Balthazar

Nearly 16 years after Keith McNally unveiled his New York-flavoured French brasserie in SoHo in Lower Manhattan, this very convincing replica appeared just off the piazza in London's Covent Garden (about an eight-minute walk from London's Soho). The similarities between the two restaurants are striking and reassuring – warm and buzzy atmosphere, yellowy colourwash walls (read pretend cigarette-stained), distressed surfaces, huge mirrors, tiled flooring, deep red banquettes, attentive and friendly service – and there's even an undersized adjacent shop selling artisan breads, Viennoiserie, pastries, salads and quiches. Opened February 2013. A hot spot from the word go. In-house breads, quiches, sandwiches, pastries and sticky buns available in the adjacent Boulangerie bakery [from 8am weekdays, from 9am weekends].