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$$$$ | Mayfair |
One of only three three-Michelin-starred restaurants in the city, Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester achieves the pinnacle of classical French haute cuisine in a surprisingly fun, lively, and unstuffy salon. Diners feast on a blizzard of beautifully choreographed dishes, including classic rum baba with Chantilly cream, sliced open and served in a silver domed tureen. Slick service is off-the-scale outstanding, while the sommelier is a brilliantly charming expert on all things vino.
53 Park La., London, Greater London, W1K 1QA, England
020-7629--8866-for reservations only
Known For
- Impeccable five-star service
- Surprisingly unstarchy vibe
- Signature sautéed lobster with chicken quenelles
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
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$$$ | Covent Garden |
British restaurateur Keith McNally re-creates his famed New York–Parisian–style brasserie at this bustling corner spot off Covent Garden Piazza. The soaring grand café setting creates an enchanting white-tablecloth backdrop to enjoy the classic French brasserie menu, including dishes like duck and beef pie, moules marinière (mussels with cream and white wine), and ox cheek bourguignon (stew). Treat yourself to rock oysters and champagne while perusing the nearly all-French wine list, which carries everything from Chablis to Charmes-Chambertin, before polishing off a pile of profiteroles and chocolate sauce for dessert.
4–7 Russell St., London, Greater London, WC2B 5HZ, England
Known For
- Parisian-style grand café setting
- Handy prix fixe, weekend brunch, children's, and afternoon tea menus
- Vegan and vegetarian options
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$ | Piccadilly Circus |
Enjoy the great value, prix-fixe menus of classic French dishes at Piccadilly's ever-bustling subterranean Parisian-style brasserie. Dripping with Beaux-Arts gilt mirrors and monumental marble pillars, you can enjoy satisfying French standards like steak haché, choucroute, Niçoise salad, and crème brûleé. Old-school waiters in dapper black uniforms glide across the vast parquet dining room floor, while the attached art deco-style Bar Américain cocktail lounge and late-night live cabaret provide wonderfully suave post-dinner shows.
20 Sherwood St., London, Greater London, W1F 7ED, England
Known For
- London's most spectacular Beaux-Arts brasserie
- Fantastically cheap set-meal deals
- Nightly live music, cabaret, comedy, and burlesque
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$ | Fitzrovia |
Flavorful, inventive dishes elevate this hipster casual joint to the top rank of London's midrange gastro titans. With a focus on in-house curing, pickling, smoked meats, and heritage vegetables, expect a cavalcade of unlikely combinations and classic gastronomy specialties. The food is modern European, but with influences drawn from around the world—their beautifully delicate Cornish plaice with bok choy, trout roe, and Tosazu butter are a prime example.
5 Clipstone St., London, Greater London, W1W 6BB, England
Known For
- Fine dining without the fuss
- Lots of homemade, pickled, fermented, or cured extras
- Good-value set lunches
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$$$$ | Covent Garden |
Ask for a table in the dreamy, white blossom–filled conservatory at this warm, cozy, and seriously romantic Provençal country-style inn off Covent Garden. Once inside, you'll be won over by the old-fashioned but refined French cuisine. Options include Loire Valley rabbit ballotine, poached wild turbot, and Charolais beef cheeks with fine French beans. Lunch specials and pre-and post-theater prix fixe menus are an affordable way to experience the cuisine and celebratory atmosphere. With its warren of candlelit, oak-paneled rooms and open fires, Clos Maggiore never fails to enchant.
33 King St., London, Greater London, WC2E 8JD, England
Known For
- Regularly voted one of London's most romantic restaurants
- Warren of blossom-filled conservatories and candle-lit hideaways
- Lunch and pre- and post-theater meal deals
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$$ | Soho |
Fans of top French food and fine wine flock to this gorgeous wood-paneled Georgian town house for masterful dishes like roast chicken with morel mushrooms and creamy vin jaune sauce alongside a marvelous 28-page French-focused wine list. Dark oak floors, soft brass lights, and cut-crystal glass decanters help guests bliss out on one of London's finest and surprisingly most accessible wine lists, with numerous rare gems available by the glass.
