Tucked just off Leicester Square, Le Garrick has quietly held its place as one of the West End’s most enduring culinary institutions, celebrating 39 years of authentic French dining in the heart of Covent Garden. Its candlelit booths, warm hospitality, and faithfully traditional menu have made it a local icon that doubles up as a portal to France. With Bastille Day fast approaching, there is nowhere better to toast La Fête Nationale than this beloved bistro, where time-honoured recipes are served with understated elegance and true French charm.
Originally opened in 1986, Le Garrick has long served as a hideaway for Londoners seeking a slower, more soulful style of dining. Its subterranean space, with low ceilings and flickering candles, is the kind of place that is both intimate enough for a quiet date, and celebratory enough to form the ideal setting for a lively birthday – with pre-theatre diners feeling equally at home.
At the heart of Le Garrick’s longevity is its culinary philosophy: regional, seasonal French cooking rooted in heritage. Many recipes have been passed down through generations, with dishes crafted as they would have been decades ago, without twists and fuss, and with full respect for their flavours and forms.
From the first course, it’s evident that Le Garrick doesn’t miss a beat. The Cassolette de calamars à la plancha au piment d’Espelette is a reason to go on its own, with tender grilled squid in a divine pepper-spiked sauce that can be mopped up with the restaurant’s freshly baked bread. It’s generous enough to share but certainly good enough not to. For those who want to stick to well-known classics, the bubbling Soupe à l’oignon and the buttery Escargots de Bourgogne are also great choices.
Mains lean deeply into the comfort that French food guarantees. The Confit de canard, glazed with honey and served with soft, creamy mash, is warming and flavourful, and is fitting to the candlelit environment for a true classic feel. The Boeuf Bourguignon draws on family recipes that embrace depth and balance, while the Moules frites bring a delicate indulgence best enjoyed with a glass of refreshing white wine.
And the wine here is no afterthought. Le Garrick’s cellar speaks proudly of French regions, from crisp Picpoul to robust Rhône blends, with orders by the glass that let lets diners travel extensively across France with each new selection.
This year’s Bastille Day celebration on Monday 14th July brings all of Le Garrick’s magic together. Diners can enjoy a dedicated Fête Nationale menu, with two or three courses from £30, featuring signature dishes like the beloved squid casserole, coq au vin, moules frites, and classic French desserts. Guests will be welcomed with a complimentary shot of eau de vie, while staff show off Breton stripes and the space transforms with tricolour spirit. There’s even a special Bastille cocktail menu in the works, where diners can expect patriotic reds, whites, and blues in both alcoholic and alcohol-free form.
Le Garrick’s success is not attributed to reinvention, but instead quiet mastery. The regulars know it, and visitors quickly realise why it has endured. In a city that rarely sits still, it has remained devoted to the spirit of traditional French cooking, offering food with heart, service with warmth, and atmosphere that is as authentic as the recipes it has perfected. Bastille Day might be the perfect excuse to go, but in reality, Le Garrick hardly needs one – it’s a piece of France in London that’s simply too good to miss.
You can find Le Garrick at 10–12 Garrick Street, London WC2E 9BH, and browse the menus or book in for food or the Bastille Day celebration right here.
