Reviews L'escargot Restaurant

L'Escargot is a real treat and a Soho institution.  As soon as you enter the restaurant, you know you are in a place that means business.  It screams "gentleman's club" (in fact, there is a member's club upstairs) and has the solicitous service that you would expect from such a place.  The food is classic stuff with a sniff of decadence - risotto made with truffle, grilled lobster, chateaubriand....  It goes without saying that you should try the escargot.  I had never had snails before so it made sense that my first experience should be in a place that is named after them.  They were so delicious, rich with garlic butter and parsley.  It's not particularly cheap, but they do offer a very reasonable pre- theatre menu if you want the experience at a bargain price.

I really recommend this restaurant if you want a special evening or if you just want a bite before the theatre.  The food is excellent, as is the wine list, so you won't be disappointed.

I remember first visiting L’Escargot back in the Marco Pierre White days and it was stuffy, fussy and a little bit shit. It was then taken over by a lovely chap called Brian Clivaz (who’s also soon to open a new swanky members club in Devonshire Square) and a club prive was added above the ground floor restaurant.

Actually really not that expensive. And excellent French cuisine very impressed but not bowled over.

L’Escargot has considerable history as a London restaurant, being set up originally in 1927 in an 18th century Georgian Soho townhouse. It was a fashionable dining destination under the ownership of Nick Lander in the 1980s, and sadly declined under Marco Pierre White’s ownership from 1998 onwards. I remember a particularly grim meal there in 2007, after which I gave it a wide berth.

In March 2014 it was taken over by Brian Clivaz (founder of the Home House group and The Arts Club) and Laurence Isaacson (founder of Chez Gerard). The head chef is now Oliver Lesnik, who was previously head chef of the Cadogan hotel, where he had worked since 2008, having previously trained at The Connaught. The dining room is cosy, with lots of art-deco style mirrors, original art on the walls and lighting so subdued that in the evening I needed to use the torch feature of my iPhone just to read the menu. The particularly pretty upstairs dining room had now been converted to a private club.

The wine list was impressive in scope, with well over 200 labels, predominately (82%) French but with some intriguing wines from elsewhere too. Although there are more wins from Greece than Australia, it is not often that you see Tokaji Essencia 1908 (£700) on a wine list. The list runs in price from £14 to £750, with a median price of £52 and an average mark-up of 2.8 times the retail price, which is pretty fair by the standards of London. Example labels were 'Nivole' Moscato d'Asti 2013 at £21 for a wine that you can find in the high street for £16, Notios Red Agioritiko 2013 from Gaia Wines in Greece at £31 for a wine that costs £11 in a shop, the excellent Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2012 at £69 compared to a shop price of £29, and Chassagne-Montrachet René Monnier 2010 at £89 for a wine that retails at £34. There were a few relative bargains tucked away at the high end too, such as the rare Vega Sicilia Unico 1964 at £750 for a wine that will set you back £714 in a shop, should you be able to find it.

A terrine of rabbit, duck and foie gras (£12) had pleasant texture, though the depth of flavour was not what it might have been, particularly when it came to the liver (13/20). Chilli crab (£14) with pickled cucumber on toast was oddly lacking in chilli bite (12/20).

A cassoulet (£14) was rather disappointing, the beans rather firm in texture, the dish under-seasoned and the sausages used lacking flavour (11/20). Under-seasoning was also an issue with a slightly better dish, a classic beef Bourgignon (£17). The best dish of the night was a pear tart tatin, the pastry pleasant, the fruit nicely tart and not over-caramelised (14/20).

I was being taken here by a friend so did not see the bill, but if you shared a modest bottle of wine then a typical bill might be around £70 a head. The manageress was charming but our waiter was well-meaning rather than particularly effective, though dishes arrived at more than a snail's pace. 

Overall, I was hoping to like the new l’Escargot rather more than I did, as the room is great and the menu full of timeless classics that appeal to me. A recurring theme was lack of flavour and under-seasoning of savoury dishes. It was generally decent enough food, but these venerable premises and glorious dining room deserve cooking that is better than merely decent.

