Does London need yet another French-style all-day brasserie? If it’s as good as Maison Francois, then the answer is almost certainly yes. For any restaurateur with ambition, surely the surreal year of 2020, when expectations are set low, must be the optimal time to open a new venue. The team behind Maison Francois have not gone about things by halves, taking the site that was formerly Green’s and cladding it out with an abundance of art deco. We loved the high (concrete) ceiling, pillars and massive clock behind the serving area. The story here is one of classy opulence. Other diners appeared to agree and with pandemic concerns seemingly jettisoned, Maison Francois was almost three-quarters full when my comrade and I visited on a recent weekday lunchtime. Beyond marvelling at the design, the attraction was surely the food and service. Maison Francois has assembled a team comprising luminaries from venues such as Scott’s and Isabel.
In terms of what you eat, it’s classic French, delivered with panache. Put another way, there’s oodles of butter and oil in every dish, but in a very good way. The venue puts on a show in both taste and aesthetics. Diners are encouraged to share hors d’oeuvres – three between two we were advised (a nice formula: more money spent, and more Instagram opportunities). Our trio comprised a wonderfully hearty and surely artery-clogging paté with dainty cornichons alongside; some glorious anchovies floating in a bed of oil, ricotta and thyme; and, a celeriac remoulade, or very posh vegetable mayonnaise, served with sourdough. Next came a lovely piece of monkfish (pictured), the day’s special, which ticked all the right boxes. The best, however, was saved until last. The coup de grace at Maison Francois is the sweet trolley. Wheeled to our table, with cakes on top and multiple drawers below offering everything from Florentines to macaroons, it is hard to be anything other than…er… a kid in a sweet shop. I am a sucker for tarte tatin, and Maison Francois did not disappoint, their iteration being moist and balanced. Said tarte was paired with a fascinating Pinot Gris from Auvergne, which worked well with the monkfish too. The wine list could hardly be described as user-friendly but contains many hidden gems within. Overall, there is little not too like, with service friendly and pricing reasonable in context. I’ll be back – for breakfast, lunch and dinner.