4 Best French Restaurants in London (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

By Thorne Savarin, Culinary Explorer · ✓ Data verified August 2026 · 8 min read

Central London is not short on places that call themselves French, but these French restaurants in London have racked up over 20,000 Google reviews between them, and the ratings run from a solid 4.4 to a near-perfect 4.8. That spread matters more than any menu description: it is the difference between a brasserie built for a pre-theatre crowd and a candlelit room booked out for anniversaries weeks in advance.

Short answer: Riviera on St James's Street holds the highest rating of the group at 4.8 stars across 5,120 reviews, while Brasserie Zedel near Piccadilly Circus is the most reviewed by far, with 10,131 ratings at 4.5 stars. Expect a set lunch menu from around £16.95 at the more affordable end and upwards of £100 a head for a full tasting menu at the top.

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1. Brasserie Zedel
2. Riviera
3. Chez Antoinette Victor…
4. Clos Maggiore
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How London's French Restaurants Compare

#	Business	Rating	Reviews	Best for
1	Brasserie Zedel	4.5 ★	10,131	Pre-theatre / value	View ›
2	Riviera	4.8 ★	5,120	Modern French / date night	View ›
3	Chez Antoinette Victoria	4.7 ★	2,035	Breakfast & brunch	View ›
4	Clos Maggiore	4.4 ★	3,038	Romantic occasions	View ›

4 Best French Restaurants in London (2026)

Our top picks, reviewed

#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Brasserie Zedel

4.510,131 Google reviews

Brasserie Zedel occupies a grand Art Deco basement just off Piccadilly Circus, styled after the Parisian brasseries of the 1930s. Alongside the main dining room it runs ZL Cafe for casual all-day plates, the Bar Americain for cocktails, and Crazy Coqs for live cabaret, all under one roof. The kitchen leans on brasserie staples like steak hache, beef bourguignon and escargot, with a fixed-price menu built for a fast pre-show dinner.

What people praise

Prix fixe menu from £16.95 draws praise as strong value for central London
Live piano and house bands most evenings add real atmosphere
Staff described as attentive without being intrusive
Handles a large pre-theatre crowd without feeling rushed

Worth knowing

Fixed menu choices are limited compared to an a la carte spot
Tables can be close together when the room fills up before a show

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.5 / 5

Review volume10,131 · 97th

Confidencevery high

Recency5 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown65% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The most-reviewed French kitchen on this list and the easiest recommendation for a reliable, well-priced meal before a West End show. Book ahead if you want a table before curtain.

Website +442077344888 Directions

20 Sherwood St, London W1F 7ED

#2🕑 Open 7 days

Riviera

4.85,120 Google reviews

Riviera on St James's Street brings a Cote d'Azur take on French dining, pairing a Mediterranean-leaning menu with a curated wine list and an art-filled dining room. It is one of a small group of sister restaurants under the same ownership, each running a different cuisine. Live artists and a lounge atmosphere position it more for an evening out than a quick lunch.

What people praise

Highest rating on this list at 4.8 stars
Reviewers repeatedly praise individual servers by name for attentive, warm service
Elegant, art-filled dining room suited to celebrations
Cocktail programme called out alongside the food

Worth knowing

A handful of reviews describe uneven experiences on busier nights
Set dinner pricing runs toward the premium end at £50 to £100+ per person

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.8 / 5

Review volume5,120 · 87th

Confidencevery high

Recency8 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown87% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Rated higher than anywhere else on this list, and the room and service consistently draw the strongest praise. Good for an occasion rather than a casual weeknight dinner.

Website +447846869440 Directions

23 St James's St, London SW1A 1HA

#3🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Chez Antoinette Victoria

4.72,035 Google reviews

Chez Antoinette Victoria is a Parisian-cafe-styled all-day spot near Victoria Station and St James's Park, part of a small local group of Chez Antoinette locations. The menu covers breakfast through dinner, from croissants and croque madame in the morning to French onion soup, bavette and escargot later in the day, alongside an aperitif and wine list. The space is designed to feel informal, closer to a Lyon riverside cafe than a formal dining room.

What people praise

Wide hours cover breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner in one spot
Reviewers highlight the baked camembert and pastry counter specifically
Warm, personal service, with staff frequently thanked by name
Reasonable pricing at £10 to £30 per person for breakfast or lunch

Worth knowing

Smaller review base than the top two on this list
Tucked behind Victoria Street, easy to walk past if you don't know to look for it

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.7 / 5

Review volume2,035 · 66th

Confidencevery high

Recency4 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown79% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The most flexible choice here if you want French food outside a fixed dinner slot, from morning coffee through to a full evening meal. Reviewers consistently rate the service as a highlight.

