UNDER THE BRODGE; down the steps, en-route Borough Market, a perpendicular swivel to your right, finds you enface an alleyway. Phew. Not nearly what it once was: finding a top rated London French menu. Here finds you in a courtyard, leased out to indoor crazy golf, et voila Boro Bistro. I would say, follow the fairy lights but they’re everywhere now.
The snails with garlic butter are tough. Errors are down to the cooking technique of Burgundy snails, or escargots de Bourgogne. At £9 a plate I reserved my judgement. Not a bad idea as, like a camp symphony that teases, my second twist into the shell pulled out more snail meat that bit like wagyu married a fat Gordal olive. Earthy. Nutty and happily married with garlic butter.
The main snails eaten in France are the Helix pomatia (Burgundy snail), although Bulots – i.e. sea snails or whelks are commonly found on restaurant menus in Brittany and Normandy. The Burgundy snail is consumed in this way, as is presented with garlic butter. A Bulot is eaten as a steamed head-on grey or pink Crevette or prawn, with lemon and a side of mayonnaise. On its own it has more bite; crunch, salinity.
Ricard Pastis on a London French menu
London French menu at Boro Bistro
It’s not easy to find Ricard or a Pastis in London, let alone a French menu in London. It’s an aniseed heavy drink that’s not too sweet. Good for digestion, it’s typically consumed in summer months, cold. Mesmerising it is to watch the golden pastis turn milky as it’s diluted by water. Adding ice cubes to you last to this beverage, drank fashionably now (anywhere but here apparently), in many a glass variation. Addition of it just so is neither frivolous, nor anal. Simply, it avoids crystallising the anise oils.
Do please ask for how you want it served, if you find it on a menu in London. Please kindly share where you found it also. Many thanks in advance.
The service is lacklustre here Boro Bistro but I’m late to my reservation and it is a Saturday night where I can see most first dates or Friday night date dissections (over a glass of white wine) are well underway.
An affinity with alliums
The French have a way with alliums. Shakespeare convinced us that good and evil are interchangeable: elopement; familial estrangement; murder, all those fun things are all about nothing. On a top rated London French menu, anything allium inclusive s bound to shine.
The French convinced me that garlic, even raw garlic, stripped down to only unpeeled white noise – is good. In spite of delayed heart burn encounters; breath that bothers me not, is a fine trade-off for refinement in taste.
French cookery at its finest
Exemplifying exactly how is French flair in cookery challenges modus operandi, is, the humble leek. Struggling to shed my comfort menu order zone, it’s undoubtably what must be done. In doing so comes possibility to change otherwise forgettable experiences. Perhaps, pique an interest, in anything. Single ingredients; cooking, travel.
Roasted leeks come with pistachio, mint pesto, topped with partially toasted hazelnut. Sounds like a drunken mashup of foodstuffs. Masticating roasted leek sounds labour intensive, which it will be when done incorrectly. Done correctly, however, biting down on caramelised onion-like char yields to soft, tender custard adjacent leek. The toppings add nutty crunch; gentle umami, raw freshness.
Leeks vinaigrette holds a special place in my heart. Intensely refreshing to start a meal with. Roast leek on a menu in place of it, has my order. French bistro dishes are fun: plates to nibble; share, like dim sum, tapas, cicchetti
Bad side dishes spoil a meal
When small plates are ordered, bad side dishes single themselves out. Most people will order some sort of side plate, at a bistro especially. No beautiful images of fries here, I’m afraid. Boro Bistro’s truffle fries are soggy; far too truffle forward for me. Ingredient heavy salads never hit the mark for me, which was what the small salad bowl here is.
If in the area, new dishes rotate their menu. Although there are a lot of other restaurants round the corner I’d like to try first, it may be worth another visit to Boro Bistro.
London Bridge London
Boro Bistro restaurant review
Boro Bistro review – date of visit Saturday October 2025
Overall French food in London France
Taste: 6.3/10
Service: 5.2/10
Value for Money: 6.5/10
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