The French House is a bohemian refuge and has long been a Soho institution. And so trendy media types continue to flock here, along with anyone seeking out the equally popular Polpetto restaurant upstairs…

The Venue
The French House has a fantastic location right in the heart of Soho. It’s a very historic place, having been the meeting point for the French Resistance during World War II, and also proving to be a popular spot for writers Dylan Thomas and Francis Brown, and this is evident in its (non-cheesy) theme. Well, a little cheesy. The exterior is inviting, decked out as a traditional British boozer all in black with a bold golden sign – the only thing that suggests otherwise is the name emblazoned on that sign and the French flags hanging outside. Inside, the dinky little space has a real Bboho vibe that you can’t help but think would benefit from ignoring the smoking ban (and I say that as a non-smoker) as it’s easy to imagine the smoky atmosphere heightening this pub’s appeal. As it is, the heavy wooden bar and few wooden tables and chairs and high stools have the welcoming charm of any other traditional pub, and it’s all cosied up thanks to the dark red walls literally covered in photos of famous French people. Upstairs used to be the French House restaurant but now houses the incredibly popular Polpetto restaurant.

The Atmosphere
The French House has a slight air of pomp about it – like it knows it’s a cool hang out – but then it IS a cool hang out, so it’s difficult to judge it too harshly for being just a bit smug. It does attract a disproportionately high number of Soho media types, but it has started to become a more diluted crowd thanks to the fame of Polpetto upstairs, which has led to more diners popping in for a quick pre-or-post-dinner drink. And that is a good thing as the slight air of pomp has also become diluted. Bizarrely, they claim to have a no mobile phones rule, but this does not seem to be adhered to – and why should it? Maybe it’s to stop people taking sneaky phone photos of all the ‘celebrities’ that drink here. They may well do, but don’t hold your breath.

The Drink
The French have introduced a lot of great things to Britain: creme brulee, fine wine, French kissing… But the half pint? Yup, that’s right – you cannot buy a pint here. And it’s a little hard to see why they’ve adopted this measure as they do offer draught beer here. And, of course, they have an above-average (mainly French, naturally) wine list that really does look to showcase why they believe they rule when it comes to the grape.

The Last Word
The French House is certainly a cool bohemian hang-out. The only problem is, it really knows it.

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