Where We Eat: Bistros of London

As part of our thinking about changes at Wilson's (which we discuss here) we've leaned heavily on one of the oldest and most familiar restaurant formats.

The bistro. Originally a small neighbourhood spot serving simple, affordable food. The concept has evolved considerably over the years...especially outside France...but it's this original ethos that comes closest to expressing how we've always thought about Wilson's. Accessible, unfussy, welcoming. A place people come to regularly rather than occasionally!

Beyond the ethos and the new prix-fixe lunch menu, we've incorporated a few other elements from the classic bistro model. Some French staples on the menu. The look of the menu itself. Small details that hopefully add up to something coherent!

The bistro format itself has been thriving across London for the past few years, and there are a handful of places we've looked to for inspiration whilst thinking about what to change at Wilson's.

Bistro Josephine by Claude Bosi is somewhere we've mentioned before...and for good reason. A spot where it's as easy to enjoy an excellent lunch for £25 as it is to spend £250 on an epic dinner for two. That range, that accessibility without compromise on quality, is something we've long admired.

Bistro Freddie in Shoreditch, from the team behind Crispin and more recently Kismet in London Bridge, is another. The menu is simple, the room is unfussy and the cooking is always on point. They also include a Black Velvet on the aperitif list, which we absolutely rate.

Also worth noting if you want to explore the best of the genre in London: Andrew Edmunds and The French House, both in Soho. Chalkboard menus, classic cooking, small candlelit dining rooms. Everything a bistro should be.

As with so many things in the world of food, the French get it right. The understanding that a good quality, affordable and genuinely welcoming dining room is an essential part of any neighbourhood is culturally embedded in a way that we have always loved!

It’s something we will keep striving towards in our own neighbourhood!