NOT SPONSORED
Tucked behind The Ritz and Fortnum & Mason, Maison Francois is a piece of France nuzzled into the London West End scene. The food, like the extensive menu, is quintessentially French and uses the best ingredients in one of the best London locations to keep Londoners happy. Very few people know of its existence either, making this a new find for most casual city diners.
The restaurant opens into an Art Deco floor with woodwork booths and sectioning to give privacy to diners. There’s a huge pewter clock above the passe to the kitchen and the high ceilings makes it easy to talk at any of the tables. The menu is written all in French but the staff are happy to help with any of the items especially the specials and the bar is well stocked, again with specials available to everyone.
Maison Francois is famous for their patisseries but before we get to that stage, the menu is worth talking about. There is a huge choice and everything that you can imagine is French is on there, including some things that aren’t such as types of pasta and breakfast items. The steaks and duck pasta (reginette, ragoût de canard, olives vertes) are particularly good. We also sampled some of the wines which are on show in a huge cabinet behind the waiter’s station. The desserts are also on show, but in the old-fashioned tradition of a dessert trolley. The glass dome shows off the hand crafted cakes and drawers underneath hold even more delights such as macarons and bark.
Downstairs there’s a breakfast bar which turns into a wine bar after 3pm. Again, the theme of open plan works well here as you descend downstairs and see the deli items on show. No reservations are needed here but as it’s downstairs, you can easily hide away or take time out before returning to shopping.
The atmosphere is professional yet low-key with a high level of service but a familiarity of the restaurant and friendly staff. The attentive nature of a French restaurant means you are well catered for, service is quick and the food is top level.
Pros
Huge choice of French cuisine
Excellent desserts and a range of cakes
Service was friendly and efficient
Cons
The menu is entirely in French so you might need a translation from staff
Can be pricy, reflecting on the quality of the food
The Review Studio 