L’Escargot is a French restaurant on Greek Street in Soho, and it claims to be the oldest French restaurant in London. Founder Georges Gaudin first opened it nearby in 1896 as Le Bienvenue, before moving in 1927 into the 18th-century Georgian townhouse it still occupies. Look for the golden snail perched above the railings outside.
That snail is a nod to Gaudin’s own claim to fame: he’s credited with being the first restaurateur to serve escargots in England, and he farmed them in the building’s basement. Over the following century the restaurant became a fixture of theatrical and literary London, passing through several owners, including Marco Pierre White, along the way.
Inside, a series of dining rooms spread across three floors, decorated in a deliberately maximalist style: heavy fabrics, art deco-style mirrors and a wide-ranging collection of art on the walls. The front dining room, with tall windows facing onto Greek Street, is the one to request, while the larger back room suits groups.
The menu sticks to French classics. Snails come by the half dozen or dozen in garlic butter, or baked into a mushroom and Roquefort pie, and the lobster bisque is another signature dish that stands the test of time. Elsewhere, the kitchen cooks dishes such as duck confit with red cabbage and cherries, Tournedos Rossini, and butternut squash tarte tatin. A prix fixe menu at lunch and before the theatre makes it a handy pick before a West End show, and there’s afternoon tea and a Sunday menu too.
The wine list is predominantly French, and the cocktail list includes lesser seen classics like a Versailles Collins. At the top of the building, the Snail Bar hosts regular live music.