Paulette in City of London, Westminster

We read good things about Paulette in a Hardens article and decided to dine here when spending a weekend in town. It’s quite small (about 25 covers plus a couple of pavement tables) and has a charmingly intimate French vibe. The front of house team are delightful - friendly and chatty and just the right amount of attention, so they’re always on hand and attentive but without the service feeling overbearing. Quite a short menu but something for most tastes, particularly if you like traditional French cuisine, and my wife enjoyed one of the best Moules Mariniere she’s ever had. My duck croquette starter was tasty and we both had cod as our main course - nicely cooked and we’d just have preferred a little more time between courses. Classic crème brûlée and cheese selection to finish. The wine list is an enjoyable canter through the great French regions and while there are a few international wines to choose from, why would you? We chose a lovely Pouilly Fume with a little help from our waitress and couple of glasses of aromatic sweet wine with dessert. All in all a very enjoyable evening and we’d strongly recommend.

First rate French cuisine in a gorgeous W9 location - atmosphere and food feel very authentic. Not cheap - but highly recommended.

We had a delicious dinner, with fantastic service from the whole family. A perfect ambiance, relaxed, friendly and would happily recommend. We wouldn’t hesitate to come again. Thank you for a lovely evening.

Tout juste arrivées à Londres, notre 1er dîner nous emmène, à notre grande surprise, dans ce bistro français dans un quartier très agréable. L’accueil est excellent, la terrasse accueillante et les clients, des habitués, qui se régalent à parler avec 2 françaises. L’assiette est tellement bonne qu’on espère y revenir durant notre séjour. Merci pour ce moment suspendu!

Paulette is an exceptional experience of French cuisine that I cannot praise too much. A delightful discovery in our own backyard that we'll be returning to regularly.

A pretty little French restaurant/ cafe style on Formosa street W9 London. Lovely service by our French waitress / manager.. Not a huge selection of vegetarian food as they are not known for this anyhow in France… but they did have a stuffed pasta which I had a side of garlic cream spinach and French fries. My husband had the ballotine of chicken stuffed with mushrooms and mash. Both were gorgeous . We drank Perrier water champagne and French beer! The bill came to £85 inc service. They made us feel very welcome , freshly cooked food , corner snug to eat- quiet atmosphere but popular to take just drinks and no food- a couples place for sure. They gave us a dessert of crème brûlée complimentary as it was our anniversary! Bravo merci beaucoup !

An atmospheric, welcoming French restaurant which is the real deal. A charming host and staff, and the most delicious food. A gem!

It was an incredibly special experience! It was our families last night of visiting us in London and we wanted to have our dinner at Paulettes. It was perfect! The food to the engagement of all the people there ~ can't recommend it enough!

I really wanted to like this place - it's close by and would be a wonderful local. I know that covid and inflation have ravaged the hospitality industry, and that costs have gone through the roof. As a result going out to eat these days is a serious treat, and I, like so many others, can only afford to do so on special occasions. As a result we like to think that the cooking will be special and that two starters and two mains, one dessert and four glasses of wine will be worth over £190 (yup) even in Little Venice. Lets start with the good: Lovely attentive service Great location and ambience Extensive (French) wine list BUT: And please bear in mind that this is completely subjective and all palates are different,. I think, judging by the food, that the Chef has NOT been classically-trained either in France or elsewhere. And I'm being polite. The bouillabaisse was both tiny (and this complaint runs throughout - all the main dishes were SMALL) and heavily overflavoured with what I'd like to think was Pernod, but suspect was fennel or anise. No rascasse (a weird fish, but in Marseilles they will tell you that it is an essential ingredient of the dish), but that's quite hard to find in London. The fries came with skin on. A personal horror of mine and one that no self-respecting frenchman or frenchwoman would countenance. Its just bloody lazy and results in sour-tasting fries. My daughter however does demand that I say that her fillet (£38 for 200 grams) was good. Not the best she's had (she's nine) but 7 out of 10. My moules breton starter (£14) contained 10 mussels, of which 3 remained closed and was incredibly salty. One of the dishes on the menu (girolles on toast with a duck egg) had been altered because "the duck had not laid this morning". A slightly lame excuse when duck eggs are freely available. Our dessert was a very oversweet chocalate souffle, which was either the result of an over-heavy hand with the sugar, or poor-quality chocolate. Each 125ml glass of wine ( an ok touraine and an unmemorable pomerol merlot) were £11 each, a markup I calculate at about 700% on the retail price per bottle (let alone wholesale). I'm sorry because the front-of-house staff were lovely and not responsible for either the cooking or pricing, but I hope that some informed criticism of the kitchen is reasonable, so that it might match up to the quality of the front-of-house team.

