OK, now this is a strange review. I actually want to give this place five stars. Even though I didn't eat anything and I only had water. For fairly dull reasons, I'm off the booze at the moment (those of you who regularly read my reviews will be shocked by this). But, after coming out of the theatre last week and feeling like chatting about the fabulous show I'd just seen, I jumped at the opportunity to find out what all the fuss was about. All the fuss about this place is deserved. We perched at the bar, and felt instantly at home. I wished we'd got there earlier and had time to stay. Even at the bar it's the kind of place you could spend all night (although some bag hooks wouldn't go amiss). I did have a sip of my friend's Cote du Rhone and it was fabulous (organic too - their menu has little cows by the happy wines). Was mad at not being able to drink. The food smelled amazing, the bar staff we very handsome (especially the man with the curly hair) and they didn't bat an eyelid when I was drinking nothing but tap water. Dead sexy wine glasses too. I want to come back here and try everything. The bar snacks looked good value, the wine isn't that pricey. I'm smitten, and the only thing they've given me is a smile and a glass of water. Well done Terroirs, well done. read more

Amazing gem in the heart of London. The place is really cozy and beautifully decorated. The food is good and the service is friendly. Highly recommended, would definitely visit again when in London :) read more

Terroirs - Pics at The London Foodie (http://www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk ) A recent visit to Le Manoir de Raynaudes, in the South West of France, has re-ignited my love for French cuisine and all things French. I have since then signed up to French language classes and am devouring Julia Child's memoirs My Life in France. The best part of this francophonisation process was finding Terroirs, a French bar and restaurant opened in Central London about a year ago. Having been to Terroirs before, I normally try and sit at their zinc bar to watch the chefs at action and for a more relaxed dinner. The menu is short but offers an excellent spread of fish, shellfish, duck, cheese and charcuterie. This is a place to come with friends and share various dishes over a few bottles of excellent French wine. In my last visit, I ordered a small selection of dishes together with one of my favourite bottles of wine, a 2007 bottle of Marcillac @ £18.85 (Dne du Cros, Philippe Teulier, Marcillac). Terroirs' wine list is most impressive - it contains about 200 wines of which 20 wines can also be served by the glass. You will be assured to find a bottle to suit every budget and taste. The menu is divided into 5 categories Bar Snacks (Duck Scratchings £2.50 are fatty but very moreish, Bread & Butter £1.50, a must), Small Plates (for sharing like Steak Tartare £7 or a Whole Dorset Crab and Mayo £12), Cheese (Rocamadour £3.50 is divine), Charcuterie (Duck Rillettes £6 is one of my favourites), Plats du Jour (more substantial dishes like Brandade de Morue £12 or Slow Roasted Belly of Pork £13) and Desserts @ £5. My suggestion would be to order bread and butter, which are heavy and chewy, accompanied by a selection from any of these categories. One of the dishes I order at every visit, is the Snail, Bacon, Garlic and Parsley @ £7. This is served on a slice of toasted bread with a delicious Pistou dressing (just like Pesto but without pine nuts or cheese but more garlicky). The combination of flavours is sensational, I just wished there was more on my plate! Another favourite, Duck Rillettes @ £6, is rustic French cuisine at its best, and better avoided when on any diet. Originally made with pork, the meat is cubed or chopped, salted heavily and cooked slowly in fat until it is tender enough to be easily shredded. It is then cooled with enough of the fat to form a paste. They are normally used as spread on bread or toast and served at room temperature. Potted Brown Shrimps @ £7, also served on toasted bread, was very good. Seasoned heavily with nutmeg and paprika as potted shellfish should be, the flavours partnered well with the Morecambe Bay shrimps. The Pan Fried Girolles Mushrooms with a Duck Egg at £7 was also delicious. The mushrooms were meaty and full of flavour, and the runny duck egg was an interesting addition. Other dishes that I had tried in previous visits and that I would also recommend are the Steak Tartare £7 (well seasoned and fresh), Pork and Pistachio Terrine £6 (quite rustic and a substantial portion), Selection of Charcuterie £10 (nice cuts but not good value), any of the cheeses £3.50 (they are all superb), and Duck Scratchings @ £2.50 (fatty but very good). I have been impressed by Terroirs in all my visits. At £53.27 for two including an excellent bottle of wine, this is one of my favourite restaurants in London at the moment, and I simply cannot recommend it enough. Verdict Rustic, hearty and delicious French cuisine to share, and coupled with the best wine list in town. Great Service and reasonable prices make Terroirs one of the hottest tables in the Capital. read more

