Guide to the best French restaurants in London

A recurring feature of conversations about the best French restaurants in the capital, Brasserie Zédel is a grand and glamorous Parisian eatery that offers a welcome break from the hubbub of London. The elegant venue includes a main dining space, a bar area and a Parisian café with an outdoor terrace. You can choose from a number of French-inspired menus featuring meals like lamb tagine and tarragon roasted chicken. Classic French wines are available by the glass, carafe or bottle.

Blessed by acclaimed French chef Alain Ducasse, the exquisite fine dining restaurant at The Dorchester hotel serves up three Michelin-starred French haute cuisine in luxurious surroundings. The team merges classic French techniques with seasonal British and French produce of the highest quality. Signature dishes include the “Sauté gourmand” of lobster, truffled chicken quenelles and homemade pasta. The extensive wine list evolves constantly.

Pied à Terre is a big name in fine dining; it has held a Michelin star longer than anywhere else in the UK. There's a real focus on sustainability here and the food is modern French cooking with international influences. Various menus are on offer, served in smart surroundings that look contemporary yet timeless. 

The London homebase of Alain Ducasse’s one-time protégé Hélène Darroze, her three Michelin-starred restaurant at The Connaught hotel is a work of art in itself. Specially commissioned pieces by controversial artist Damien Hirst are nestled among warm wooden hues, pinkish tinges and curved lines. The intimate dining experience is complemented by personally tailored menus. Booking well ahead is a necessity, of course.

Boasting a Michelin star for over a decade, Galvin La Chapelle is dedicated to serving the finest French cuisine. The elegant, high-ceilinged cathedral of food worship uses quality seasonal produce and techniques that are a part of French culinary heritage. A typical menu might include crab and scallop lasagne as a starter, roast beef fillet or coffee & Amalfi lemon risotto as a main, and an apple Tarte Tatin to top it off. The lengthy wine list is suitably impressive as well.

Imported from New York City, the Balthazar brasserie in Covent Garden serves French delicacies all day, including brunch classics such as eggs Benedict and pancakes, and bistro offerings such as escargots, steak tartare or confit duck leg. You can order various wines – French, obviously – and cocktails to sip on while you take in the luxurious bohemian setting, or nip to the raw bar for some choice caviar.

The French farm-to-table restaurants Cocotte offer healthy homemade rotisserie dishes. The chicken they serve is all free-range and sourced from the Loire Valley in France, and they make all of the sauces and marinades in-house as well. In addition to the usual staples, the weekend brunch menu also includes adventurous options like the sweet chilli-based chicken on freshly baked croissant waffles.

Transporting you to a quaint French village even faster than the Eurostar, the charming bistro-style eatery La Poule Au Pot is packed chock-full with baskets of dried flowers hanging from the ceiling and piles of curious knickknacks. Its maximalist ways continue with a menu serving up all the French specialties. Yes, there are snails. No, you don't have to try them.

Blanchette, named after the mother of the three brothers who run it, strives for the kind of welcoming, familiar vibe you might find at family gatherings. The warm space in Soho features exposed brick walls and an inventive menu. You can start your meal with an entrée such as steak tartare or perhaps the cheese and honey pairing, then progress to larger dishes such as grilled octopus or chicken ballotine. Lunch and pre-theatre menus are available as well.

Presiding over the proceedings at the iconic Michelin House building on Fulham Road, acclaimed chef Claude Bosi offers daring French cuisine in a historic Art Deco setting. His modern, two-Michelin starred cooking is available at lunch or dinner from the à la carte or one of two tasting menus, featuring dishes such as the signature Bibendum egg or Bosi's legendary double chocolate soufflé. You can also pay a visit to the oyster bar with fresh seafood platters and the cocktail bar downstairs.

With dainty red-and-white-chequered tablecloths, bottles of French wine and a hand-scrawled menu in French, all that’s missing is some Édith Piaf jams and a mime and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more Parisian spot on either side of the Channel. The food offer changes daily and might include things such as rib steak, fish soup with croutons, chicken fricassee or other French staples. Sit down at one of the tables outside, plop your shades on and pretend you just got off the Eurostar.

