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Frenchie Covent Garden

French·
££££
·
Gold Award
·

SquareMeal Review of Frenchie Covent Garden

Gold Award

Gregory Marchand’s cool but smart London outpost has long been regarded as one of Covent Garden’s best. The area around the piazza can be a tricky place to find good, well-priced food but Frenchie is ever-reliable and delicious, with a menu built on a foundation of classic Anglo-French cooking.

Nantes-born Marchand was previously head chef at Fifteen, where Jamie Oliver gave him the nickname Frenchie. Today he operates a mini-empire on Rue du Nil in Paris, (a restaurant, wine bar, wine shop and Frenchie To Go), plus this smart London eatery which features bare bricks, marble tops and elegant lighting, as well as an open kitchen downstairs that’s great for private dining.

When you visit, don’t miss a handful of dishes that have been on the menu for many years, because they’re that good. Wolf down a bacon and maple syrup scone with clotted cream, then order another, because they're that good. The slow-cooked lamb ragu with pappardelle and Kalamata olives is another classic that never leaves the menu, the savoury richness balanced by a citrus hit of confit lemon.

After that, you can roam the eclectic billing – most things are rooted in classicism, but with little details that lift and enhance. Take a gorgeous, flaky tranche of turbot for example, where the cockle beurre blanc is straight from a textbook, but the yuzu puree comes flying in from the Far East, providing fruity acidity that elevates the whole dish. Accompanying wines are pitch-perfect, and a pair of desserts - a fabulous blood orange tartlet and an airy dome of deconstructed banoffee pie - show that there’s talent in the pastry kitchen too.

The restaurant was busy when we visited, on a Wednesday night no less - it seems Frenchie’s reputation as one of London’s most consistently excellent restaurants is alive and well.

Good to know

Average Price
££££ - £50 - £79
Cuisines
French
Ambience
Cool, Cosy, Glamorous, Lively, Romantic
Food Occasions
Dinner, Lunch
Alfresco And Views
Outside seating, Terrace
Special Features
Counter dining, Gluten-free options, Vegan options, Vegetarian options, Wheelchair access
Perfect for
Birthdays, Celeb spotting, Celebrations, Dates, Special occasions
Food Hygiene Rating

About

Frenchie Covent Garden is chef Gregory Marchand's London outpost - Marchand owns a number of 'Frenchie' businesses in Paris on the Rue du Nil that includes a wine bar, a restaurant, a wine shop and a takeaway grocery, and the Covent Garden restaurant mirrors the Paris restaurant, which itself has a Michelin star. Marchand was born in Nantes and has worked in a number of well-known kitchens, most notably as previous chef of Jamie Oliver's Fifteen restaurant (it was Oliver who gave Marchand the nickname Frenchie, which has become the name of his small restaurant empire). 

You'll find Frenchie near the Covent Garden piazza, on a cobbled street. The restaurant itself is deceptively large - insidem a combination of exposed brickwork, marble table tops and moody, low-pitched lighting gives Frenchie a classic, relaxed fine dining vibe. The dining room extends a long way back, and then downstairs into a basement which often hosts private dining and large groups. On the right, a marble-topped counter provides ample room for counter dining and for visitors to drop in for a glass of wine or a cocktail. 

Marchand's cooking is rooted in classic French technique, but he has worked all over the world and gleans influences from his time in England, and also from spells across Europe and even as far as Hong Kong. The menu is recognisably French, but there are touches of flair in dishes like smoked sea bream carpaccio with chive sabayon, strawberries and jalapeño, and salt-baked pork neck with grilled courgette and harissa. There are some dishes that are almost permanently on the menu, such is their popularity, such as the bacon scone with maple syrup and Cornish clotted cream, and the lamb ragu pappardelle with Kalamata olive and confit lemon. 

The wine list is extensive too, and Frenchie's mixologists mix up some intriguing cocktails too, like a bacon Old Fashioned. Always busy and consistently great, Frenchie has become one of London's must-visit restaurants.


FAQs

Is it suitable for large groups?

Yes, though you must book in advance with credit card details.

Helpful? 0

Is there a tasting menu?

Yes, there is a 5-course tasting menu available.

Helpful? 0
Meet the team
Frenchie Covent Garden

Greg Marchand

Chef-patron

Originally from Brittany, Greg Marchand spent much of his early career cooking in London at restaurants including The Savoy Grill and Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen. At the latter he earned the (affectionate) nickname Frenchie. It’s stuck: he now runs six Frenchie-branded restaurants in Paris, London and New York. Marchand’s Michelin-starred Covent Garden outpost (and winner of SquareMeal's Restaurant of the Year 2016) is a little slice of Paris in London with perfectly executed modern French food with British references – including his iconic bacon and maple syrup scones with clotted cream – and a killer wine list. Chic but with a hipster edge, Frenchie is also exceptionally good value.


Location

16 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8QH

020 7836 4422 020 7836 4422

Website

Opening Times

Lunch
Mon 12:00-14:30
Tue 12:00-14:30
Wed 12:00-14:30
Thu 12:00-14:30
Fri 12:00-14:30
Sat 12:00-14:30
Sun 12:00-20:00
Dinner
Mon 17:30-22:00
Tue 17:30-22:00
Wed 17:30-22:00
Thu 17:30-22:00
Fri 17:30-22:00
Sat 17:30-22:00
Sun Closed

Reviews

Share your thoughts with other diners

Write a review


31 Reviews 
Food/Drink
Service
Atmosphere
Value

Paul M

18 February 2024   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 1
Service 1
Atmosphere 1
Value 1

Its closed!

Joanna F

11 May 2023   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

DAVID M

14 April 2023   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 4.5
Service 4
Atmosphere 4
Value 4

Rob H

09 April 2023   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 3.5

Excellent restaurant great food and ambiance 

Leanne G

23 November 2022  
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Lovely small, personable, french restaurant. Great for a romantic date night

Chrissi H

16 May 2022   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5

Had an excellent meal and enjoyed the bustling atmosphere. Will be back for more.

Jeremy K

18 October 2021   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 4
Service 3
Atmosphere 3
Value 2
Good quality ingredients but not much choice…

Too few choices for each course

Christophe B

07 October 2019   - Verified Diner
Food & Drink 5
Service 5
Atmosphere 5
Value 5
Stunning lunch at Frenchie

Our lunch at Frenchie was just perfect. A good atmosphere in this well decorated restaurant in a busy area of London. The service was high quality as well as the food.

A place to keep in mind 

 

Sue Y

30 July 2019  
Great food and friendly staff.

Angie P

28 June 2019  
Great ambience, amazing food, good value, fun.

Sorry, you cannot spend SquareMeal vouchers here yet.

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