Galvin Bistrot and Bar is a pub de luxe in Spitalfields, serving classic French bistro food alongside comforting gastropub fare, draught beers and a proudly French wine list. This site started life as Galvin HOP, but the new moniker ties Bistrot and Bar in with the Galvin brothers’ much-missed Marylebone restaurant, Galvin Bistrot De Luxe, which held a Michelin star for many years and was beloved as one of the best French restaurants in the capital.
The interior is a homage to that previous restaurant and French bistro culture in general, with its bentwood chairs, leather banquettes, blackboards, mirrors and wine posters. Tables are typically dressed with red chequered and white paper tablecloths, and there’s plenty of space to sit at the bar for a drink, or among the many tables throughout the restaurant.
Above the bar you’ll see large copper tanks which serve unpasteurised, fresh Pilsner Urquell for those who want to catch up with friends over a pint or three. Wine is also a prominent feature here - many of the bottles are sourced from small independent French producers, but Galvin Bistrot and Bar also has the same extensive wine list as you’ll find at Galvin La Chapelle, complete with a fascinating selection of rarities and great vintages.
The menu is packed full of classic bistro cooking, including charcuterie, olives, padron peppers and boquerones, as well as seared foie gras with scallops, grilled octopus with romesco and Bayonne ham with black fig and almonds.
If you’ve come here for some classic Galvin cooking, you’ll feel right at home with a great rib eye steak frites, Cornish plaice Grenobloise, or a famous Galvin tarte tatin with creme fraiche.