Full review at http://www.thehappinessprojectlondon.wordpress.com This is up there with my favourite places for after-work dinner that isn't expensive, serves amazing food and lovely wine, and will let us chat and mange to our heart's content. I loved the rustic, arty, chilled French atmosphere with people eating at the bar and the cute table settings. It felt friendly, cosy and relaxed perfect. The menu is French tapas-style which I'm a huge fan of there's nothing better than sharing food with friends and chatting about how it tastes, a real bonding experience. We ordered 4 cold/warm tapas and 1 larger hot plate between 3. We started with the duck rillettes; endive, gorgonzola & spiced walnut salad; snails, bacon garlic & parsley and king prawns a la plancha. Duck rillettes were gamey and fatty, delicious. Snails were salty, garlicky, earthy, and the endive, walnut and gorgonzola salad a classic that I always love, but this was especially good due to the strong runny cheese and herby salad dressing. King prawns a la plancha was meaty, melt in mouthy, sweet and lovely sauce. For apres, we really stuck to our diet plans and ordered the bavette steak. It was really lovely pink, tender beef and juicy roast potatoes on a bed of shallots. My only complaint was that I could have eaten more of it, and not sure about the crouton thingies that came with it. As expected in a French place, the wine list is great. I liked how you could order a 500cl bottle (pretty much half a bottle really and totally acceptable for a detox school night) we tried the Jurancon which was really nice, but next time I'd like to ask their recommendations for what wine to try with the food. Oh yeah and then we had a bitter chocolate pot for pud. It was yummy sticky, soft and rich. Then the bill came and all this lovely wine and food came to £72 including service or £24 each. It was at this moment that I decided to come back here every week and eat my way through the wine list and menu until the buttons pop off my jeans. We're definitely going back on a Friday for a wine and cheese fest for a start. I've eaten some pretty terrible meals round the corner for far more, so we really couldn't believe what great value this place was. Only downsides? Not sure veggies would find enough food on the menu but this is pretty typical of French places, oh and you might have to book a table in advance for peak times, but what do you expect for this sort of value. I'd also probably order one more tapas plate to fill me up. read more

Excellent food, excellent cheese, excellent wine, excellent dessert, excellent service, excellent price- enuf said. The Duck rillettes, cuttlefish and snails were excellent too - if I may add. read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Terriors. I sat at the wine bar where I was overwhelmed by the knowledge and generosity of the bar tenders. My friend and I were given 3-5 tastes of various wines along with great suggestions and explanations to help navigate our decisions. It was almost like a wine tasting session! For food, we had the pea and sorrel soup, which was perfectly seasoned (not to salty), and had a nice smooth consistency without being to thin. For dessert, we were recommended to try the panna cotta with raspberries. This was not extravagant, but simple, well done and delicious. The raspberries were undressed, which was a nice tart counter to the sweeter and perfectly vanilla-y panna cotta. Great atmosphere, service, and eating and drinking experience and at a fair price! read more

This is such a hidden gem in London! Tucked away in a side street close to Trafalgar Square, you will definitely walk right past it if you dont pay attention. The lunch menu is quite different from the dinner, offering a selection of cold meats, small plates and some entrees. We had a selection of charcuteries, smoked duck and brawn small plates, and langoustines and veal in tuna sauce ( or something to that effect... The nice waiter tried his best explaining the different dishes to us in his very heavy French accent), all shared between 4 people with fresh and yummy bread. I cant say there was a favourite, cos everything was done to perfection! Oh, and they have a VVV extensive wine list! The bill came to £75 incl SC, which is very decent in the heart of London. Mm, cant wait to go back to try their dinner menu! read more

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Two for saturday night at 8:30, was expecting a long wait, but seated immediately. The food was excellent. Place was busy. Had to wait a bit between courses, extra long for dessert. Otherwise, it would have been a five star experience. read more

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As a veggie (flexi veggie), I was a bit worried about going to a French restaurant but being as it was my carnivorous boyfriend's birthday and as I'd heard nothing but good things about it, we gave it a go, and I can't recommend it highly enough. We booked ahead, which was just as well as the place was rammed, but even so, our waitress was really attentive and we didn't have to wait long for anything we ordered. The food was simple but delicious and the wine list, a little overwhelming but with a good selection of reasonably priced bottles. We finished off the evening with some of the best cheese I've ever had and I'm already looking for another excuse to come back. read more

