Côte Covent Garden

You're walking down Tavistock Street with the theatre crowd all around you, and you duck into Côte knowing exactly what you're getting: a buzzy, unfussy French brasserie that does the basics brilliantly. The room's got that lovely dark wood and brass fixtures thing going on—feels like you've stepped into a proper Paris neighbourhood spot rather than a West End tourist trap. The steak frites is genuinely excellent, cooked to order and served with proper béarnaise, and the moules marinières are meaty and sweet. It's not trying to be Michelin-starred or clever; it's just a reliable, well-executed neighbourhood brasserie that happens to be in one of London's busiest postcodes.