2 Greek St., London, Greater London, W1D 4NB, England
Known For
- Incredible French-heavy wine list
- Highly convivial and boisterous atmosphere
- Bargain £18 two-course set lunches
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Notting Hill |
The ultimate neighborhood restaurant in west London's wealthy Holland Park section draws diners with its brilliant-but-understated French and Mediterranean classics, relaxed service, and interesting, mainly French wines. Treat yourself to bouillabaisse Provençale or ox cheek bourguignon with button mushrooms and pearl onions. With only 36 seats and a teeny bar, this is an intimate affair, which is highlighted by the white paper tablecloths and bentwood chairs. Service is friendly but not overly familiar, while wines are grower, boutique, or biodynamic. Traditional roasts served on Sundays.
6 Portland Rd., London, Greater London, W11 4LA, England
Known For
- Good value three-course set menu running Monday to Saturday
- Unpretentious but pitch-perfect service
- Winning boutique wine list
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$$$ | Soho |
Striking black-and-white photos of legendary regulars like artists Francis Bacon and Lucian Freud beam down at this disarmingly charming old-school hangout that was the former unofficial London headquarters for the Free French in exile during World War II. Set on the first floor of the famous pub of the same name and run by a former cabaret artist, you can sip Ricard pastis or bargains from the all-French wine list before embracing superb French bistro classics like salt cod beignets, calves brain with brown butter, or braised navarin of lamb with cheesy aligot mashed potato.
49 Dean St., London, Greater London, W1D 5BG, England
Known For
- Storied home to Soho's artists, writers, and bohemians
- French bistro classics like whole roast garlic bulb on toast
- No music, no phones, and no laptops policy
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No dinner Sat., Reservations essential
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$$ | Soho |
French tapas may sound sacrilegious, but Gallic gem Blanchette hits the spot at this family-run hipster bistro where jazzy French sounds complement the charming bare-brick and oak table candlelit interior. Visually feast on the eclectic Paris flea market bric-a-brac and then order a host of smaller plates to share, like the crispy frogs' legs and truffle saucisson (sausage) or baked scallops with Café de Paris sauce. The cramped tables can be a touch intimate, but desserts like chocolate tart, tonka bean syrup, and macerated cherries are a fitting Left Bank finale.
9 D'Arblay St., London, Greater London, W1F 8DR, England
Known For
- Unusual French tapas-style dishes and shared plates
- Cool Soho crowd with romantic, jazzy soundtrack
- Roasted wild sea bass with sea herbs and langoustine butter
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential, Closed Sun.
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$$ | St. James's |
Tucked away down a pedestrianized back street, this casual French bistro is a favorite haunt for politicians based in and around the nearby Palace of Westminster. Open all day, one can only imagine the political intrigues being discussed over Gallic classics such as coq au vin or snails in garlic butter, all washed down with wines from the surprisingly extensive list.
22 Palmer St., London, Greater London, SW1H 0PH, England
Known For
- Large outdoor terrace
- Wine available by the carafe
- Good value for this touristy area
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$$$ | Chelsea |
The kind of smooth-running, welcoming all-day brasserie that is difficult to find in Paris these days, Colbert offers well-prepared bistro favorites like croque monsieur, escargot, and steak haché, along with bigger plates like pan-roasted sea trout with samphire and seaweed and cider-braised pork cheeks. The service is professional but friendly and the atmosphere is stylish but comfortable. Although a neighborhood favorite, it's a swanky neighborhood which is reflected in the prices, but a prix-fixe menu (two courses fir £24.75 and three courses for £29.95) offers good value.
