HENRI

"Henri is a French bistro inside Covent Garden’s Henrietta hotel, with a dining room so shiny and so stylish we’d like to live in it—but only if we had access to our own kitchen. Once you’re over the ‘candlelit ad for crushed velvet’ dining room, the food will arrive and any inkling that you could be the muse of a Robert Doisneau photograph will be replaced by the feeling that you’re actually trapped in a Stanley Kubrick film. Take the seaweed canelé—it’s a supremely beautiful creation, topped with dainty citrine trout roe, that we could stare at for three hours without complaint. But it’s also dry and predominantly tastes of sour cream. Like the pretty dining room, dishes are style over substance. Conversation will be paused to allow for the blockbuster-length chewing required for the bavette, and the mysterious green olives swamp the tenderness of the duck. video credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley photo credit: Henri photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley If you find yourself on Henrietta Street and need somewhere with terracotta marble tables to sit and sip a single glass of sancerre before a show, it’ll get the job done. Especially as we’ve only ever seen it dotted with diners and stray tourists, like a casting director didn’t want to stretch for a full crowd of extras. For a special occasion, Paris-coded meal, quick-march to one of London’s other quintessential bistros instead. Food Rundown photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Seaweed Canelé, Sour Cream, Trout Roe In theory, this is the ‘snack’ answer to the big, scary feelings we get when someone asks us if we prefer sweet or savoury. In practice, it’s pretty dry once you get past the sour cream and vague saltiness of the trout roe. photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Grilled Snails, Green Garlic, Veal Rice The meaty, garlic flavour of this rice is so comforting and warming we’d happily schedule it in for a cosy night with our favourite jumper but its sidekick snails are far too rubbery. photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Roast Duck, Blood Orange, And Green Olives The duck is lovely and tender, but the brininess of the olives and sharp zing of the blood orange feels like us trying to choose between our two conflicting personalities. photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Swaledale Bavette, XO Cognac, And Wild Peppercorns One word: gristle. The fishy, salt show XO sauce is a winner though, especially when mopped up with The Dusty Knuckle baguette. photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Mushroom Hollandaise A decent, slightly herbal hollandaise which arrives bubbling a la volcano. photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Duck Fat Frites TGFF. Thank God For Frites. photo credit: Heidi Lauth Beasley Chocolate Sabayon Cake, Crème Fraîche It’s a bad day for the old self esteem when you feel like the centre of your dessert is trying to outrun you. Hard pass." - Heidi Lauth Beasley

"The menu at Henri—a Covent Garden restaurant inside Henrietta Hotel—starts with “very good butter” and bread, moves on to grilled, garlicky snails with veal rice, and finally arrives at a chocolate tart that’s already doing the rounds on Instagram. The spot is inspired by Parisian bistros—cc the chic, blue leather stools at the bar—but there’s also a full English for breakfast and produce from Swaledale and Brigham. " - sinead cranna, rianne shlebak

"For a shopping break in Covent Garden, Henrietta Bistro is a trendy spot with retro Parisian interiors and artfully prepared plates. Highlights from the Spanish and French-inspired menu include the charcoal-grilled octopus, tuna tartare and strawberry burrata."

"Last minute lunch with the parents? In need of a spot for a chilled catch up with friends? Henrietta Bistro has got your back. This is a restaurant, inside Covent Garden’s Henrietta Hotel, but don’t worry, before you start having flashbacks of that notorious full English you got served in a Premier Inn, this isn’t that kind of place. Afterall, when was the last time you had grilled Galician octopus at a Travelodge, or whiled away several hours at an art-deco bar for that matter? This is a charming spot that has got you covered, whether it’s to sort out a serious octopus craving, or a relaxed birthday lunch." - Eileen Twum