L'Escargot French Bistro in Soho, Serving Snails Since 1927

If you type french bistro near me anywhere around Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road, the answer with the longest memory is L'Escargot at 48 Greek Street, Soho, London W1D 4EF. The restaurant calls itself London's oldest French restaurant, and it has been at this address since 1927. You come here for Herefordshire snails in garlic butter, a classic French onion soup, and a £26 two-course prix-fixe that is one of the better-value tables in the West End.

The story starts in 1896, when the business opened as Le Bienvenue. Its founder, Georges Gaudin, is credited with being the first restaurateur in England to put snails on the menu, and when he moved to Greek Street in 1927, regulars asked for a new name built around his signature dish. That is how L'Escargot Bienvenue was born. Outside, a bust of Gaudin riding a snail carries the motto "slow but sure", and a small golden snail still decorates the green railings.

The house has changed hands several times since. Nick Lander and Jancis Robinson owned it from 1981, Jimmy Lahoud took over in 1992 with Marco Pierre White running the kitchen, and Brian Clivaz and Laurence Isaacson bought it in 2014. For decades its front of house was Elena Salvoni, so central to the place that regulars called it Elena's Place. In 2023 the former footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger became an owner, and the restaurant reopened on 24 May 2023 after a three-month renovation.

Start with the snails, because that is the point. Les Escargots "Maison" are Herefordshire snails, £22 for half a dozen or £42 for a dozen, and the kitchen will flambé them with Pernod for another £5. Mop up the butter with bread and then decide how hungry you really are. The French onion soup is £14 on the à la carte, and it also appears on the prix-fixe, which makes it the easiest way to try the house classic without committing to a full bill.

For a main, the confit of duck with red cabbage and cherries costs £26 and is the most bistro-like plate on the October menu. If you are celebrating, the Tournedos "Rossini" with foie gras and truffle is £75, and the Châteaubriand with Béarnaise and frites for two is £110. Finish with the soufflé au chocolat at £18, which takes a little time, so order it when the mains arrive. Daily specials such as coq au vin are listed as Plats du Jour at £19.27, a price chosen as a nod to the founding year on Greek Street.

The prix-fixe is the reason locals keep coming back. Two courses cost £26 and three cost £29, served from 12pm to 3pm, from 5pm to 6:15pm and again from 9pm to 10:15pm. Starters include French onion soup, heritage tomatoes with goat's cheese, or a Puy lentil salad. Mains include linguine with girolles, a salmon and smoked haddock fish cake, or the plat du jour, and puddings are crème brûlée or a pear Condé. A pre-theatre table at 5pm fits neatly before a show on Shaftesbury Avenue.

The late slot is the one most people miss. Booking at 9pm gets you the same set price after the theatres empty, when the West End crowds have moved on and there is no curtain time to rush for. A 15% discretionary service charge is added to every bill, so budget for it when you compare the set menu with other places nearby.

Downstairs is the main dining room: ornate ceilings, chandeliers, gilt-framed pictures, Art Deco lamps and white tablecloths. Upstairs are private rooms named the Rouge Room, the Salon Vert and the Library, used for birthday dinners and office lunches. At the very top of the house is the Snail Club, which opened in February 2024 and has live music on its bar floor. The dress code is smart casual, and dogs are allowed in the restaurant.

Reservations are taken through the booking widget on the official site or by email at info@lescargot.co.uk. The cancellation rule is strict: cancel at least 24 hours ahead, or a £25 charge per person applies to no-shows and late cancellations. Children under 10 are welcome at lunch only, with notice. There are no highchairs and no space for prams, which matters if you are planning a family Sunday lunch.

L'Escargot serves lunch Monday to Saturday from 12pm to 3pm and dinner from 5pm to 10:30pm. On Sunday, lunch runs from 12pm to 3:30pm and there is no dinner service. From Thursday to Saturday a Late Night Menu runs from 9pm to 12am, which makes it one of the few places in central London where you can still order snails and a glass of wine close to midnight.

Walk two minutes north up Greek Street and you reach Soho Square, laid out in the late 1670s. In the middle stands a statue of Charles II carved by Caius Gabriel Cibber in 1681, and on a dry evening the benches around the little half-timbered hut are the best place to wait for friends who are running late. The square is also a quiet way to reach Oxford Street without fighting the crowds on Charing Cross Road.

After dinner, cut across to Frith Street for an espresso at Bar Italia, the Frith Street coffee bar that has been pouring espresso since 1949, where film people and late diners have been perching on the counter stools for generations. From there it is a short stroll south through Old Compton Street to Leicester Square, or back up to Tottenham Court Road for the Elizabeth line home.

Address: 48 Greek Street, Soho, London W1D 4EF. Nearest stations: Tottenham Court Road (Elizabeth, Northern and Central lines) and Leicester Square (Piccadilly and Northern lines). Prix-fixe: £26 for two courses or £29 for three. Service: 15% discretionary. Booking: online through the official site, with a 24-hour cancellation rule and a £25 per person late-cancellation charge.

If you can only come once, book the 5pm prix-fixe on a weekday, add half a dozen snails from the à la carte, and keep the soufflé for the end. You will spend far less than the Rossini crowd and still eat the dishes the house has been known for since Gaudin brought them to Greek Street.