Marjorie’s

The doors at Marjorie's are flung open in the midst of a rare London heatwave, opening out onto a makeshift terrace of round tables balancing wine coolers and fine-stemmed glasses. This terrace takes up a good section of the street, but without it, Marjorie’s jet-black frontage feels inconspicuous, save for the off-centre block letters of ‘Marjorie’s’ in quirky typeface.

This achingly cool wine bar is inspired by the laissez-faire ‘bar a vins’ found on the outskirts of Paris – a place to stop for a glass of wine, and maybe a couple of sharing plates. Despite opening in one of London’s least ‘laissez-fare’ districts, somehow, the back-alley feel of its location feels worlds away from Carnaby Street’s buzzing throng mere steps away.

Inside reveals a cosy, exposed brick room filled with counter seating and bar stools. This area leans more towards wine bar than restaurant, although there’s a dining room downstairs with an open kitchen which promises a little more breathing space and a view of the chefs at work. We like the frenetic energy of the upstairs bar-esque room though, as we plonk ourselves haphazardly onto a high stool around a communal table. Bring a date, or a close friend. Marjorie's is made for long conversations and forgetting how many glasses of wine you’ve had, while flickering candles burn down to the wick.

To eat, a concise menu of modern French sharing dishes has been carefully whittled down to 12 or so delicious-sounding ones. Crusty baguette with caramel-toned brown butter comes first, followed by deep-fried courgettes in the shape of batons. These are light and fluffy, and crowned with bubbly trout roe. A beige bowl of poached chicken, nutty rice and brown butter tastes like the indulgence it is, while well-seasoned bavette sits on a glossy, slightly cloying, egg yolk emulsion. Desserts are far from an afterthought too, and include a high-stacked mille-feuille of flaky, hole-studded pastry, vanilla cream and fresh peaches.

One final word for the wine list, which like the food menu is extremely well curated and includes a daily-changing selection by the glass. Marjorie's is made for the cool young things of today – book a table to become one of them.

Marjorie’s is a Soho restaurant and wine bar that aims to put Parisian culinary ideals into practice through their seasonal wine and food menu that specialises in modern French cuisine. Situated in the Soho area, the bar a vin is particularly exciting as it considers both its Parisian tradition as well as its origins in London.

Head chef Giacomo Peretti has curated an extensive menu that covers any traditional French dishes, but prioritises simplicity and sustainability through his use of British and French ingredients that are in season. A summer menu would typically include a brie de Meaux topped with summer beans and apricot pieces; an escargot and seaweed dish covered with pine nut cream; and a red mullet with bouillabaisse and tapenade. The dessert menu at the time of writing includes a mille-feuille topped with strawberries and chantilly, or a raspberry and tarragon sorbet.

Prioritising seasonal ingredients, both the wine and the cheese menu change frequently to best accompany Peretti’s culinary menu. With the wine options being all-French, and the cheese boards being majority-French and responsibly sourced from London’s famous La Fromagerie, Marjorie’s demonstrates its love for Parisian tradition through its practice. The three owners, Giacomo Peretti, Michael Searle and Josh Anderson, have expressed their passion for the country of France and built Marjorie’s with the hope of filling ‘the missing slice of Paris in central London.’

An intimate space, Marjorie’s can host under 50 diners, but its dark panelling and decor is reminiscent of old-school Soho with brooding undertones and a frenzied appetite. Covering two floors, the downstairs dining room is held in an old cellar and has access to an open kitchen, providing much entertainment for guests. However, if this is not your scene there is also an opportunity to sit on the terrace and overlook the bustling Soho streets.