I came here for dinner and it was a very enjoyable experience. The food is lovely. I would recommend the quail btw. Service is amazing. They really do look after you. read more

I've been here twice, and it was excellent both times. This time, we came in for "a quick glass of wine," and were having such a nice time that we cancelled our dinner plans at a different restaurant and stayed to feast on charcuterie and langoustines, paired with some cool, funky wines. As others have noted, they focus on natural wines from small producers, with an emphasis on France and Italy, but some wines from other places. We sat at the bar both times, and found the servers to be highly knowledgable and extremely friendly. They let us taste before committing to a glass and clearly were passionate about their work. We started off with a glass of their special amphora negroamaro from Puglia, which was everything a natural wine should be - funky, complex, something you would imagine sipping while sitting in a medieval monastery full of beeswax candles laboriously copying ancient texts. It paired beautifully with the charcuterie selection - a delicious pork terrine with pistachios, some salami and duck rillettes. Also had a glass of their Vino di Anna from Sicily, which paired particularly nicely with an Emmentaler cheese. We went in an unusual order and had seafood and white wine second - some langoustines paired with a chardonnay from Jura. After dinner, we had a few glasses of some of their other wines - an orange wine from Emilia-Romagna and some of their special reds. What I love is that they have so many rotating specials, so you never know what you could discover. This is a place to come with a small group of friends or a date to taste and enjoy some unique wines in a lively but relaxed setting - it's kind of the opposite of Gordons (which does have unique wines, but it's more a place to DRINK wine rather than TASTE wine). For sure worth a visit for any oenophile. read more

Great food - fantastic wine in a good atmosphere. Think of this place as a wine bar that does great food and you cant go wrong. Waiting staff were very knowledgeable on the wine and I would recommend getting some advice from them. I will go back! read more

After a recommendation from a friend, we found the menu not consistent with that posted on the web site, in fact, if you are looking for a meal DO NOT come here. The sever while apologetic was over worked and not timely. The food itself was over spiced and the kitchen could not allow for any deviation because "we are too busy". The manager was un-apologetic to the point of argumentative when we suggested the menu was misleading. The atmosphere is loud with thumping music not conducive to enjoy wine or food. The wine list was exhaustive however the wait staff was too busy to answer any questions. The couple making out at the bar provided a bit of comic relief. I would avoid this place. read more

I actually found myself here by accident but it all turned out to be a wonderful evening despite me being under-dressed and way too tired to be nice company. However, the friendly attitude of the staff and the fast seating of our party made up for the start of my good mood that went on through the whole evening. There were five of us and we ordered seven sharing plates for the whole table. The food was so good that we soon went short and ordered more. I will only say that all of it was exceptionally delicious and beautifully presented. Wine list was way too long for me to comprehend so we went with the obvious choices and recommendations by the waiting staff. I had a lovely night and I guess everyone would in a restaurant like Terroirs. read more

Terriors is a lovely French wine bar near Trafalgar Square. The Parisian inspired interior bustles with activity leaving you invigorated. Lovely food selection- especially cheeses and plenty of appropriately paired wines to sample. read more

if I actually lived anywhere near this place, you would find a permanent imprint of my ass on one of the barstools downstairs. the wine list is FABULOUS. I love that they offer booze by the glass that you can't find elsewhere (flight of eaux de vie, anyone?). the food is DELICIOUS. the steak frites were the best rendition of any I have ever tried. the duck confit was magical. husband and I watched a guy carefully unmold (housemade?) pate, tenderly slice and inspect it for symmetry, before allowing it to touch a plate. the best part was the service. I don't think I've encountered sweeter. the bartender/sommelier/my-new-best-friend downstairs is a true treasure. read more

Amazing wine list. If you're into natural wine that's THE place to go. We could try a few wines before we made a choice and he consultation was excellent. Food was very good but not outstanding plus it's quite posh. read more

Wonderful and surprising experience at Terroirs. Came in for a glass of wine and sat through a full meal of small plates, each amazingly good. Due to not booking ahead, we found two seats at the end of the bar and found the entire team in the kitchen to be friendly and informative, even while slammed. The same goes for the bar and wait staff. The quality of food and service was worth a repeat visit on our final night in London and again did not disappoint. Definitely worth a special trip. read more

