Maison François
François O'Neill grew up around Brasserie St Quentin, which his father co-founded, and opened this Duke Street brasserie in September 2020 on the site Green's vacated in 2016 (Hot Dinners, Harden's).
Why go
The kitchen, run by Matthew Ryle after time at Isabel and a MasterChef: The Professionals final, works the labor-heavy end of the brasserie repertoire rather than the easy end. Pâté en croûte is the tell: a terrine baked inside pastry that has to hold its structure, set its jelly, and still slice cleanly, and Hot Dinners calls this one an excellent example
with perfect
seasoning (Hot Dinners). John Whelan designed the room with high ceilings and white banquettes, and desserts arrive on a trolley Harden's describes as out of this world
(Harden's). Downstairs, Frank's Bar runs as its own wine bar with its own chef, slicing terrines and pouring from magnums and a sherry cask (Hot Dinners).
Order this / avoid
- Order: pâté en croûte, the oeuf en gelée that Hot Dinners called
Heaven,
and the côte de porc,a glorious piece
withmelt in the mouth fat,
then whatever the trolley is carrying (Hot Dinners). - Avoid: building the meal around main courses. Harden's 2026 scores the food 2 out of 5 against an ambience of 4, at £30 a main, so the charcuterie, the wine and the desserts are the better spend.
What locals & experts say
- Chetan Sharma, chef-patron of BiBi (January 2025), asked where he eats on his own time:
When I think about the kind of restaurants I most enjoy on my time off, this is exactly the sort of place I want to be.
His last visit ran to a vol-au-vent, the bavette steak and frites and a tableside caesar, then the dessert trolley. His timing advice is one line long:For the best experience, I recommend lunch.
1 - Hot Dinners:
There is palpably a 'scene' here, which in the current climate is nothing short of a restaurant miracle,
in a room calledsimply gorgeous.
3 - Harden's (2026):
The dessert trolley is out of this world!
at ahigh-ceilinged, chic
brasserie that isbusy and full of energy,
average spend £102.4
Good to know
- Timing: breakfast from 7am on weekdays and 9am at weekends, service through to 11pm, with the kitchen closing at 9.30pm Monday to Thursday, 10pm Friday and Saturday, 9pm Sunday. Frank's Bar is closed Sundays (Maison François).
- Booking: tables open two months ahead and go, so book. Six or more must arrange directly. Frank's Bar and the terrace are walk-in only.
- Dietary: nothing published by the venue. A vegetarian pasta, the ravioles du Dauphiné, has appeared on the menu, but there is no allergen, gluten-free or vegan policy on record, so raise it when booking.
- Getting there: 34 Duke Street St James's, a few minutes from Green Park and Piccadilly Circus. Some listings print 36 Duke Street; the venue's own address is 34.
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: Insta rec
Verdict
could-visit — A well-built Parisian-style brasserie in St James's with charcuterie worth ordering, a dessert trolley the guides rave about, and Frank's Bar downstairs pouring from magnums and a sherry cask. Harden's 2026 marks the food average at a £102 average spend, which keeps it off the detour list, but the pâté en croûte and the trolley are real craft and the room is one of the best-looking in the area.