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Please note, Le Deuxième is now closed. Time Out Food & Drink Editors.
For theatregoers this understated restaurant is a bona fide West End hit. Playing nightly to an appreciative audience, waistcoated staff nimbly navigate the tables (which bear starched-linen tablecloths) under the careful orchestration of the immaculate maître d’. The pace is fast but never rushed; the approach formal, but never brusque. That said, the gloss of French savoir faire stops short of the menu, which has merely a whisper of Gallic flourish in the shape of escargots bourguignon or pan-fried foie gras with toasted brioche. Chef Simon Conboy regales diners with the kind of classics that have become ‘British’ favourites, be that pork belly with mustard mash, chargrilled ribeye of Scottish beef, or green thai prawn curry. It’s proficient cooking with decent ingredients at a fair price (especially if you look to the two- and three-course set menus). Braised ox cheeks were richly dense yet tender, while rump of lamb was cooked just so, medium rare. The boom and bust rhythms of pre- and post-theatre diners mean that Le Deuxième isn’t a relaxed destination, but should you pass by mid-performance, about 8pm, you might just walk in and get a table.