Wine is good ... as for food dishes if u dont like salt and a lot of salt make sure you tell them in advance. Soups salty: bean soup salty, rabbit soup salty. Fish dish salty. Grern salid fresh just order dressing in side...But wait....Pork chop nice... oysters solid.. cheese tasty. .. and wine is as good as u order. Things without salt overdose 95% other stuff was like a salt lick... :( nicr place good date place just know what u order. .. read more

Very nice place just off the busy Strand and Trafalgar square. Good French food which is not too pricey (£6 starter and £14 main). Service in this instant was fine despite previous complaints. Only reason for deducting a star was that the meat was not good enough quality to be cooked as medium rare (only way they offered to prepare this particular dish). read more

Really enjoyed the atmosphere, with professional staff and a nice selection of wine and cheeses. The prices were a little high for my budget, but that's on me, and not the restaurant. Would definitely come back. Also much bigger than it looks from the outside. read more

Great food, wine and service in handy central location. You will pay for the quality. Better for couples or smaller groups.

Post theatre dinner. Sat at bar. Swift and great service. Chef came over and talked to us about the food options gave great advice. Had the duck rillete and special pate. Both were great - tasty and full of flavour and texture. Prawns were juicy and the simple salad was great with a delicious dressing. Barman recommended wine and allowed us to taste. He even found a drinkable Chenin blanc. Great food and atmosphere. read more

Terroirs has a lot going for it - more pluses than minuses, thankfully. It's so easy to get ripped off or be disappointed in London, so it's great to have a place that lives up - and down - to its reputation. So far the critics are divided, and I can see why. Good things first: super atmosphere, utterly delicious, gorgeous food, huge wine list with very attractively priced wines. It's decidedly French, but some dishes nod towards Spain. The food is its number one saving grace. The small dishes to share are intelligently priced, generous rather than picky, and frankly inspired. For example, the Basque piperade with chorizo was really rich and creamy, and the smoked eel intensely juicy and complex. Other slightly less accomplished dishes include the tartine of snails which was perhaps too garlicky but in general every dish we tried was harmonious and amusing and very easy to share between three people. Things to complain about: the service is erratic. Not so much the individual attitude, which is not exactly graceful, but its organisation (lack thereof). The place was packed, and it feels understaffed. Poor service is fairly consistentl across the UK - there just isn't a service culture here (as opposed to the USA, Spain, France or Australia, all with distinctive and laudable approaches to service) and sadly Terroirs is no exception, even if they are all French. Perhaps that is the reason, I don't know. The other reservation I have about Terroirs, paradoxically, is the wine list. The wines themselves are of a very high quality - the two we chose were near sensational - but the concept is devilishly difficult to absorb. The so-called natural wines idea - i.e. organic and/or biodynamic - is pretty problematic to start with (this is not the place to discuss it), but having to wade through a huge list that is organised in a way that is conflict with convention is totally tiresome. It took me 20 minutes to intepret and begin to see what sort of wines might be suitable for us. I had to read endless paragraphs in miniscule font size and flip from one page to another to grasp the context in order to find the marks of identity we all look for in wines to make an informed choice. Grape variety (practically unmentioned) and exact DOC would be a good start. Instead they appear to be reinventing French wine geography and group the wines according their idea of the natural wine landscape. This is really taxing on the person trying to make a choice. They should bear in mind that the New World has been very influential in making grape variety central to wine choosing, and it wouldn't hurt to list the varieties and their percentages next to each bottle. Asking for help, I just kept being told how good each wine I pointed at was, or they just repeated the name of the wine with better pronunciation. Hopeless. That said, the wines we did have were delicious. Recommended? In spite of these gripes, most certainly, yes. Great place. read more

Had dinner here before heading to the theater (We were seeing Red at the Donmar Warehouse so this review is several months old). My wife and I loved the place from the moment we entered. We had a friendly Italian waiter who took great care of us. I ordered the butternut squash soup, the bread and butter, the boudin noir and the bitter chocolate pot for dessert. Each course was prepared well and the boudin noir was especially useful in treating the hangover I was fighting from the previous night's festivities. Obviously wine is the focus here and we enjoyed reading through the lengthy list and had two bottles of Italian wine that we enjoyed. Overall, I loved this place and would definitely recommend for a casual, wine focused meal. read more

