Maison Francois - London

Every thing about our visit was wonderful. We went early, before the theatre so it was quite empty and we had great service and lots of space. The food was amazing. Everything so fresh and flavorful. We’ll definitely be back.

Bit of mixed evening slow start and bad ending. BAR Great decor but perhaps as we came earliesh (5pm? was not fully staffed so had to flag down the server to take our order.  OK cocktails but nothing special.  No bar snacks.  We felt ignored.  FOOD  Absolutely great brasserie cuisine.  The chops especially nice as seasoned to perfection and sliced off the bone.  Fun retro (1980s desert trolley with drawers.  Again excellent food all around. WINE Charming sommelier who listened and recommended a surprisingly and smashing white!  STAFF Heaps of them but not sure they are very well organized.  Friendly but cater and pander (very very obviously to regulars and celebs.  Made us feel abit 2nd class honestly and we definitely were not the staff's priority.  DOG POLICY  None on website BUT a medium/large poodle nearby us was allowed and it barked and barked loud enough for the entire dining room to notice. The owner nor the staff took any proactive action to resolve this.  Our dessert course was absolutely ruined for 30 minutes.  We did mention to manager and he said he would look into the policy but did not take any action at the time.  We love animals but they belong at home not in a restaurant we paid nearly £300 for dinner!  Utterly unacceptable.  Per Covid this would never happen.  RECOMMENDED Absolutely NOT unless you are a dog lover, lesser royal, cast member of Made in Chelsea or a posh regular who lives round the corner 

The food is good, and the service is decent, but I feel that the management is trying to extract as much money as possible from customers without being upfront about it. For instance, if a drink is included in the menu and a guest doesn’t want it, they won't even offer water as a substitute. I've visited over 100 different restaurants in London, and none of them have done this. Additionally, they charge a 15% service fee, which is higher than most places, and they also impose donation fees without asking for consent. Overall, I find the lack of transparency off-putting, and I really don't want to return.

We made a reservation for brunch before the Christmas holiday. The food was decent but quite basic, and there was a noticeable lack of atmosphere despite the bustling crowd outside. I mentioned my mother’s allergy and requested careful attention, but one dish was served with a mix of seeds, which is extremely concerning for anyone with a nut allergy. I inquired about it and, after pointing out that it was just a peeled avocado on a plate, asked if I could get one without the seeds. They returned and assured me it contained no nuts, but I chose not to eat it and they seemed surprised by my decision. To top it off, even with the restaurant being almost empty, we had to wait quite a while for someone to take our order and assist us in the end. Overall, it was a disappointing experience considering the price we paid.

Unfortunately, the wine we selected (at £110) was overly sharp and unpleasant, so I sent it back. Instead of simply taking it away, the head sommelier insisted on standing at our table to explain that this was the wine's intended style, which felt irrelevant and dismissive. I told him that I didn't like it and asked the waiter for three glasses of the house red, which would be better paired with the rest of the meal. The waiter then suggested that I pay for the returned bottle at its retail price, a proposition I firmly rejected. He left but later returned to inform me that they would not charge me for the bottle, which was a relief. However, the whole situation reflected poorly on the service. The unnecessary negotiations disrupted what should have been a lovely dining experience and created an unwelcoming atmosphere. The sommelier's ego should not interfere with a family dinner that cost us £300. While the food itself was good, it's unfortunate that the service did not match the quality of the meal and detracted from the overall experience.