award-winning cheese trolley.
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