by Krista Madden.
Regularly voted Best French Restaurant in London by critics and diners alike, L’Escargot is one of the oldest restaurants in the capital and is a bit of a landmark. It opened in the giddy days of the 1920’s in a 200 year old town house, the former home of the Duke of Portland in the heart of Soho, and has been there ever since. Apart from having been a feature of London dining life for nearly a century, L’Escargot is as famous today for its bourgois food as it was when it opened, and i’s snails are still a much talked about French staple on the menu – no doubt they have been sampled by the likes of Coco Chanel, Mick Jagger and Judy Dench who’ve all dined there.
Alongside the traditional French menu which includes the likes of ham hock terrine, cassoulet and creme brulee, L’Escargot has introduced a new Summer all-day menu with lighter options for those wanting something slightly less filling and more appropriate for the warmer weather. I was lucky enough to sample this menu for lunch and was really impressed by how light this food was, I was after all dining in a traditional French restaurant. We started with the most delicious fresh crab and chilli salad, which was one of my favourite dishes, lots of fresh mint and lemongrass with just a hint enough of chilli to give it some heat. Followed by salt beef in a delicate light broth and crisp seasonal vegetables. A yummy Tarte au citron was naturally the best dessert to end this lovely lunch.
L’Escargot is a dining experience not to be missed if you love all things Gallic and it’s also one of the few restaurants that positively encourage you to take your dog – a huge and rare bonus for dog lovers in London. More recently the upstairs rooms at L’Escargot have been turned into a rather special members club, elite and super fun with themed nights, including show tunes on a Wednesday night. What more could you want in Soho?! It’s the place to be for me.
To book a table at L’Escargot call 020 7439 7474 or email info@lescargotrestaurant.co.uk.
L’Escargot, 48 Greek Street, London W1D 4EF.