The rich history of L’Escargot in Soho goes back nearly a century and includes famous head chefs such as Marco Pierre White. The refined and timeless setting with chandeliers, plush leather seats and opulent decor lets you enjoy your meal in style. The menu features typical French cooking such as foie gras pâté, French onion soup and halibut with champagne sauce. Though the cuisine is classic, the food and restaurant have contemporary influences.

When it comes to French cuisine, vegetarians and vegans usually aren’t the target audience, but chef Alexis Gauthier shocked the fine dining world by making his Soho outpost entirely plant-based. Drawing on Gauthier’s 25 years of gastronomic experience, the townhouse restaurant specialises in seasonal, ethical food and contemporary French cooking, offering two different tasting menus of creative dishes and a changing, French-focused wine list.

A simple yet tasteful restaurant in Wandsworth, the Michelin-starred Chez Bruce has built a devout local following over the nearly three decades of its existence. Chef Bruce Poole’s first solo venture focuses on homemade charcuterie, slow cooking, warm and cold salads and an impressive cheese board, which is an integral part of life at the restaurant. The wine list is also quite extensive, with a number of rare vintages stocked in the cellar.

Medlar is a vibrant, hip eatery with vivid green banquettes and tendrils shooting up the walls into flowering decor. With dishes such as potato ravioli or English asparagus spicing up the menu, Medlar isn’t shy about its European influences, though the foundations are firmly French. You can order one-, two- or three-course lunch and dinner menus that include specialties like Cornish cod with petit pois à la française or roast rump of lamb with a confit onion, piquillo pepper, anchovy and thyme tart, tapenade and sweetbreads.

Infamous chef Gordon Ramsay's Chelsea flagship has held three Michelin stars for over twenty years, serving menus featuring beautifully-presented contemporary French dishes from seasonal British ingredients. Ramsay’s signature dishes such as lobster ravioli are present and accounted for, accompanied by current head chef Matt Abé’s own innovations. The decor is suitably elegant and restrained, giving off a private dining-room feel.

At Maison François, you can enjoy various dining options throughout the day, in the intimate atmosphere of the semi-private booths. Stop by in the morning for a breakfast croissant or an eggs Benedict, or come around later in the day for the heftier meat- or seafood-based mains off the decidedly French menu. One of the best restaurants in the UK according to the National Restaurant Awards, Maison François also offers a pre-theatre menu.

At Otto’s French Restaurant, you can order quintessentially French dishes off the à la carte menu, for example crisp frog legs with a side of escargot, but the real draw is the table-side preparation of the pressed duck, lobster or Anjou pigeon. Advance booking is required for these experiences, which are only available at limited times, so plan accordingly.

Mon Plaisir has been serving authentic French cuisine in Covent Garden since the 1940s, making it the oldest family-run restaurant in town. On the menu, you’ll find starters such as onion soup and snails, followed by traditional specialties such as duck confit, coq au vin and more. You can complement your meal with various vegetable sides and complete the bistro experience with a glass of fine French wine.

The Sinabro bistro next to Clapham Junction seats you behind the bar, letting you keep an eye on the culinary proceedings while the staff prep the three- or five-course set dinner menus. Rooted in French bistro dining and boldly enhanced with exotic influences, chef Yoann Chevet’s menu changes on a monthly basis and makes good use of seasonal ingredients. Some of the dishes that have made an appearance include veal-stuffed conchiglioni and rice pudding with pistachio, matcha and mango sorbet.

Restaurant 1890 by Gordon Ramsay, situated within the Savoy Hotel, pays tribute to the influential culinary figure Georges Auguste Escoffier. This intimate dining experience, accommodating up to 26 guests at a time, offers a unique blend of exceptional service and creative cuisine. The contemporary French tasting menu takes inspiration from Escoffier's 1890 Savoy dishes and showcases the finest ingredients sourced from various corners of the world. A meticulously curated wine list complements the menu, featuring a broad selection of bottles and Coravin wine by the glass.

Acclaimed chef Alex Dilling introduces his self-titled restaurant at Hotel Café Royal, providing a distinctive and intimate dining experience. Showcasing a modern approach to traditional French gastronomy, the restaurant offers a picturesque view of Regent Street, making it the perfect destination for those looking to indulge. The restaurant has a limited capacity of only 34 seats, making it a highly sought-after experience for food connoisseurs.

