All day affair
Café François (Southwark)
RESTAURANTS • First Word
The Skinny: Is Café François, opened in October in Borough Market, more of a boisterous younger sister, hip cousin, or swanky niece to its (lauded and adored) forebearer Maison Francois in St James? Debatable. What’s indisputable is its allure as a restaurant for all occasions.
The Vibe: Inside the multi-year, multi-million, from-the-ground-up project, the decor is elevated industrial chic — wooden banquettes, subtle mosaic flooring, iron, glass, and exposed brick. It makes perfect sense in the market’s railway arch setting. The servers, too, wear rust orange and forest green French-railway-inspired workwear. Underneath, they’re warm, friendly, and knowledgeable, however busy the place is.
The Food: Even in the current, oversaturated era of restaurant flatbreads, all three here (moules marinière, croque monsieur, and lamb merguez) are standouts. Escargots are as decadently drowned in garlic butter as they demand to be. The in-house rotisserie chickens will instantly catch your eye on arrival, and you won’t regret taking a closer look when it comes time for mains. The beef rib easily measures up to any other sharing steak in London, but is superior in two crucial ways: it’s cheaper than most, and you can get it with either bone marrow and escargots or half a lobster. A nominally French cafe offering surf ‘n’ turf is indicative of the wink-nudge cleverness running through the whole menu. Hazelnut Paris-brest is a highlight of pastry chef Jeremy Prakhin’s sumptuously classical dessert menu.
The Drink: The wine list is thoughtful, predominantly (but not exclusively) French, and will break the bank if you desire.
The Verdict: Café François is a place to come to again and again, one of an increasing number of excellent ends to all of your Borough Market wandering. –David Bard
→ Café François (Southwark) • 14-16 Stoney St • Mon-Fri 7a-12a, Sat 9a-12a, Sun 9a-10p • Book.