La Petite Colline — Restaurant in London

TLDR: Literally perfect date night, every element like the best of great French dining, right on our doorstep.

Unusually busy for a Tuesday night but the exceptionally warm & charming waiter had us immediately well seated anyway (bonus marks for his literally perfect French pronunciation throughout).

House Red was a lovely soft Syrah that we could've sunk all night.

Food was flawless; unfussy exemplars of Moules Frites and Poitrine de Porc, utterly delicious, prepared and presented exactly as they should be. Never experienced such relaxed and confident french food outside of Paris - I might have expected to pay twice the price for such an authentically great French meal so far from the Seine.

Dessert, we shared a house chocolate tart - yet another immaculate experience. I was so confident of the restaurant's chops that I asked for a noisette to finish without even thinking to look at the menu, and the lovely waiter didn't even bat an eye, just brought a great little coffee and even a couple of digestifs.

The service throughout was attentive but not intrusive, fully responsive without a hint of tension, a masterclass in really professional restaurant service. Meanwhile the atmosphere was sublime, busy but not noisy, intimate but not dingy, so warm and buzzy that a lovely elderly couple at the next table even struck up a conversation with us as we were winding up.

As for the decor, as someone who does set-building & shop-fitting professionally, I could see the artifice, the efforts that had been made to make this space feel so authentic, and even with that in mind, it felt fully real and effective to me. Like everything else here, it has been executed with expertise, care and confidence to enhance the whole experience, and I could not have imagined better.

We're still buzzing the next day at what a treat last night was, so excited to have found the best French restaurant we've ever experienced outside of France, and I'm only writing this review in the hope of sharing this gem with others.

We will be back, but I also wish I could be in your shoes, to experience it again for...

Really disappointing service at this place - we were immediately suspicious when we ordered and the waiter was glancing over his shoulder the entire time, he seemed very distracted. We ordered 3x starters and one didn’t show up (steak tartare which is the only one that was raw and didn’t need cooking!). We chased up the order and it then arrived but they tried to charge for it twice on the bill. There were a few other issues - the sea bass was supposed to come with samphire and I had to ask for it (saw that the lady sat opposite had also ordered it and it didn’t come with), the presentation of the food wasn’t great, and the staff didn’t check in with us once throughout the meal to ask if we wanted any more food or drink or if we were enjoying the meal. When they tried to charge twice for a starter that arrived so late and had to be chased up, that was the final straw and we asked for the service charge to be removed from the bill. Tried to explain why - and said we would have still paid it if they had been polite enough to comp the starter that arrived late and they tried to charge for twice - and the waiter didn’t seem to really understand and didn’t apologise for the poor service. One of the waiters seemed nice and wasn’t causing the problems so would have liked an opportunity to say as much to them but we won’t be...

If you're craving a taste of France in a cosy setting, look no further than this charming French bistro. From the moment you step inside, the ambience envelops you in warmth and comfort, setting the perfect backdrop for a memorable meal with friends.

The menu boasts an array of delectable dishes, each one expertly crafted with care and attention to detail. For starters, the goat cheese salad is an absolute must-try, with its creamy cheese perfectly complemented by beetroot and rich basil pesto.

As for the main course, the boeuf bourguignon is a standout dish that transports your taste buds straight to the heart of Burgundy. Tender beef simmered to perfection in a rich red wine sauce, accompanied by velvety mashed potatoes – it's comfort food at its finest.

And let's not forget about dessert. The crème brûlée is the perfect way to end your meal on a sweet note. Crack through the caramelized sugar to reveal a lusciously smooth custard underneath – pure indulgence in every bite.

Paired with a carefully curated selection of wines, each dish is elevated to new heights, ensuring a dining experience that is nothing short of exceptional. Whether you're a seasoned foodie or simply looking for a place to unwind with friends, I highly recommend La Petite Colline for an unforgettable...