Step into Soho’s most storied dining room with executive chef Neil Borthwick — Scottish straight-talker, lover of demi-pints, and guardian of The French House’s old-school rules: no phones, no music, proper conversation only. He walks us through the thrill of a handwritten, daily-changing menu and the cult dishes that vanish by Friday — calves’ brains with beurre noisette and capers, that famously crispy pork jowl, a parsleyed ham terrine pricked with ox tongue — and yes, a rum baba to finish. We even learn the two sacred days when pints are allowed (April Fool’s and Pride), why four halves is a “rubbish” order, and how the vibe stays gloriously convivial because of it.
At The French House, Neil has built something rare — a place where the food feels both deeply French and completely unfussy, rooted in seasonality and memory rather than trends. The menu changes daily but always reads like a love letter to proper cooking: Dover sole meunière with caviar-laced velouté, pigeon pie, or a bone marrow–crumbed beef plate that regulars pray will reappear.
From Gordon Ramsay’s Amaryllis to Phil Howard’s The Square, Anne-Sophie Pic’s three-star temple, and a formative stint with Michel Bras, Neil’s CV reads like a greatest-hits of modern gastronomy. He unpacks the legend of Bras’ gargouillou (no tweezers required), the origin story of molten chocolate cake, and a philosophy that rejects “cool” in favour of nourishing, seasonal food done beautifully well. Expect dish-by-dish storytelling, laughter, and the tale of how a Paris lift kiss with Angela Hartnett, a near-fatal cycling accident and seven-day coma, and a hard-won recovery led him to the kitchen that finally feels like home.
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