Le Beaujolais Club, Covent Garden

Mr Oil and Mr Vinegar journey east, through the tawdry horrors of Soho to Le Beaujolais, a little piece of France and one of London’s best-kept secrets.

MrV: I have never understood why the French Embassy doesn’t annexe the Beaujolais Club. Being there is so like being in France that everyone would understand them wanting to claim it as their own.
MrO: I daresay there are impracticalities involved. Do you think their government would let us do the same over there?
MrV: They have in the past. Many times. Those poor French. They’re never really happy running their own country. Yet we keep giving it back to them.
MrO: When precisely did we do that?
MrV: 15th century, 16th century, 19th century, twice in the 20th century – take your pick.
MrO: But we were going to talk about the dining experience.
MrV: Ah yes, we have much to thank the French for when it comes to food. If they hadn’t been offended by Marie Antoinette’s cakes they wouldn’t have crushed their aristocracy, which wouldn’t have put all those great cooks out on the street, which wouldn’t have caused the invention of the modern restaurant.
MrO: An interesting and possibly controversial theory...
MrV: There’s just the problem of French manners, but I suppose if you are going to murder all the people with good manners you cannot expect too much from those who are left.
MrO: Getting back to Le Beaujolais...
MrV: It’s an oasis. It really is in a dreadful spot, isn’t it? Sandwiched between the souks of Soho and Covent Garden, it’s a bit like being in the Arab quarter of Paris.
MrO: I am confused. Every time I think you are about to deliver a compliment you do the opposite. Do you like the place or not?
MrV: I love it. You step out of the madness and into what seems almost to be a friend’s house.
MrO: Thank goodness – a straightforward statement. Now then, what is it in particular that we like about this place: the food, the service, the price of the wine or the atmosphere?
MrV: Very good question. Michel and Jean-Yves are very friendly hosts. They always have a joke and will talk about the rugby very animatedly if you are interested. And there’s that lovely waitress. I don’t know her name, but I imagine quite a few members have harboured fantasies about her.
MrO: I think we can all guess the identity of one of them.
MrV: But the wine is very good value. That Marbuzet 2000 we had was only £65, which is about half what you’d pay in any other restaurant.
MrO: Personally, for me it is the food and the atmosphere equally. The other customers are civilised and look as if they would be quite good company. And the food is so wonderfully and unashamedly French. On that last visit my duck confit was quite excellent and the potatoes were truly garlicky.
MrV: I always find it hard to choose. The kidneys in mustard sauce are rightly famous, as is the cassoulet. Last time I had a splendid pudding of ice cream covered in chocolate sauce but usually I go for the cheese board, which is certainly one of the very best in London.
MrO: I do worry about telling all these people how wonderful it is when they aren’t members.
MrV: That shouldn’t be a problem. They can either ask around until they find a member to propose them or just wander along and ask how to join. It isn’t expensive – about £75 or £100 a year, I think -- and as long as they don’t look like a media tart from The Ivy next door they should get in all right.
MrO: We should point out that it’s not to be confused with the wine bar on the ground floor. I daresay that’s fine but it’s not like the dining club in the basement.

Mr Oil and Mr Vinegar ate a starter each, a main course each and a pudding each. To drink they had a glass of kir each, a bottle of fine wine and two cups of coffee (plus a complimentary liqueur each) at a total cost of about £130.

Le Beaujolais
25 Litchfield Street
London WC2H 9NJ
+44 (0) 207 836 2277
+44 (0) 207 240 3776