Otto's French Restaurant London in London

Nothing less than perfect.

Great dinner in your private room downstairs. Amazing food and service. We will be back

Very quaint and knowledgeable staff. Dining here is an experience not to be missed, recommend very highly.

Amazing almost cult like place for those who like French food ( Bocuse style not Gagnaire style ) and real waiters and maître D H and dining rooms which look like a 1970 dining room as opposed to ... minimalist post modern gluten free vegetarian allergy free European food with creative twists

Just utterly wonderful in every respect. Perfect cooking and probably the best cellar I ve seen in London. Some truly lovely wine at a price that doesn t take the proverbial. Oliver the sommelier is a delight.

Absolutely amazing service Food was the best in London Ive ever had Cant wait to go back to Ottos! Food : 5/5

Fantastic French food in a cosy restaurant

The first place we book on any given trip to London.

Good food but far too overpriced

Classic French cusine that is hard to find these days. One of the remaining few restaurants that sticks to tradition rather than modernity

Old school french food. Amazing food, thank god restaurants like this still exist!

Exquisite. We will remember our duck presse experience for many years. Everything is sourced, prepared and presented with care and flair. This is a restaurant for people who appreciate classic hospitality and fine food. Thank you for taking us to another realm of delicious. Food : 5/5

A little reserved on first arrival but warmed up wonderfully. Staff all great especially the sommelier who was a treat and gave great recommendations. We had the duck for two which was wonderful and beautifully cooked. Had a great birthday meal and will definitely be back. Great spot, great attention to detail, great food and ingredients

Just OMG. Delicious, decadent and intimate. Its pricey, so save for a special occasion, great for groups, superb service. The only down side is when you get to the end of every dish- sad times Food

Great food, even better service and nice vibe! Recommend:)

Classic French food at its best

Faultless lunch, delicious relaxed. Sets the standard. Food

Faultless service and delicious food. Im told the wine is very good too

Fresh food, nice crowd. Bookings needed for the weekends

Fantastic food and ambience. Well worth it for a special treat.

Lovely food, great wine.

Otto, Elin and all their crew are marvellous hosts. Each visit has been special in it s own way. Beautiful setting, nicely spaced tables downstairs. The lobster is unparalleled- don t think you ll find anything like it anywhere else.

Very over priced

Excellent food

Rare classic French food. Every dish including bread is brilliant. I ordered the Pressed Lobster and it is one of a kind! Best dinner I ever had and the food is certainly no less than a lot of Michelin star restaurants. Service is efficient and staff is very friendly. Kid-friendliness: Staff is especially friendly to kids.

One of Londons hidden gems on Grays Inn road. Very eccentric style, great service, and ambience. Recommend the duck presse if you can get it.

Tuesday evening dinner, an excellent overall experience, staff attentive without being intrusive. Three great courses well spread out and the wines matched for our dishes were well selected as being from Australia we have limited knowledge of French wines. All up well worth it, yes it is not cheap , but quality fine dinning comes at a price and we have paid similar amounts for less.

You can tell why they have good reviews here.

Awesome experience this place is a real restaurant as it should be. Well done Team Otto. Deserved its 5star rating!!! Vegetarian options: There is a lot to choose from no issues at all

Delicious food in a unique atmosphere

What a delightfully (new to me) charming restaurant, the most fabulous food and welcoming staff, I shall be returning again soon to this gem of a restaurant 5/5

Cool place

Its a very comfortable restaurant with a fun decor and a delicious sounding menu. Our starters /deserts were tasty, but I was really disappointed with the steak tartare. After having read all the good reviews, I had been really looking forward to it. Unfortunately the accompanying potato darphin was rock hard and inedible (so I had to send that back). I also found the steak tartare to be overly salty - maybe my fault as I ordered it spicey with all the additions of onion/capers etc? It didnt taste too spicey, just too salty. It was just very disappointing....

Amazing food and venue

I think they had a bit of a bad night have eaten here twice before and it was perfection but this time a little bit off the lobster soufflé was overcooked and had far too much grand marnier Everything else ok but just not as good as before

Good food, nice staff

Very much an old school traditional French restaurant. Traditional service too, free of the matey, over-familiar style which is depressingly common, but not stuffy. In a world of commoditised dining brands Ottos is a reassuring throwback.

The food was delicious, and the service was impeccable. Highly recommended.