50–52 Sloane Sq., London, Greater London, SW1W 8AX, England
Known For
- Good value prix-fixe menus
- Tasty all-day brasserie food
- Buzzy bar
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$$$$ | Covent Garden |
With three popular restaurants in Paris, star French chef Grégory Marchand brings his highly colorful and daring dishes to London at this sleek eatery not far from the historic Covent Garden Piazza. Everyone loves the effortlessly ebullient offerings like stone bass, bisque, and borlotti beans or Welsh lamb with sweet corn three ways, all served in a bustling and modern brasserie setting.
16 Henrietta St., London, Greater London, WC2E 8QH, England
Known For
- Eclectic French dishes like duck foie gras pressé with sour black cherries and elderflower
- Top puddings like lemon curd, olive shortbread, and rosemary ice cream
- Adventurous wine list stacked with small, artisan, and eco-friendly producers
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon. and Tues., Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Mayfair |
The city's wealthy flock to French virtuoso Hélène Darroze's restaurant at The Connaught for her dazzling regional French haute cuisine, served up in a stylish Edwardian wood-paneled dining salon. Taking inspiration from the Les Landes region in southwestern France, Darroze sallies forth with a procession of magnificent dishes like lobster with carrot, coriander, and tandoori spices. A beautiful venison Wellington is served with hispi cabbage and quince.
Carlos Pl., London, Greater London, W1K 2AL, England
020-3147–7200-for reservations only
Known For
- Sumptuous dining salon
- Classy French haute dishes
- Relatively affordable three-course set lunch
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon., Reservations essential, Jacket required
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$$$$ | Mayfair |
With the legend Tous Célèbres Ici ("All Famous Here") boldly etched on the front doors, the delightful LPM boasts an impressively well-sourced and balanced French Mediterranean, Ligurian, and Provençal menu based on the relaxed Riviera style of the original La Petite Maison in Nice. Try the soft Burrata cheese with a sweet Datterini tomato–and–basil spread or aromatic baked turbot with artichokes, chorizo, five spices, and white wine sauce. Dishes come to the table as soon as they're ready, and the très jolie and informal waitstaff make for a convivial rosé party vibe.
53–54 Brook's Mews, London, Greater London, W1K 4EG, England
Known For
- Light French Riviera–inspired dining
- Excellent selection of rosé wines
- Whole roast black leg chicken
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations essential
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$$$ | Bermondsey |
This long-standing favorite specializes in French haute cuisine done right, with an emphasis on luxurious dishes like caviar, oysters, lobster, and Dover sole (served meunière) along with bistro classics like rabbit with mustard and steak frites. Standards, like the prices, remain high, and the swanky dining room takes inspiration from the art deco liner SS Normandie. Weather permitting, grab a table on the terrace to make the most of the wonderful views of the Thames, Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London. A weekday lunch/early-bird dinner set menu (two courses for £30; three courses for £35) lets you sample this expense-account favorite with minimal damage to your wallet.
36D Shad Thames, London, Greater London, SE1 2YE, England
Known For
- Stunning views of Tower Bridge and the Thames
- Outside terrace dining in nice weather
- Destination and celebration meals
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations essential
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$$$$ | Marylebone |
Dazzling classic French dishes mark out Les 110 de Taillevent as the city's top French brasserie de luxe. Housed in a chic former Coutts bank on Cavendish Square, diners and oenophiles delight in the exquisite cuisine and accompanying master list of 110 fine wines by the glass. Indulge from Château Latour to rarely seen Rieslings, and be sure to pair wisely with the restaurant's flawless desserts.
16 Cavendish Sq., London, Greater London, W1G 9DD, England
Known For
- Soaring traditional dining salon
- Brilliant list of paired fine wines by the glass
- Haunt for wine experts and merchants
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$ | Marylebone | French
Bringing the outside in, this café and restaurant is in the Wallace Collection's glass-roofed courtyard. It's open (daily 10–4:30) for breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea, and for dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings (last seating is at 9:30 pm). The menu includes lamb rump, pan-roasted lemon sole, and other tasty offerings. If you don't want to strain your budget too much, you can just linger over coffee in the gorgeous surroundings.
The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Sq., London, Greater London, W1U 3BN, England