The French House
The French House on Dean Street is one of those Soho pubs that is always rammed. While people spill out the doors and onto the street, pints in hand, the upstairs restaurant is a much more bohemian bistro affair. With a tiny dining room that barely manages 20 covers, the seclusion from the racket outside is a welcome one, though don't expect it to be a clinical affair: the wait staff (one server and one barman) were brilliant, quick with a smile and the menus. I have so far visited a few of the London pubs that make it onto the annual 50 Best Gastropubs list, and I have found these to vary in quality. None have as of yet blown me away (although The Bull and Last in Hampstead remains a firm favourite), but The French House is the first to do just that. I enjoyed my experience so much that it has knocked a Michelin star restaurant from my London Top 10 list. Time to get serious!
Interestingly, The French House did not make it onto the 2024 50 Best Gastropubs list, and I consider this a horrendous omission. With a regularly changing menu, a good wine list (first red listed is a 2020 Côtes du Rhône at 14.5% - lovely stuff), and specials chalked up on the board, the French bistro fare is somewhat reminiscent of the nose-to-tail style that St. JOHN has become famous for...only better!
I started off with confit garlic, goat's curd and sourdough. A delicious starter, the whispy goat's curd, parsley and oil were a match made in heaven with the onions and garlic. Perfection.
I then had the skate wing (shown top) with creamed spinach, lemon, capers, and brown butter. A very capable main, the fish cooked perfectly, the slight crumb and capers giving the soft fish a nice bite.
My meal had so far been so good that I didn't want it to end. As such, I ordered a Paris Brest with hot chocolate sauce for dessert. A most enjoyable dessert, though not comparable to the Paris Brest offered by Héléne Darroze at The Connaught. This Paris Brest was good; that Paris Brest is intersteller.
That being said, there wasn't a bad course among the three, and this has easily been the most delightful meal that I've had since Bali in 2023 (and longer in London). If you are after a gastropub experience in the heart of London, one that serves really good food, then look no further.
Value for money? £65 for a glass of red, three courses, still water, and service charge. It is expensive but it's broke my Top 10, so I would say so. And the small dining room really adds to the feel of having your own private experience.
Would I return? This is my go-to in Central for the foreseeable.
