The story
Brasserie Zédel is exactly what it claims to be: a grand and bustling Parisian brasserie, dropped into the centre of Soho, London. It serves traditional French food at remarkably good value – a Prix-Fixe Menu of two courses for £16.95 is a standing offer – in an atmosphere that feels genuinely lively and relaxed. The Michelin inspectors have taken note, awarding it a "Recommended" rating for 2026, and it’s easy to see why.
The restaurant occupies part of the former Regent Palace Hotel, which opened in 1915 as the largest hotel in Europe. In the early 1930s, architect and designer Oliver Percy Bernard – a key figure in the Art Deco movement – was commissioned to redesign the basement interiors. He created the stunning, "incredibly mannered" spaces that survive today: the Crazy Coqs cabaret bar, the Bar Américain cocktail bar with its jazz-age columns and striped birch veneers, and the main dining room. Architecture Today has called these “probably the best and most authentic series of 1930s interiors in this country.” The restaurant is part of The Wolseley Hospitality Group.
The menu is straightforward French brasserie cooking. The kitchen turns out dishes like steak frites, onion soup, and lemon meringue tart – the sort of food that is deeply comforting when done well, and here it is. There is live music every day: a pianist from 5.30pm, and house bands from 8.00pm. The atmosphere is lively without being overbearing.
The building is a small empire. At pavement level, ZL Café serves Parisian café classics. Downstairs, Bar Américain offers an authentic cocktail experience, and Crazy Coqs presents a programme of cabaret, comedy, and musical theatre. It’s possible to spend an entire evening across the different spaces without leaving the building. As chef Pierre Koffmann once said, this is “the only real Brasserie in London.”
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