Maison François
The French brasserie London has needed for years. Got everything right from the first service — the room, the croissants, the wine list, the energy. One of the best breakfasts in the city.
Maison François opened in 2020 on Duke Street St James's and settled immediately into the identity it was meant to have — a French brasserie that is comfortable in both London and Paris without being either. The croissant at breakfast is a serious object. The steak frites at dinner is the one you'll think about. The wine list rewards time spent with it.
It is also where I go for breakfast more than anywhere in London. The room in the morning is calm and unhurried, the pastry is as good as anything across the channel, and the eggs come without the performance that most London breakfast rooms feel obliged to stage. Maison François understands that a French brasserie's highest achievement is making everything feel inevitable.
The croissant is the argument for breakfast; the entrecôte is the argument for dinner. The charcuterie and the cheese are serious. Order the tarte tatin to finish and don't share it.
A proper brasserie room — white marble, zinc bar, banquettes, mirrors, the warm noise of a room that is full without being loud. Works at every hour of the day, which is a rarer achievement than it sounds.
CROISSANT · ENTRECÔTE FRITES · TARTE TATIN
Maison François is the French brasserie you'd walk to every day if it were around the corner. Go for breakfast, book for dinner, and work out how to come back for lunch.
Reserve well in advance — this room fills weeks out, especially on weekends.
Lunch is often easier to secure than dinner and offers the same room at better value.