Savoir Faire

Cuisines: French

Savoir Faire 42 New Oxford Street London WC1A 1EP

Nearest tubes: Russell Square Goodge Street Covent Garden Tottenham Court Road Holborn

   

Description of Savoir Faire

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Savoire Fair - rarely has a restaurant been so perfectly named. Fresh food, good wine, mellow atmosphere, satisfied staff, value for money - this traditional French bistro knows how to please and over the past nine years it's perfected the art. The mouthwatering menu reads like that of any major London restaurant - rib eye steak served on a fromage frais pancake with a brandy and mushroom sauce, for example - apart from the prices. Although the menu changes every fortnight, the big sellers such as the traditional French bourguignon and tarte tatin are faithfully there for the savouring, much to the satisfaction of the regulars, many of them celebrities and actors from the local shows and plays. Every dish is freshly prepared on the premises daily. "If we can't cook it, we don't have it," declares the owner, Max. There's only one thing for it; cancel The Ivy and try a little Savoir Faire.

Additional information for Savoir Faire

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Follow the stairs down into the basement of Savoir Faire and you enter a split level spot-lit den comfortably seating 45 people. Separate the room with a curtain and you get two private parties with 30 on one side, and 15 on the other. No need to waste time trekking up and down the stairs either because there's a cash bar and "powder room" right there. Best of all, if you're a group of ten or fewer you can hire your very own 'secret' vault reached only by a very narrow passage leading off from the centre of the dining area. Dominated by a hand-painted Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec figure (as are all the walls) it's perfect for an intimate meal with close friends and family. The story goes that these vaults stretch directly to Soho along which, decades ago, money and alcohol were transported at night. Feel free to bring your own entertainment, but after a few bottles of the excellent and surprisingly inexpensive Merlot house wine you'll probably think you're the most amusing person there anyway. Savoir Faire closes at 11pm but has a late license for parties.