From Soho to Knightsbridge

Saturday, March 08th , 2025

The French House (pictured) is a tiny Soho institution with a considerable history, and in recent times, it has developed a strong reputation for its daily changing menu of robust, hearty dishes. I really enjoyed my meal here, and the kitchen is clearly operating at a high level, with especially good confit duck with lentils. Michelin’s spurning of it adds to the sense of The French House as something of a hidden gem.

Vatavaran is an ambitious Indian restaurant in Knightsbridge, spread over several floors and serving generally quite impressive dishes that go beyond the curry house staples. This is a smartly decorated place with slick service, and the prices reflect this, but the cooking is of good quality, as shown by some excellent tandoori lamb chops and a particularly good biryani.