I came here for my birthday with the family, and it was a fantastic experience. The service was lovely and friendly. The food was delicious and so was the wine! They hand mixed the steak tartare and flambé the crepe suzette at the table, whats not to love about that? This has been the most french experience I have had outside of France in a while.

excellent food

great food, I LOVE IT

Great place. Superb French cuisine, great ingredients, nicely presented

Ottos is some of the best French food weve had! Were visiting London from NYC and were impressed. Oliver knew the menu from top to bottom and delivered truly exceptional service. My wife is pregnant and he was able to guide us through food restrictions. A gem of a restaurant for sure. Some very light background music may be a nice addition to the dining experience!

Fantastic classic French restaurant. Check out the king scallops and beef tartare made right in front of you. A unique gem

My partner & I celebrated his birthday at Otto s last night and we could not have wished for a better experience. Otto and his team welcomed us like family into their home and we enjoyed the night from start to finish. Our starters, main course, cheese & desert were outstanding and the whole meal has honestly been one of the best we ever had the pleasure of eating in our lives! We wholeheartedly recommend enjoying a night full of warmth, good food and wine & a 5 star service to anyone.

Amazing restaurant, with a duck menu to die for! We all enjoyed the service and the ambiance!

Nice food. Its just the smell which was annoying.

All the food was amazing, Service was perfect as well.

Delicious!!!! A bit pricey but good for a treat. I love the old-fashioned fabulous service.

Amazing place to visit. Food exceptional, wine menus great Food

Ottos restaurant is a gem hidden on a nondescript parade of local shops and and takeaways on Grays Inn Road. the food is unashamedly traditional French, with rich flavours and fine presentation. The Quenelle Lyonnaise with Lobster were a stand out, delicious in a sauce that demanded bread to mop up the remainder. The atmosphere is quiet-ish but in a pleasant way rather than a cold way. Service was impeccable. The only downside is the bill...I will be back to try the special pressed duck menu

Amazing real French food and superb service

Beautiful place with wonderful perfectly done food. Slightly eccentric service. Everything we ordered was delicious and interesting. If you are looking for a real treat Ottos is the place!

Would give more stars if I could. A whole sky of stars for Ottos! We went for a meal to celebrate my dads birthday, and were absolutely blown away by our evening. The atmosphere, service and attention to detail were amazing, and the special thought taken for the birthday celebrations was really moving. The restaurant itself is beautiful, it felt like wed stepped into another world. Everyone was so polite, helpful and above all genuine. There was a feeling of being truly welcome which means we cant wait to come back. Believe me when I say this is a restaurant experience like no other. And the food. The food! The best steak I have ever eaten in London. Heavenly scallops, beautiful snails, ambrosial white burgundy and the perfect vodka martini. The crepes suzette are a must. We cant wait to come back - thank you Otto and team!

Beautiful experience!

I went with real fans of this place. The main course was absolutely fine but they were happy to serve me a soufflé that was raw inside. When I pointed this out to the waiter he just shrugged. As it was a birthday party I did not want to make a fuss. It is also expensive. Its just down the road but I shall not return. I would much prefer to go to Noble Rot which is close by and much better.

Very good!

One of the best places to eat in London. Small with a great atmosphere and incredible French cuisine. The staff are perfect, very friendly, they explain to you what they are doing with the dishes, what they contain, how they are cooked, some of them are placed in front of you. It is very small and has a playful special aesthetic.

Very lovely soufflé

Wonderful warm and cozy restaurant. Lovely service and with a number of dishes prepared at your table lots of theatre. Delicious food.

Excellent food, good atmosphere, interesting decor. Unusual. One of a kind, a restaurant managed quietly and firmly by Mr Otto, a proprietor who is clearly passionate about doing things extremely well. Its a very personal thing. I love it.

Ottos is a wonderful London institution and in a perfect world it will go on forever, but just in case the world does not turn out to be perfect then go while you can, and ideally more than once. Its a fantastic combination of wonderful food and wine and unstuffy and friendly service. Our most recent visit was for my birthday celebration. We booked the duck press which, although not exactly cheap, was a really memorable experience. The preparation of the various flamed sauces and the duck press itself on the trolley beside the table is pure theatre, but there is seriously good cooking underlying all the fun. The pommes soufflées for example are worth a trip in themselves. Otto and all the staff are friendly and obviously love what theyre doing here, as do we.