Bouchon Racine, a sought-after French bistro run by renowned chef Henry Harris, previously associated with Bibendum, Fifth Floor, Racine and other prestigious eateries, can be found upstairs at The Three Compasses pub in Farringdon. Apart from serving some of his signature dishes, the family-owned establishment presents daily menus prepared using conventional techniques and featuring seasonal produce. The food is complemented by a French-led wine list.

Female-owned restaurant Chez Elles is located in Brick Lane. This place is vibrant and quirky with warm and welcoming service. At this fun spot you can sample classic French cuisine, choosing from a menu that's concise but covers the essentials like French onion soup, mussels frites, and escargot. Beer, cocktails, coffee, and French wines are available.

Chez Antoinette is a classic French bistro that's vibrant yet tranquil. Food is served all day – expect modern versions of traditional recipes. Plenty of light options like charcuterie, salads, and tartines served either hot or cold are available here. Desserts, hot drinks, and wines from regions across France complete the experience.

Rustic restaurant Club Gascon holds one Michelin star and is a desirable place for exploring French haute cuisine. The interiors are charming but still sophisticated. A three course menu is served midweek but you can really indulge here with a six or eight course tasting menu. Expect high-end dishes accompanied by varied French wines.

Head to La Petite Auberge for French meals in Islington. This elegant bistro has chequered tablecloths, exposed brickwork, and pavement tables. The cuisine is classic French cooking, with set menus and an à la carte offering. Most of the wines are French but there are some options from other regions too.

Pétrus is a restaurant from Gordon Ramsay that holds one Michelin star. Tasting and à la carte menus of fine French food made with British ingredients are served, and private dining and intimate chef's table experiences are available here. The centrepiece of the space is a glass-walled wine room full of rare and valuable bottles. 

Celebrating the elegance of Southern France, Riviera introduces the flavours of the Côte d'Azur to Mayfair with a generous sprinkling of glamour. The restaurant is lavishly furnished, exuding opulence and luxuriousness in every aspect, from the interior decor to the decadent menu and meticulously chosen wine list. Anticipate relishing in lobster, scallops, king crab and other seafood sourced from the French Riviera, along with premium Champagne, all of which can be enjoyed indoors or outdoors on the terrace.

Opened in 2024 by acclaimed chef Claude Bosi, Joephine Bouchon in West London quickly attracted attention from diners and food critics like Jay Rayner. Inspired by the chef's childhood, the menu here focuses on unique dishes from Lyon as well as some familiar French classics. The spacious and welcoming venue has the look of a classic French bistro.

64 Goodge Street is a contemporary French bistro that showcases the delectable and approachable cuisine of skilled chef Stuart Andrew. Offering a unique "outsider's perspective" on French cooking, the menu showcases authentic renditions of beloved French classics such as escargots, rabbit Niçoise, and lobster vol-au-vent. Complementing the culinary offerings is an international wine selection with a focus on Burgundy's finest vintages.

Few settings compare to dining beneath cherry blossoms by a roaring log fire, which you can do at the intimate Clos Maggiore in Covent Garden. It even has an enchanting conservatory, often considered London's most romantic spot. The menus change seasonally but have consistently been recognised and awarded multiple AA-rosette awards. Enjoy contemporary French-inspired dishes crafted from seafood fresh from UK fishing boats, lamb from Wales and game from Windsor Royal Park. Even their poultry is sourced from a family-run smallholding in Lancashire, and organically grown fruit and vegetables are delivered fresh from Kent each morning.

This iconic French restaurant is known for its classic charm, attentive service, and unmissable green exterior. It serves traditional regional French dishes in a romantic space, setting the scene for a special evening out. The menu is filled with traditional French fare, including escargots and moules frites, with pre-and post-theatre dining options. There's also a selection of French wines available to complement the food.

Le Beaujolais is a historic French wine bar and restaurant with roots dating back to World War II and is a beloved hotspot of French culture in Covent Garden. The ground floor houses the city's oldest French wine bar, oozing rustic charm with its decor of hanging ties and tankards. There's a curated wine list highlighting the varieties of France's wine regions, along with a selection of small plates and mains.