This has to be the best wine bar in London (apart from Vinoteca in farringdon - but it's definitely on a level par). The food is excellent and the wine list (all natural wines) means you dont get hungover, however much you drink. Im really impressed with the range of the menu given the size of the kitchen. I had the foie gras mi cuit and it was one the best things I've ever eatern in my life. I shall definitely be coming back here again. Especially to try more of the deserts - the crepes with salted caramel were perhaps the most delicious things i've had since i went to El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Northern Spain read more

Terroirs is poised perfectly in covent garden for a cosy dinner and a big glass of vino with a mate or lover. This is the perfect French wine bar with rustic dishes like hearty rabbit stew on wooden tables. Bustling and vibrant, you will not want to leave especially on wintery nights. (Monikasays.com) read more

One of, if not my favourite place in London to go for lunch. Amazing and well considered food menu and wine list. Friendly and knowledgable staff who are enthusiastic about good food and wine. The lunch special is amazingly good value. A gem in the heart of central London. read more

My husband and I had a lovely dinner here last weekend. When I called to make a reservation, I was told they were fully booked -- but had space at the new "restaurant" downstairs. I'd never eaten upstairs, so I didn't have a preference, and I can happily report that we were treated to a wonderful meal downstairs! We ordered two small plates for starters and had a main each. Everything was delicious and really reasonably priced. The squid in particular was fabulous. We also ordered the tarte tatin "for two" -- scrumptious, but large enough for six, I'd say! The staff were extremely friendly, though, and wrapped up what we couldn't eat so that we could take it home with us. All in all, a wonderful experience! read more

Went to Terroirs on advice from the Yelp crowd. Cool little place not far from the National Portrait Gallery. Sat at the bar and was waited on by a very sexy French bartender. Had a charcuterie to start which was excellent. The steak and fries followed - the rare steak was excellent, the fries just okay. Two glasses of wine as well - the Spanish red by the glass was excellent. Last of all was the chocolate pot - very rich and good. Nice local-feeling spot near a touristy area and not that expensive. read more

The wine is overpriced, the menu is short so they should have it right every time. Unfortunately the partridge was still quite raw. Friendly staff couldn't make up for the fact that we had to wait too long for our food. A shame as we rather enjoyed our previous meal there. read more

Had a late lunch and a number of small plates. Sardines and beef marrow were very good, but my wife had issues with the escargot in a very, very green sauce. Had a dessert of rice pudding (mediocre) and dark chocolate ( excellent). A good wine was had. Service was iffy. read more

Great French food at reasonable prices,definitively value for money. Very good wine selection and friendly atmosphere. read more

Great place. A really good wine list, full of interesting and reasonably priced alternatives, exclusively (IIRC) from France and Italy. The food also is great - not sure about the main courses as I've always gone at lunch or pre-theatre, but the sharing starters are great if you do three (four if you are hungry) between two. Really imaginative and exciting. On my last visit I nearly had a disaster as I was told I would be in the basement - I hate basements. Happily, this one was done really well and was cool (on a hot day) and atmospheric, as opposed to cool and damp - Terroirs' done it again! read more

A great example of getting the little things right: attentive, cheerful staff, interesting well sourced wines, many served by the glass or carafe and superb, well executed, unpretentious, tasty food. Most people come here for the wines but for me the food is the real draw. If I were to have 1 niggle (and it is the only one) it would be that £14 is a bit steep for some black pudding, mash, egg and mushrooms, however it was one of the best boudin noir,smooth, creamy mash, duck egg and wild mushrooms that I've had, so retract that last bit! read more

Liked it so much here classy restaurant where you can feel like a true star. The customer service is excellent and I think they're training the staff in some special courtesy course they are very polite. Also, the wine list is long enough for every taste and the food is delicious. read more

Undoubtedly the best part of this restaurant was delicious food and wine; however, the atmosphere and service were excellent too. Love the decor in both floors. Strongly recommend the natural wines and the duck confit. Love Brawn, its sister restaurant in Shoreditch, too. read more

I don't drink but my companion enjoyed the house white. The food is very good, rather pricey, and the portions are strangely sized (a huge plate of rillettes - of which one doesn't necessarily want to eat huge amounts- compared to a sardine dish with only two sardines when one could happily have had four). Nice place, good atmosphere, friendly service. read more

Excellent food. Engaging wait staff. Recommended wines matched well with the food. Good value for the moderate price. A little noisy, but that was because the house was full and all seemed to be enjoying their experience. read more

Simply perfect. I was hesitant to write this review and keep the place for myself. Amazing service, great selection of wines.