French

• Test Driving La Petite Maison - a slice of Nice in Mayfair

  

  London's La Petite Maison is the group's flagship restaurant. As it reopens, with a new oyster bar, we take a look to see why it's still pulling in the crowds.

• Maison Francois is a new brasserie for St James, taking the old Greens site

  Taking the former address of Greens, Maison Francois will be a brasserie and wine bar, featuring a finalist of Masterchef: The Professionals as chef. 

• Le Relais De Venise launch a delivery steak & chips sarnie called La Baguette

  

  When you've made your name by sticking to a tried and tested formula, it would take something pretty momentous to change that. But that's a pandemic for you.

  For 60 years, Le Relais de Venise has really been a one-dish restaurant. They serve up a simple menu of salad, steak and frites and dessert. And that's it.

  But these are trying times we're in and so the company have decided to bring in La Baguette. As the name suggests,

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• Patron are launching their Maison Patron delivery service

  

  Poor old Patron barely got a chance to open its second restaurant in Highbury before the shutters came down for lockdown. So we're pleased they've managed to sort out a new home delivery service at both their original Kentish Town restaurant and the new Highbury location.

  The Maison Patron menu does sound

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• The Patate comes to Kentish Town with their beef bourguignon in a bun

  

  They've been serving up their beef bourguignon buns across town and now The Patate are about to settle down with their first permanent restaurant in Kentish Town. 

• Patron Cave à Manger are bringing their Parisian brasserie to Blackstock Road

  Popular Kentish Town brasserie Patron is expanding - they've picked Blackstock Road for their second site, serving up all manner of classic French wine and dishes.

• Test Driving Le Comptoir Robuchon - the legacy of Joel Robuchon lives on in Mayfair

  Le Comptoir Robuchon in Mayfair aims to keep the legacy of Joel Robuchon alive. We head down to try it out (and their amazing pureed potato). 

• First look: Hélène Darroze at The Connaught reopens after 10th birthday makeover

  

  Two months after closing for a major refurbishment to coincide with the restaurant's 10th birthday, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught has now reopened with quite the new look.

  Hot Dinners popped down for a preview dinner at the weekend to check out the work of Parisian design team Pierre Yovanovitch Architecture d’Intérieur and to try out Helene's new menu for the restaurant.

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• Harrods brings in top French pastry chefs for a summer afternoon tea residency series

  

  22/7/19 update, unfortunately, the residencies have been cancelled. 

  Sweet-toothed fans of afternoon tea will want to make a beeline for Harrods this summer. The Knightsbridge department store has enticed four of the best French pâtisserie chefs – Pierre Hermé, Angelo Musa, Cédric Grolet and Yann Couvreur - to put on residencies in their tea rooms.

  The series, which runs from July through to

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• Test Driving Bob Bob Cite - a shiny City palace of fine wines and 'country' French cooking

  

  The much-anticipated sequel to Bob Bob Ricard has opened in the City with Eric Chavot at the helm. We went to see how the millions have been spent.

• Les Platanes on Bruton Place will be chef Thierry Laborde's French Bistrot de Luxe

  French chef Thierry Laborde is back in London and this time he's bringing a taste of southern France to cobbled Bruton Place.

• Wild Honey St James sees the restaurant relocating from Mayfair to Pall Mall

  

  It's always lovely being the bearer of glad tidings, and for anyone who was a fan of Mayfair restaurant Wild Honey, this is very good news.

• 104 in Notting Hill is Richard Wilkins' miniature fine dining restaurant

   

  Chef Richard Wilkins has moved into West London to open his solo venture, serving up a modern French fine dining menu.

• Test Driving Pied a Terre - classic Michelin-star dining keeping it fresh in Fitzrovia

  

  For almost three decades this French restaurant has been looking after folk on Charlotte Street. We went to see why Pied a Terre has stood the test of time.

• Test Driving The French House in Soho with Neil Borthwick in command

   

  Neil Borthwick has taken over the kitchen at The French House and is getting rave reviews. We popped down to check out the menu.