France has given us so many great eats, croissants and baguettes, croque monsieur, or madame, there’s boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin. The list is limitless, as is London’s love of the food from our neighbouring country.

French cookery is simple yet decadent, nouveau but classic, which is often the reason why so many chefs train in the cuisine when they start out.

Luckily for us, this abundance of inspiration means a whole host of places to dine out, where you can enjoy a meal filled with joie de vivre. These are the best French restaurants in London…

Cépages

An independent French bistro in Notting Hill, Cépages is all about fine wines served alongside French tapas with a twist.

The wine list exceeds the food by a few pages of A5, and even takes its name from the grape variety used to make a particular wine. Cépages’ focus is on wineries that promote the quality of their Terroir and work with the deepest respect for their vines, so you can guarantee the glasses and bottles here are exquisite. Treat yourself to a tipple you haven’t tried before.

Food is equally inspired, you’ll find escargots and calamari served with aioli in small plates, and larger dishes including the asparagus soufflé and reblochon fondue, and bavette steak.

Notting Hill, W2 | cépages.co.uk

Les 2 Garçons

This Michelin guide restaurant in North London’s Crouch End gained its Bib Gourmand through simple yet flavourful French classics. You can expect hearty French country food like the confit de canard topped with white haricot beans and mushrooms, steak frites, and tarte fine aux pommes.

Les 2 Garçons was born from a friendship and the shared passion for food between Robert Reid and Jean-Christophe Slowik. Both now living just down the road from their bistro de quartier, you soon feel right at home sharing a bottle of wine and some plates over the dining table with friends through the ambience the two restaurateurs have created.

Crouch End, N8 | les2garconsbistro.com

Bistrotheque

I love going out for dinner almost as much as I love the discothèque, both of which can be found in the East End’s Bistrotheque.

Upstairs is the 80-cover restaurant, and downstairs you’ll find a dinner-theatre experience, serving a performance alongside the same menu as the restaurant upstairs. So you can chow down as you’re entertained.

Enjoy a twice-baked soufflé, half a roast chicken with wild garlic cream, or skate wing served on grilled lemon, aioli, fennel, and bottarga.

Bethnal Green, E2 | bistrotheque.com

Le Petit Citron

The owners of Le Petit Citron holiday in Provence each year to bring a slice of the South West hills of France back to West London. (Note: how do I get my boss to agree to “research” like this?)

Whether you’re looking to taste a new take on a French classic or are searching for a £33 set menu before a show, Le Petit Citron has it all. Complete with pairs of seats facing out in front of the restaurant for dining Parisian-style.

The menu changes seasonally, with a specials list that is refreshed each day. You can expect highlights such as terrine, croquettes, and a decadent crème brûlée.

Hammersmith, W6 | lepetitcitron.co.uk

Pique-Nique

What screams French bistro louder than a menu on a blackboard? Dishes at Bermondsey’s Pique-Nique can be found printed on the portable board and are updated regularly.

The spot is picture-perfect as you watch families and friends dive in fork-first for French treats and make use of its conservatory dining.

Pique-Nique is a rôtisserie serving small plates, dishes to share, and homemade ice cream. Current menu highlights include a plate of tender scallops, earthy artichoke puréee, and a splash of Vin Jaune, a classic Chateaubriand, or the steamy bowl of mussels, leeks, and black garlic – obviously with freshly sliced baguette for dipping.

Bermondsey, SE1 | pique-nique.co.uk

Planque

Restaurant, cellar, and wine store based in East London, Planque has great taste. You can even become a member, joining its community of like-minded drinkers, whether seasoned collectors or the cellar-curious.

But the reason for its inclusion in this listing, the Planque menu. Trout rilletes, beef tartare and morels, and pink radicchio with sheep’s curd. It’s always interesting and ever-delicious.

And if you happen to find yourself dining post-dinner, or want a late-night snack, you can order a selection of cheese or desserts, including 24-month-aged Comté with bread or rhubarb and vanilla Île Flottante. How fantastique.

Haggerston, E8 | planque.co.uk

La Sacré Cœur

Bright blue shop front with table clothes to match, La Sacré Cœur in Islington is a bistro that feels like it landed straight off the Eurostar.

Traditional and quaint, it prides itself on being authentic and indulgent. With a larger menu than most of the locations on this list, La Sacré Cœur is here to give you a true French experience.

I’d recommend choosing the assortiment de hors-d’œuvre to start, because cheese, mustard, and bread feel like the right way to begin a French feast. And you can continue keeping it classic with the choice of mains – it has everything from a crêpe Florentine to moules marinières à la crème.

Islington, N1 | lesacrécoeurbistro.co.uk

Soif

Now for an eclectic take on French cookery, Soif is a cosy neighbourhood bistro and wine bar in Battersea.

The menu has hints of worldly influences thrown in – like the pork and pistachio terrine or the salad of burrata, petit violet artichoke, and rocket – but the menu is largely centred around French flavours that diners love.

Large plates on the menu are designed to be shared, such as the gnocchi Parisienne, the grilled pork chop with mustard greens, or the steamed hake. But none more made for sharing than the Soif special of a whole rôtisserie chicken, served with chips, aioli, and bitter leaf salad to feed 2 to 3 diners. It’s a special occasion kind of sharer. Birthdays, anniversaries, but I won’t blame you if you invent a special occasion just to order this.

Battersea, SW11 | soif.co

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