Welcome to Le Vieux Comptoir

“ The waiter sat down with us to take our order. We felt cozy and welcomed from the start. The ambiance struck the right balance between being rustic and refined. The chicory and pear salad was incredible — the crisp chicory, subtle sweetness of the thinly sliced pear, crunch and bitterness of the walnuts, and the softness and saltiness of the blue cheese, all cut by a perfect dressing. The interplay of textures and flavours was spot on. My friends had the foie gras and fish soup, and both of them were amazing as well. Duck confit was fall-off-the-bone tender, and the fat had an intense umami flavour. So yummy without being greasy or overly rich. We ended the night with some apple pie and crème brûlée, which were all perfect as well. Overall, it was an experience I will rave about for a long time. £80 per person — we had starters, mains, dessert, and two bottles of wine for five. ”

“ Very authentic French restaurant with super cozy atmosphere, lots of space between tables (feels like a French country side auberge), and clearly one of the absolute best places for a fondue or raclette in London! Wine list is super strong too (shout out to the Marsannay by Bruno Clair). ”

“ I love this place and though I live in Paris surrounded by French bistros all day long, this is one of my favourite places to eat in London and I always make a point of stopping by whenever I am in London. Their wine selection is really good, the service is super friendly and their homemade butter is simply delicious. Highly recommend popping in for lunch or at least a glass of wine and some cheese. ”

“ For lunch, all three of us had excellent, freshly cooked omelettes and salad: very generous portions and good value. The coffees were good too. The person who served us was very friendly and welcoming.This was our first visit to Le Vieux Comptoir and we will definitely return. ”

“ A lovely intimate French bistro with great classic dishes with reasonable price. The service is impeccable, especially the blonde lady, Andrada, is very helpful with wine recommendations. The range of wines are great and the prices compared to other wine bars are very good, hard to find that in London. Definitely recommend it! ”

“ Good food but frustrating bread charges : We had a lovely evening at Le Vieux Comptoir with raclette (£40 each) and 3 bottles of wine., 7 of us.The raclette was excellent, the atmosphere cosy, and the wine selection outstanding, service and attention was top. However, we were charged £2.50 per basket of bread on three separate occasions, totalling £7.50 = a charge +service charge that we weren't informed about upfront. When I questioned this with the owner, he suggested people primarily come to drink wine and eat bread, hence why we added the fee. This seems unreasonable given we'd ordered 7 x raclette dishes and clearly had a full meal. His explanation felt dismissive rather than apologetic. The bread surcharge appears to be a pattern here, he said I was the only one to complain yet a few reviews point otherwise . If this is their policy, it should be clearly stated on the menu or mentioned when ordering. The lack of transparency combined with the owner's defensive response left a ‘cheesy’ taste ( excuse the pun ). The food and wine are genuinely good but I'd recommend clarifying their bread policy before ordering to avoid an unwelcome surprise on the bill. Am I being unreasonable ? Update after the owners response : after further discussion with my guest, I was harsh to give 3 ⭐ so i changed it to 4. There is a sense of sarcasm if you criticise constructively! ”

“ Le Vieux Comptoir is a lovely spot if you’re craving authentic French cuisine in a cosy atmosphere. The escargots were delicious and perfectly garlicky, and the warm salad was fresh and full of flavour. The vibe is intimate and charming, with a classic French bistro feel that makes you feel like you’re in Paris for the evening. Service was friendly and attentive, adding to the overall great experience. Highly recommended for a genuine taste of France! ”

“ The French onion soup and the escargot are excellent! These were so good that I could have ordered them twice instead of the main course. The entrance is a little confusing. It is not through a door at ground level, which seems to be the main one, but go down stairs beside it and you can find a correct door! The atmosphere in the restaurant was also good. I would like to go back to eat there again. ”