Characterful classic French restaurant with the inimitable Otto flambéeing tableside and wielding the antique duck and lobster presses. Incredible food and utterly magical atmosphere - unforgettable! Food

Unique and delicious. Wonderful evening with great food and excellent service. The Tournedos was insane !

wonderful for a special day

Wonderful, amazing food and service. Memorable, can t recommend enough.

Excellent customer service, polite and with a smile.

Fantastic food and service with great eclectic style.

I came in with my friends by accident and was delighted. I liked everything in general: polite and competent staff, very tasty food and drinks.

It is an ideal place for lovers of fish and other seafood, but there are also dishes to taste for meat eaters. Cool promotions every day. Stunning stylish interior, cute waiters, complete relaxation and a sample of a cool institution.

Superb food with a quality service.

Top

Great place, fantastic wine, good service!

Lovely quaint restaurant, the pressed duck is amazing !!

just absolutely fantastic food!

Delicious food

Dont be put off by the cultural dissonance - Italian waiting staff in a French restaurant, The bread was better than most you will find even in Paris. All the meat & seafood we had - scallops, pigeon, beef, stonebass, guinea fowl - was cooked to perfection, served with delicious sauces and flairfully garnished. Ottos has a decent wine list and facilities. Very warm and quirky ambiance. Great find.

Well I had some very very tasty food here. It is small and feels like someones front room because thats the rustic charm of it , food was all nice and yum and french and everyone who worked there seemed pretty nice

Lovely restaurant

It s hard to explain to someone how special and unique the place is. Let s start with the basics. The food is incredibly good and the wine list to match. They have honed most of these dishes clearly over a long time and all of them are just fantastic. There are some veggie options but it s not for the politically correct with snails, calves brain appearing regularly on the menu. The service is also excellent. What really makes this place though is that It is so unusual and just fills you with joy. Initially you think you are sitting in someone s sitting room, but soon you realise you are sitting in a beautifully crafted restaurant. Nothing is off the shelf or standard. The furniture is vintage dinning tables, the art amazing and all very individual and unique. It s quiet. Very quiet which is so magic. You can actually hear each other so well. yet there is a lovely atmosphere even if you dine on your own. Honestly from The outside you might not go in as it s so shielded with curtains and drapes it s hard to see what is going on inside. But You walk through that door to another world. The owners Elin(Swedish) and Otto(German) have some how created the best (French) restaurant i would argue in London and further afield indeed. Thank you to them and the years of amazing food and service they have offered. My life wouldn t be quite the same without it.

Amazing

Excellent French food and atmosphere

Exceptional food and personal friendly service. The duck is outstanding but must be ordered in advance. This local gem is highly recommended. Very limited seating

Cant wait to visit again. Every course was wonderful :)

Fabulous place, amazing food and lovely unique service with huge care and attention. Good value for money.

Incredible ! No talk and no stories just incredible precise food wine and beer. What an experience.

Good restaurants nice people but the food is not much

Beyond. Counting down the days until we come back. The food and the service were outstanding. From the bread and butter to the lobster bisque, homemade ravioli, lamb wellington, and of course the desserts, literally perfection. Otto has created a magical place.

great service!)

Good food and decent service, if a little overbearing from some of the waiting staff.

The best goat cheese souffle

Absolutely amazing, been many times and it never disappoints. The best steak tartare I ever had, service is spot on and the lovely owners Elin and Otto always looking after you. 5 star food, wine, service and ambience.

We had the Tournedos Rossini unfortunately the meat was a little overcooked even though we asked for rare. Very commercial they offered us dessert.

French provincial cooking, with an assortment of delicacies

Great food and service! A must for anyone looking for a genuine restaurant experience.

Everything was done very very well. One of the best French restaurants in London

What a wonderful restaurant. From the food, to the service, to the atmosphere this is an amazing place to spend three or four hours eating, drinking and enjoying yourself with friends while being looked after by people who genuinely care about your experience. Couldn t recommend more highly.

Awesome foods and beautiful atmosphere

It s okay

Wonderful place. Fabulous food. Been twice and will return .

Fantastic.

Great experience. Delicious steak tartare

The bresse chicken was superb

Mwuaaaaah

Great experience.

