Combining good cooking with top-notch service, a convivial atmosphere and a good sense of value, The Little French Restaurant is a little slice of Paris that could easily become a favourite.

The Venue
The Little French Restaurant is hidden away down Hogarth Place, a lively little alley only a few metres from Earl’s Court tube, and it’s worth hunting out as it’s definitely the kind of place to put a smile on your face.

Inside, the decor feels very Parisian, with stripped wooden floors and bare wooden tables. The walls are adorned with knick-knacks and Toulouse-Lautrec prints, channelling the ambiance of the classic French bistro. The main dining room is a small, irregular shaped room with tables close enough together to generate a cosy feel but without being cramped. There is also a private dining room for hire upstairs.

The Atmosphere
Atmosphere is something that the Little French Restaurant has in spades. Busy no matter what night of the week you visit, it feels energetic but relaxed, the kind of place that’s suitable for an intimate dinner for two as much as a livelier gathering of friends.

Service here is excellent, and clearly something that all the staff take seriously. Orders are taken and plates are cleared promptly, but not so promptly as to make anyone feel rushed. Everyone is polite and engaging without being intrusive, and at the end of the evening, don’t be surprised to find someone ready to return your coat without you having to ask, no matter how busy they are.

The Food
The menu at The Little French Restaurant is a great blend of bistro dishes, some classic, others with more of a twist. All starters are priced at £4.95, all main courses at £9.85 and all desserts at £3.75. There’s also a highly popular set menu at three courses for £9.95, available all through service, with an impressively wide selection of dishes to choose from. The only condition is that a drink must be ordered per person.

Among the starters, French onion soup is deep golden brown, richly savoury and with the requisite crouton, but sadly missing the topping of melted cheese that would lift it from delicious to perfect. There’s also a salad of roast peppers stuffed with flavoured cream cheese which is simple and fresh tasting, and a very pleasant way to start a meal. Of the main courses, Cod Provencal comes as a fillet rather than the chunks described on the menu, but is none the worse for that. A little more of the tangy, herby tomato sauce it’s served with would be appreciated, but the fish is fresh and flavoursome as are the accompanying vegetables. Lamb Wellington is a clever and very successful twist on the beef classic, made with pieces of tender braised lamb rather than pink fillet, which works very well wrapped in crisp puff pastry. The generous puddle of well reduced jus it’s served with is spot-on too. Portion sizes are not enormous, so a side order of French fries is a good idea – all the more so for being piping hot, fresh and crispy, and the ideal thing to mop up all that lovely jus!

As for desserts, those with a sweet tooth will be spoiled for choice, with French classics such as creme caramel, creme brulee and apple tart sitting alongside a good selection of ice creams and sorbets. As a final flourish, it’s hard to resist the chocolate mousse, and it doesn’t disappoint. Dense, sticky and intense with dark chocolate, it’s a real treat that perhaps doesn’t need the topping of whipped cream it’s served with.

The Drink
As you would expect from a French restaurant, there is a good selection of wines, both by the bottle and by the glass. The value theme continues through the wine list, with even the most expensive bottle leaving change from £25. The house white wine (£10.75) may not win any awards, but it’s fresh, light, and very drinkable. There is also a reasonable range of bottled beers, as well as a very good selection of (mostly French) aperitifs and digestifs.

The Last Word
French dining in London certainly has the reputation for excellence, but it’s the kind that usually comes at a hefty price. The Little French Restaurant provides a very different kind of dining experience, but it’s one that’s no less authentic – France is littered with this kind of place, and it’s a delight to find one tucked away in Earls Court.

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