Buvette Opens French Brasserie in Covent Garden’s Neal’s Yard

Buvette has opened a new 80-cover restaurant in Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden, marking the second London attempt for the West Village gastrothèque founded by Jody Williams following an earlier 2020 venture in Notting Hill that closed within four years.

Situated among alleyways featuring holistic therapy rooms, walk-in back rub spaces, Neal’s Yard Remedies and the 26 Grains cafe, the faux-French brasserie features a cute red frontage that opens into a heartstoppingly pretty interior equipped with marble-topped tables, bentwood chairs, a zinc bar, and chipper staff. Despite the charming atmosphere, the 80-cover space had plenty of seats to spare with almost all of them empty during a midweek lunchtime review by The Guardian.

French Menu Offers 25 Dishes Under £18

The establishment presents a pretty card listing 25 dishes to choose from, with none of them priced above £18. The totale français menu is aimed at the Emily in Paris generation and includes:

• Croque monsieur with roast mushrooms and gruyere
• Rillettes de saumon
• Salade niçoise with haricots verts and a mollet egg
• Macvin champagne and muscadet spritz, and pastis on the rocks
• Warm scones with jam, and almond croissants
• A classic construction croque madame featuring thick, white toasted bread, melted cheese, thin ham, extra grated cheese, a vivid egg yolk, and tiny, crunchy cornichons
• Grilled salmon dressed in sauce ravigote alongside dressed green beans and a petite salade verte, which The Guardian noted was crisped correctly and has clearly been cooked as if someone truly cares
• Pommes frites served in a copper pot, a meaty and sharply dressed salade de poulet, and chunky, sweet, glossy roast beets

Grace Dent Calls the Lovely Restaurant a Noble Attempt

The restaurant occupies a distinct niche in the neighborhood, though it faces challenges from local demographics who either prefer nearby options like Fergus Henderson’s wine bar or local juice shacks. Reviewer Grace Dent concluded that despite uncertainties over whether it offers anything genuinely new compared to past concepts like Café Rouge, it’s actually rather lovely and features considered, noble culinary attempts.