The story
In London's Little Venice, on Formosa Street, Paulette brings a French accent to the neighbourhood. The restaurant's own voice is concise, but the message is clear: Paulette is growing. The team behind it has expanded into a group called Mamie Good, a sign of a confident, evolving project.
The cooking is French, prepared with the restraint and precision that defines the best of that tradition. The dining room feels like a natural extension of the canal-side setting – unhurried, civilised, and built for lingering. An interesting wine list complements the menu, with bottles chosen to match the kitchen's understated elegance.
The restaurant has earned a Michelin Recommended distinction for 2026, a recognition that speaks to consistency and craft rather than flash. It is a place that rewards repeat visits: the menu changes with the seasons, and the wine list rewards curiosity. Paulette is a quiet, confident addition to London's French dining scene, anchored in a corner of the city that knows how to enjoy a good meal.
Recognition
Details
History
On a side street close to Warwick Avenue tube, this delightfully eccentric bistro ‘thrives off its community spirit’ and has all the trappings of a quirky dining room belonging to a rich, dotty aunt who has travelled the world. Inside, it's a mishmash of closely packed wooden tables and chairs (some covered in gingham tablecloths), antique lampshades, eye-catching floral patterned wallpaper, shelves of wine and a service bar decked out like a country-house kitchen. The place oozes natural charm and attentive staff will greet you like a long-lost friend, even if it’s your first visit. The resolutely French menu is executed with obvious care and skill, ‘bringing comfort and authenticity to every bite’. Baked Camembert, moules marinière and oysters mignonette figure among the openers, along with a signature tarte tatin of Roscoff onions with blue cheese and mascarpone cream. Main courses also whisk you off to France with the likes of confit duck and sauce bordelaise or fillet of trout with a pipérade of spring vegetables and mint pistou. Also look for Aubrey Allen's 'butcher's 'cut of the week' served with a special sauce. Even the skin-on fries (crisp, hot and salty, with mayo for dipping) are spot-on. Portions are generous, but do save room for one of their eye-catching desserts – perhaps lemon tart topped with a wave of blowtorched meringue or unctuous chocolate mousse studded with shiny caramelised hazelnuts and surrounded by a verdant pool of pistachio crème anglaise. They take their wine seriously here, with vintage Burgundies and Bordeaux at not-too-silly prices, plus Coravin selections and monthly in-house tastings. There's plenty of choice below £50 too, which helps to make Paulette a nigh-on perfect neighbourhood gem.
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