Hidden above a 300-year-old pub, an unassuming, family-run French bistro has just claimed the title of National Restaurant of the Year 2026
Hidden away above an unassuming 300-year-old Clerkenwell pub lies Bouchon Racine, a French bistro that has officially been named the National Restaurant of the Year 2026 and the Best Restaurant in England.
Opened on a shoestring budget by chef Henry Harris and his business partner Dave Strauss this “secret dining room” whisks diners away to the back streets of France. Taking inspiration from the traditional bouchons of Lyon and the bistros of Paris, Bouchon Racine . serves up unashamedly traditional, “gutsy Gallic food”.
Despite claiming the number one spot on the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 list, Bouchon Racine remains highly accessible, holding a modest ££ to £££ price rating. Diners can feast on authentic French culinary staples at surprisingly reasonable prices. You can start your meal with a baguette and salted butter for £4.50, or a Chicken Liver Pâté with cornichons for just £9.50. Generous main courses, such as Rabbit with mustard sauce and smoked bacon, or a Bavette steak with shallot marrow sauce, are priced at £23.00 and £24.50 respectively. For dessert, you can try their highly celebrated Crème Caramel for a mere £6.00. As is true of many a French-leaning establishment, vegetarians are not particularly well catered for.
Bouchon Racine has enchanted both the public and some of the UK’s toughest food critics. Jay Rayner described the menu as a “masterclass in French cooking,” while Jimi Famurewa called the dining room a place of “gutsy flavours and twinkling magic”. Nigella Lawson praised the return of the “beauty of brown food,” and Giles Coren boldly declared that they serve “the best crème caramel in England”.
Everyday diners are just as enamoured. One Google reviewer called the bistro a “wonderful discovery in London,” praising a “delicious rabbit and chicken pie” paired with a “remarkable cream and mustard sauce”. The reviewer noted that the chef personally greeted them in French and treated them to a prune crème brûlée, calling it “probably one of the best I’ve ever tasted” and noting the kitchen’s “genuine passion for gastronomy”.
How to Visit Bouchon Racine:
It is located upstairs at 66 Cowcross Street, London, sitting right above the Three Compasses pub. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday, serving lunch from 12:00pm to 3:00pm, and dinner from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. As a small, family-run operation with tables accommodating a maximum of six people, reservations open 30 days in advance. Given its newly minted status as the best restaurant in the country, you will want to book quickly to secure your spot.
The Top 10 Ranked List of National Restuarant Awards 2026:
- Bouchon Racine – Clerkenwell, London
- Joint 2nd . The Ritz – Mayfair, London Joint 2nd. Osip – Bruton, Somerset
- Dorian – Notting Hill, London
- The Ledbury – Notting Hill, London
- Restaurant Moor Hall – Aughton, Lancashire
- Ynyshir – Machynlleth, Powys
- Mountain – Soho, London
- Trinity – Clapham, London
- Woven by Adam Smith – Sunningdale, Berkshire
- Legado – Shoreditch, London