Website +442039905377 Directions

22 Palmer St, London SW1H 0PH

#4🕑 Open 7 days

Clos Maggiore

4.43,038 Google reviews

Clos Maggiore in Covent Garden is known for its blossom-covered conservatory, a year-round dining room that shifts from an al fresco feel in summer to a warm, glowing space in winter. It holds Three Rosette Awards and has been called one of the most romantic restaurants in the world by Architectural Digest. The menu runs a seasonal French tasting format alongside a set lunch and dinner menu, with a strong wine list overseen by an in-house sommelier team.

What people praise

Conservatory dining room is repeatedly singled out as the most striking setting on this list
Set menu from £29 with a glass of Champagne offers a lower-cost way in
Sommelier team praised for attentive, knowledgeable wine pairing
Well suited to anniversaries and other milestone bookings

Worth knowing

Lowest rating on this list at 4.4, with some reviewers citing rushed table turnover on busy nights
A la carte and tasting menu pricing can run well past £100 per person

Reputation scorecardrank in London

Rating4.4 / 5

Review volume3,038 · 82th

Confidencevery high

Recency4 weeks ago

Info completenesssite · phone · hours

Rating breakdown74% 5-star

✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The setting is the draw here, and most reviewers rate it as the most memorable room among the ones here. It ranks fourth on this list mainly on service consistency, not the food itself, so it pays to book a table with time to enjoy it rather than a tight pre-theatre slot.

Website +442045801174 Directions

33 King St, London WC2E 8JD

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Watch: 4 Best French Restaurants in London (2026)

How we score

Every number on this page comes from public Google data on the date shown, not from opinion or payment. Rating is the restaurant’s live Google star average. Review volume is how many diners have rated them, ranked against the other French restaurants on this page. Confidence weighs the rating by that volume, so a 4.5 from over 10,000 diners carries more weight than a 5.0 from a few dozen. Recency reflects how recently people are still leaving reviews. No business can pay to change these numbers.

How much does a meal cost at a French restaurant in London? (2026)

Pricing at these restaurants varies a lot depending on the meal and the menu format. Here is what diners report paying, based on the price-per-person data shared in their own reviews:

Job	Typical price
Set lunch / fixed menu	£16.95-£30
Breakfast or brunch	£10-£30 per person
A la carte dinner	£50-£100 per person
Tasting menu with wine pairing	£90-£100+ per person

Ranges compiled August 2026 from price-per-person figures reported directly in diners’ own Google reviews for the restaurants on this page. Menu prices change seasonally, so confirm current pricing on each restaurant’s own site before booking.

Serving central London

These French restaurants cluster around central London, from Piccadilly and St James’s to Victoria and Covent Garden, all within easy reach of the West End theatre district. Searching for a French restaurant near me? Every listing below shows a live phone number and address so you can check availability and book direct.

What to ask before you book a French restaurant

Is the set menu available at both lunch and dinner, or only at certain times?
Do you take reservations, and how far ahead should I book for a weekend evening?
Is there a dress code or minimum spend for certain tables?
Can the kitchen accommodate vegetarian or allergy requests on a fixed menu?
Is there a time limit on the table for a busy service?

Frequently asked questions

How did you choose these French restaurants?

We started from French restaurants in London with a public Google presence, then ranked by rating, review volume, consistency, and recency. See How we score above.

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from the public Google data in the scorecard. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner, which adds a badge and top placement, but that never changes another business’s score or position on the underlying data.

How often is this updated?

The data carries a verified date (August 2026 on this page). We refresh listings periodically so ratings and review counts stay current.

Which of these restaurants is best for a special occasion?

Clos Maggiore’s conservatory dining room and Riviera’s art-filled space are the two most often mentioned by reviewers for anniversaries and celebrations. Both benefit from booking well ahead.

Do any of these restaurants offer a good-value set menu?

Brasserie Zedel’s prix fixe from £16.95 and Clos Maggiore’s set menu from £29 with a glass of Champagne are the most affordable fixed-price options on this list.

The bottom line

Brasserie Zedel is the safest default for a well-priced, reliably good meal, especially before a show, while Riviera carries the strongest ratings for a proper night out. Whichever you pick, book ahead, since they regularly fill up on weekend evenings.

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