Amazing French restaurant with great service, amazing food and an extensive wine list

This is a highly underrated place. The menu is full of French classics. Have been there on and off for nearly a decade and never a bad meal. Terrific!

Brilliant meal and service - can t get better

French charm, exquisite cuisine, great service. It feels almost like a time travel. It takes you to good old times, somewhere in Paris. The noise of the city is left outside. Nice and cozy interior. Attentive staff. Top quality French cuisine. Feels very authentic. They do Canard de Rouen a la Presse, which is quite rare these days. I had their signature Simmenthal beef tartare. It is skillfully prepared at the table. We had it medium spicy and it was out of this world. The taste, the texture is just a perfection. I also ordered Agneau en Croûte or Lamb Wellington which was an absolute delight. Another dish mastered to a perfection. At one moment I had an illusion of being a jury member at the French cuisine competition and served with a champion dish. Wine list is well balanced and I liked it had some fine half-bottles as well. The only remark I have is for the plateau de fromages. I wish the selection of cheese could be even better. My strong recommendation for anyone looking for an old fashioned small French restaurant in London. And sincere thanks to the team.

Excellent service and food in a beautiful, relaxed environment.

Great, proper French food at a good price. Good service. The decor is a bit dated , and could do with a refresh.

Delicious food! Nice atmosphere..

Perfect

Welcoming, atmospheric, genuine French restaurant with exquisite cuisine. Delightful!

Classic French cooking, impeccable service and top notch wine list.

Fantastic dinner, charming dining room and friendly efficient service. Felt like we travelled to Paris.

If you cant get to Paris....this is the next best thing. Old school, classic, and elegant.

Simply sublime. Well looked after for my fathers birthday. Superb food, wine and service levels. Highly highly recommended.

Absolutely love this place. Really friendly staff, delicious food makes for a great dinner out - leave a good couple of hours for a proper 2-3 course dinner with excellent wine. The pressed duck is very good - but ring ahead at least the day before to book if thats what youre after.

Odd location - do not be put off by that. This is French classical cookery at its best....Otto is an eccentric delight, the waiters (wine and otherwise) exceptional experts in their work and Helen - what a chef. Everything is generous in size and spirit. Such a find

Enjoyed the evening, food was very good. Definitely come back again to try the rest of the menu.

1:The line is long. I arrived around 11:30 a.m. At 12:15 p.m., I received food. However, the experience was fantastic, as was the food. There is no place to eat at this location. They only let a few people in at a time, so you can really browse around and enjoy it like its not too crowded.

Old world French culinary theatre presented with charm and pride. Flambés Galore, tableside presentation of the duck before cooking, and more. The saucing can be intensely rich, but also unexpectedly delicate. The duck they are famed for is uniquely lean, and the breast with blood sauce a delicate, irony punctuation to the feast. Do not be put off by the location and cheap facade, this is hidden gem.

Absolutely yummy

Highly recommend this place. So authentic, the food was delicious and really knowable waiter who made the best beef tartar in front of you with a little description on how he was doing it.

Its absolutely fabulous. Lovely staff and amazing food. Highly recommended.

No fuss, just absolutely fantastic food! Everything was incroyable from start to finish. The staff were attentive but not in your space, knowledgeable and professional. Otto graced us with his charm and quick whit and I could not have asked for a better dinner to celebrate my 30 years of life. Not only did everything taste amazing but the portion sizes were generous too! Just the way it should be. I hate leaving restaurants hungry and feeling like I paid for air. Well done Otto and team!

Fantastic table side service. The preparation and presentation of the dishes are exquisite. The food is fantastic with a beautiful wine list. The pressed preparations should be ordered at least a week in advance even though the restaurant says 48hrs

Phenomenal secret french restaurant. Stunning service and food. Love it here. Will keep coming back.

A one off! Like a time capsule to 1980s Paris! Great, classic, unpretentious cooking. Bubbles flowing, really warm welcome, older clientele but no stuffiness. Ruben too great care of us, and every course made us smile!

Food is delicious, however being charged for soda water is not right,considering how much we paid.

Expensive but if you like classic French food it is worth it. Very traditional

Best French restaurant in London

Had a team xmas dinner here. Food was good but we left behind a wrapped gift in error. This seems to have been taken by a member of staff as we were the last to leave. The management made no effort to find out what happened to it.