I was absolutely charmed by Paulette. Its location in a residential part of London gives it a neighborhood feel. No pretension. The size is perfect -- about 10 tables. The decor is authentic and atmosphere welcoming. True hospitality was shown by the small staff, who evidently loved their jobs and craft. And the food! Wonderfully French. Sausages and gherkins to start... simple and delicious. The best chicken liver pate I have every tasted--light as a mousse and not oily or overly fatty. And lemon sole, perfectly prepared and simply served, with a little tang from capers. The French wine list only makes it better, as did a staff willing to make smart recommendations about pairings. Delightful.

I tried the minced-duck equivalent of a hot dog bun with mustard. It was a small bite but very beautiful. Thanks again to Adrien C at Taste of London for this dish. 👍🏾

100% recommended! Great French cuisine dishes! Excellent service, as well as environment! Lovely neighbourhood too.

I am lucky to live close to this little gem of a restaurant.My friend and were so well looked after last Tuesday evening. I had laryngitis and was given such special care and support, hot toddy was offered and warm, quiet table arranged. Nothing was too much trouble which was deeply appreciated. The food, wine list and ambiance is exceptional.

Vraiment extraordinaire ! Paulette est une excellente adresse à Londres : Restaurant Français délicieux dans un merveilleux décor. Ambiance extrêmement sympathique ! Grand choix, petit prix, accueil et service au TOP ! Je recommande très vivement cette pépite

We really enjoyed our lunch here. The atmosphere was great and the decor was lovely. The food was incredible and the staff were really inviting. We started with Escargots de Bourgogne which we were a bit nervous to try but were delicious. Our mains were very tasty and we will definitely be coming again.

Lucky people who live close to this dream of a place. Feels like being in France. Tiny little restaurant cum deli cum wine shop. Short but typically French menu. Friendly staff. Outside seating too. V romantic. Would recommend booking to avoid disappointment.

This is always such a nice place to have a meal--friendly, good staff, noisy and full of life! The food is exceptional-the new menu tempting--the wine list has a wonderful variety of unusual wines. We bought six friends on Thursday--all of them wished Paulette was in their neighbourhoods! AND--it is really good value--we love it!!

Lovely ambience, friendly staff and delicious food/drinks. Would highly recommend if you’re in the area

An evening that brought us joy. A beautiful evening - with the most magnificent wine which was decanted for us. French home cooking in the best sense. And kind and friendly service

We really enjoyed the atmosphere. This is a really lovely place to enjoy a delicious glass of wine and incredibly delicious food. We had duck breast, which tasted heavenly, with superb fries and ratatouille. For desert, we had a lemon tart which was also very good. The waiter was very attentive but not overbearing. Overall, a very strong positive.

We popped into this lovely little cafe/restaurant for a quick cup of coffee to so we could avoid the rain. The brunch menu all looked lovely and so we had the pancakes and the French Toast to go with the coffee. Words cannot describe how tasty they were. Great friendly service too - the guys there were really chatty with everyone and made for a very friendly atmosphere. We will be back...

Came here for a spontaneous bottle of wine with my housemate a few weeks ago and we shared the mac and cheese. The wine was fantastic and the staff were perfect. The atmosphere and candlelit coziness is what initially caught our attention as we walked...

Super Cute restaurant in a nice area. The food was delicious, the staff accommodating and friendly. We loved the terrace which is literally on the sidewalk and they have a beautiful wine list. Try the duck confit with fig and Porto sauce. Will definitely be...