L'escargot has just undergone a major refurb and is so much nicer; it's our favourite french restaurant in Soho as its so close to the theatres.

They have new friendly staff, and a simple, well priced menu of classic French favourites.

We stared with the snails which were really garlicy and a spicy crab dish that was great. Then on to grilled lobster with garlic; and and confit of duck - all of which was delicious.

The wine is well priced but we just had wines by the glass. Couldn't squeeze in a pudding but will be back for a creme brulee.

We'll be back soon.

PS Thanks to Irene who was lovely

Beautiful place and the food was delicious. We went there on Sunday and we chose to not have the Sunday roast but everything that we chose was absolutely delicious. The bread was perfect and in my opinion a restaurant that make a good bread usually has a good food in general. The price was perfect and the wine very delicious. I will be back to try fillet of beef "Rossini".

-Highly recommended as an independent jewel of a French restaurant - Had a really enjoyable experience when I visited recently. The food was excellent, high quality and straightforwardly well presented food, also great selection of wine. A really relaxing evening, the staff charming, attentive and helpful, so friendly and unhurried not intrusive yet charming service. Felt like welcomed friends. I found it to be an excellent restaurant which I would not hesitate to revisit the next time that I am in the area.

Fabulous as always. Great refurbishment and very relaxed. We had the terrine (rare and true), lobster bisque and the snail pie, a dish you are unlikely to get anywhere else, but which should be on every menu. The lobster bisque has been developed by the super restaurant team over many years and has an intensity of flavour you will find nowhere else. It's a good price too. The wine list is shortish but I found some great bargains.

Pros: lovely atmosphere. You can hear people talk – well done on the soft furnishings! – and the general vibe is chilled, friendly and informal whilst still feeling upmarket. Food was very good, wine reasonably priced. Pleasant service. Also great location of course and lovely they take dogs. Cons: some improvements to service would be good. Drinks were a slow to arrive and the servers were keen on taking the plates away when people were still eating (!). The wine was poured in any order and whilst chivalry might be dead, in a classy, somewhat traditional restaurant, you’d expect the ladies to be served first: starting with the men seems a bit odd. Also if you’re paying £75 in service, quibbling over 80 pence of ‘underpayment’ when settling up the bill was somewhat petty.

Good experience overall - would probably recommend this place. Great food: it was large group of us, but the steak was done to overreaction each time!

This place is an absolute delight. The decor is stunning and full of character. Gareth was fantastic and looked after us very well too. The serving staff were lovely and friendly but professional and made the experience elevated. The food was indulgent and rich, which is perfect for a special treat. We had the steak and sweetbread. Both were cooked to perfection. My boyfriend loved the wines that Gareth selected for him. 10/10 experience

I came here for birthday celebrations in the summer and the food was beautifully prepared and so full of flavour. A little slow on the night, but to be expected as it was very busy with all tables booked. On the evening they also had a live pianist which added to the atmosphere. Highly recommend!

I have visited L’Escargot on various occasions and both the food and service never disappoint. It is the perfect venue for all occasions whether this be special events like birthdays or date night. The food is some of the best I have ever had from the first course right to dessert. The variety of wines on offer compliment the food perfectly and it is truly one of the best establishments in London. The atmosphere is always buzzing yet intimate and it is one of the few places still around with a rich history and legacy. The decor and setting of an old townhouse also adds to the restaurant’s charm. The service has also always been excellent and welcoming in every way. Some of my best evenings in London have been in L’Escargot and I recommend anyone who is after exquisite food in a classically beautiful setting to visit this gem.

An excellent Sunday lunch in the newly renovated L’escargot… excellent service and delicious food especially Lobster Bisque

I had a delicious long lunch at L’Escargot. The lobster bisque has such a depth of flavour, it’s truly indulgent. The bread made on the premises, is of course fresh, and perfect for soaking up the rich sauce in the snail pie. I finished off with coffee ice cream in a crispy brandy snap basket. The service is so good, very professional, and the restaurant itself is stunning, gorgeous pictures and decor. I definitely left feeling that I’d had a memorable dining experience.