Maison Francois

I’m perfect! The hostess at Maison Francois told me so!! Ok, she had just taken my temperature, but still. This was the first time my temp has been checked since lockdown. It gave me great confidence from the get go. Well done!

Day 4 still had the air of a grand opening. Buzzing. And so much staff. A regular hive of hospitality. We were well looked after from start to finish. Even at this early stage, there was not a fault to be seen. Founder, Francois O’Neil, Head Chef Matthew Ryle and front-of-house Ed Wyand make a great team.

The ginormous room is glorious. Industrial Deco Chic with sky-high ceilings and curvaceous banquettes that snake around the floor creating intimacy. Perfect for social distancing. A brasserie of the 21st century. And the acoustics are miraculous.

We began downstairs at Frank’s, a fab place for cocktails. It’s slightly edgier and the artful use of mirrors removes any below ground feeling. It seemed appropriate to sample Frank’s Cup (£12). Greengage, bloody Shiraz gin, pear and Riesling made a complex and beautifully balanced cocktail. Vodka with Orange wine, Jasmine Verte and Oleo saccharum (£14) was light and refreshing but nowhere near as complex.

Upstairs we moved on to wine. The list is impressive and extensive. We had an elegant Pinot from Irancy for £72. Very smooth, with cherry, fine tannins and a touch of spice. Excellent for an eclectic menu.

We began with flatbread moules marinière (£6). It looked like a little pizza with mussels on top. Do you know how the best part of moules marinière is sopping up the juicy bits with a good piece of bread? This was that.

Ox tongue brochette (£6.50) was a highlight. Tender, perfectly charred, beautifully glazed and served with sauce gribiche (mayo made with hard boiled eggs). I could easily eat 4 of these as a main!

Leek vinaigrette with bottarga and croutons (£9.50) was simple and elegant but its delicacy was lost after the punch of tongue and mussels. I wish we had eaten it first.

John Dory (£25) was perfectly cooked and served with onion soup made with pig’s trotters. Rich and delicious. Best of all was the côte de porc (£22). Nothing compares to Ibérico but this came a damn close second! A gorgeous piece of meat with a scrumptious sauce moutarde. Sadly, a pomme boulangère (£5) was burnt. Black. I don’t know how it made it out of the kitchen. Michael Teresa instantly forgave this singular flaw.

Then came the dessert trolley. GET THEE BEHIND ME!!! So many goodies to choose from; so little room left in my young boyish belly! I won’t say how many I ate. The best was a savarin with an orange cream and a healthy, but not overwhelming shot of rum. I’ve had dreams about it!

I will definitely bring friends here. Considering its St. James location, it is excellent value. And NEARLY flawless…unlike my perfect self!

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