The restaurant had a great atmosphere and staff highly knowledgeable and attentive.

An amazing experience. Ive never befored dined in a place that combines formal food in an informal setting to such perfection. Truly brilliant and some of the tastiest food in London.

Very nice and delicious food. Service was good. Ambience and presentation of food was very impressive.

Great European class restaurant

Best

French classics cooked well. Great tartare.

Excellent old school French cuisine.

One of the best lunches I v had in London !

Ottos is an experience. Old school french indulgence with a splash of kitsch. High quality cooking, a real treat. Show a little bravery and try this magnificent little gem. Amazing service and cosy atmosphere.

Pop art meets velvet banquettes and antiques in a restaurant serving updated classic French dishes.

Ottos is an institution. Perennial french classics & regional specials. Atmosphere indicative of company - timeless & broadsweeping with measured, tuned, tableside service. Vibrant esoteric wine list. Duck press outstanding. Otto is unforgettable.

Amazing food and excellent service

I loved it

A really excellent meal served with the humour and charm which is the hallmark of Otto.

Not bad

Good French Food. Good ambient. Nice Service

My girlfriend surprised me with a dinner here for my birthday and it was absolutely fantastic. Cant recommend the pressed duck enough and the whole waiting staff were amazing, overall one of the best (if not best) dining experiences Ive had!

Absolutely perfect from my first walking through the door to leaving this wonderful Restaurant. Tremendous well prepared and flavoursome food and attentive personal service . As a small establishment it compares to any of your big high end Michelin star restaurants but without the pretention that is sometimes prevalent that some clients actually like (each to their own ) .

If you have to exchange your sisters kidneys to have the pressed duck (which you have to order in advance) then do it. This place should be on any gourmands radar; a unique and legendary dining experience.

Their canard a la presse is amazing. Don t get appetizers if you order it

Classical French cooking of the old school, harking back to the glory days of Maxims and the Tour dArgent. There is no restaurant in London like it. I had the Signature tasting menu this time -- sauteed wild mushroom with foie gras, ravioli of lobster and Cornish scallops, slow cooked suckling pig, and crepe Suzette flambéed at the table. It was as ever heavenly. M Otto is a great character, and a great restaurateur.

It was a fantastic experience. Delicious food, great wines and a superb service. 100% recommended. Otto, you are a great host

Overpriced for what it is. I dont consider this authentic French couisine and portions were small. Some of the staff were not as friendly as you would thing for a place like this.

Oh God, the souffles! I had the cheese one as a main and thought I had reached souffle nirvana but then I ordered the Gran Marnier for dessert and I was deliciously proven wrong: I had then made it to souffle heaven. The steak a la minute and the scallops were amazing as well. Kind and super chic staff (although theyre totally cool with people dressed in shorts and t-shirts, its 2019 after all!). I can only recommend, really good!

The food and service is amazing and the price is rather reasonable for London. The setting is quite unique. We were seated in the basement and were surrounded by bottles of wine and pictures of Maylin Monroe.

Absolutely delicious! On the pricey side but you certainly get what you pay for. I didnt order the scallop and regretted it when I saw how beautiful it looked. (Definitely opt for that when you go) my lamb, however, was exceptional.

Very disappointed. From beginning until the end. First of all staff was very robotic, seen no smiles, no care, had a feeling that everything was rushed for our table (had to ask for wine menue first time in my life in restaurant), I really felt I want to leave asap! So atmosphere wasnt welcoming at all. Food totally overpriced!! I wouldnt even say it was good. In fact You expect to have something special for these kind of prices but there was nothing!!! Waste of money and time, absolutely wrong.....

Totally wrong in my opinion, The place looks quirky, and first impression was good, but service was flat and unremarkable from the start and- most importantly, the food is way overpriced for what it is: starters were thrown together hastily and mains ( although nothing wrong with them) come at a price bordering on Michelin star cooking, but are essentially a much simpler affair. You can find so many better restaurants in London, for either same level of cooking ( at a lower price) or higher level ( for similar price).

Delicious, decadent, comfortable. All round fantastic restaurant and top class food

Fantastic!

beautifully odd. good food though!

Amazing elegant decedent meal! Intimate restaurant and lovely staff. Wonderful food for a special occasion

Dubious service, not enough staff to serve food and drinks. Solid not visit again. Surly staff. Boooooo.