Galvin Bistrot & Bar

Chris and Jeff Galvin are two of the nicest guys in the London restaurant business, and they have been quietly influential for years in popularizing French food, from bistrot classics to fine dining.

They hold a Michelin star at Galvin La Chapelle, at Spitalfields, but we went to review the adjoining, Galvin Bistrot & Bar. This more casual restaurant also encapsulates the Galvin brothers’ commitment to seasonality and quality ingredients, with a certain reverence for tradition.

It’s inspired by the bistrots of Paris and Lyon, with decent cooking at affordable prices.

The brothers have been buying from the same group of suppliers for years. Only the process has evolved. These days, WhatsApp messages showcase what’s available each day from French suppliers, though that hasn’t replaced almost daily trips to the market in London.

The menu is fairly short and straightforward. It reflects these experienced restaurateurs’ respect for their customers, who would rather dine in the comfort of the classics than in the choppy waters of innovation. Most of us don’t go to a bistrot for culinary challenges.

We started out by sharing a very good tarte flambée Alsacienne (£9.50), which was crispy and light.

A terrine of rabbit, bacon and prune, with celeriac rémoulade and pickles (£12.50) was well made. That’s just as well: Galvin chef Joe Albina used to work for Pierre at Koffmann’s at the Berkeley, as well as with Marco Pierre White.

(Pierre thinks further back to the 1970s, when celeriac was almost unknown in London. But at that time, pig’s trotters were free because no one was using them. Beef cheeks were also a rarity.)

Dorset crab (£12.50) came as a generous portion served on sourdough with pea shoots.

Richard particularly liked his main of free-range chicken breast (£22.50) with peas, broad beans, Alsace bacon and baby gem. It was a quality bird with the skin well crisped, and the vegetables were so fresh it was like spring on a plate.

Pierre opted for spiced aubergine (£17.50), tahini, imam bayildi, pine nuts, smoked tomato. This was another well-balanced dish, properly spiced and prepared, though the aubergine might have benefited from another minute of cooking.

We finished by sharing a Valrhona chocolate mousse, crème fraîche, griottines (£7.50). It was light for a dessert with so much flavour, and only our waistlines discouraged us from finishing it.

There’s a short French wine list. We went for a drinkable house viognier, at £24 for a 500ml carafe. Champagne starts at £69 a bottle. If you wanted to push the boat out, we’re guessing there would be no problem ordering from the Galvin La Chapelle gastronomic restaurant next door.

Our bill for two was £144.72, including two extra glasses of red wine at £12 each. (Looking online later, we spotted a set lunch menu at £23.50/£28 that we would have ordered if we’d seen it.)

There are now several very good bistrots in London as French cuisine has spread from the luxury hotels that once were its domain. The late Albert Roux used to recall the challenges of getting top-quality ingredients when he and his brother opened Le Gavroche in 1967.

They had to load up a van at Rungis market in Paris and head to London with a week’s supply.

Chris and Jeff Galvin, British chefs with a lifelong love of France, have played an important part in popularizing and democratizing French gastronomy in London.

And it is heartening to see how London has bounced back from covid, with busy restaurants and a new enjoyment of alfresco dining. We sat beneath a canopy, looking at City workers enjoying the sunshine. Many people are working from home but London has regained its buzz.

Ambience: Relaxed

Food: Classic bistrot

Service: Friendly