THREE OTHER FRENCH RESTAURANTS IN SOUTH KENSINGTON
L’ETRANGER
French with a – hang on a minute – Japanese twist, you’re unlikely to find a dining experience quite like this elsewhere in London. Tofu and ginger sit alongside pan-fried foie gras and fillet steak Rossini. Less usual dishes include quail and lychee salad with chicken liver chocolate and miso-grilled aubergine with ponzu caviar. 36 Gloucester Road, SW7 4QT, 020 7584 1118.
BIBENDUM
A classic Conran outpost, this top-flight French restaurant is a stone’s throw from Cassis and is housed in the resplendent Michelin building. There’s an oyster bar for something more laid-back, but for some very pricey French seafood dining, head to the first floor. A prix fixe menu softens some of the prices. Michelin House, 81 Fulham Road, SW3 6RD, 020 7581 5817.
RACINE
Considered a jewel of Kensington, this is one of London’s very best French restaurants. It proudly boasts lapin à la moutarde, tête de veau and soupe de poisson. Salads of mountain goat’s cheeses and herbs, and “proper Dover soles that cover the plate” are also to be expected. A wine list is carefully chosen and the interior is elegant. 239 Brompton Road, SW3 2EP, 020 7584 4477.