Jeff Galvin is a highly respected British chef, renowned for his classical French culinary training and his successful partnership with his brother, Chris Galvin. Together, they have built the acclaimed Galvin...
L'Escargot is London's oldest French restaurant, established in 1927, and has been an epicentre of fine dining in Soho since its inception. Located on Greek Street, it's known for its classic, old-school Parisian atmosphere, elegant interior, and cosy ambiance, making it a celebrated Soho legend.
Customers consistently praise L'Escargot for its authentic old-school French and Parisian atmosphere, attentive and extraordinary service, and excellent food quality. Signature dishes like escargots with garlic butter, steak, duck confit, lobster, and chocolate soufflé receive high acclaim. Many highlight the good value, especially for the Sunday lunch set menu, and the fresh, delicious bread. While generally positive, minor comments include duck confit being slightly salty or steak being slightly overcooked for a medium order.
Additional Details
The menu at L'Escargot changes every two weeks, offering a dynamic selection of French delicacies. They also feature premium items like caviar.
The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday, with lunch served from 12 pm to 3 pm (last orders). Sunday lunch is particularly recommended for its great value. It's considered a perfect spot for a date night or a special lunch in Soho.
5
Really enjoyed our dinner at L’Escargot. The restaurant has a lovely old-school French feel — quite cosy and a bit hidden away from the busy streets outside, which made it feel quite special.
We tried a few of the classics. The escargots were full of garlic butter and perfect with bread. The steak was excellent, cooked well with a rich buttery sauce. The duck confit was tender with crispy skin, although slightly on the salty side. The lobster was very fresh and sweet, and worked really well with the creamy sauce.
We also tried the caviar for the first time — definitely a treat, very delicate and fresh. It felt like a nice way to celebrate something.
Service was attentive and the atmosphere was great. Also worth mentioning the bread at the start — warm, fresh and honestly hard to stop eating.
Overall a very enjoyable and classic French dining experience. Would happily come back again.
Great value Sunday lunch at this classic French institution. £39 for two courses, £45 for three – and they don’t cut corners. Snails is a must, mushroom feuilleté was lovely, and the Sunday roast (aged Scotch beef) was excellent – tender, great portions. Chocolate soufflé (extra £5) is worth the wait. Fresh bread, extraordinary service, and the menu changes every two weeks. A solid, unpretentious Soho gem. Highly recommend trying.
One of my favourite French restaurants in London 🇫🇷
Finally visited L’Escargot and absolutely loved the old-school Parisian atmosphere. Elegant interior, great service, and surprisingly good value lunch set menu.
The escargots were amazing — rich garlic butter sauce with perfectly tender snails, so good we ordered another portion just to dip more bread into the sauce.
The cassoulet was hearty and comforting, full of flavour with duck, sausage and white beans. Also highly recommend the chocolate soufflé — worth the 20-minute wait.
Perfect spot for a date night or special lunch in Soho.
What surprised me most was the oyster — incredibly clean and fresh. The foie gras paired with a Muscat white wine jelly was beautifully balanced, with gentle sweetness and acidity refining the richness of the foie gras. We had the classic Rossini: beef fillet with foie gras and truffle. Though ordered medium, it arrived slightly more cooked, yet still deeply flavourful and traditionally executed. The duck confit was equally satisfying.
The oysters were exceptionally fresh.
Even the bread, though simple in appearance, was deeply satisfying with its rich whole wheat aroma.
Dover sole was a pleasant surprise.
Fish in London can often be too salty, but this was beautifully balanced.
It arrived with a warm buttery fragrance, almost like a croissant.
The flesh was delicate and clean, a very comforting high-protein dish.
Tournedos Rossini is a classic French favorite.
The truffle sauce adds depth,
the foie gras slowly melts into richness,
and the beef remains tender inside.
