Test Driving Chez Rose, we wanted everything on the menu at this new French bistro

The space that was Little Social has been given a French makeover. The main bones of the room are as before, but otherwise it's quite a different look, accentuated by the lovely tiled floor. 

What do we need to know about Chez Rose?

After a big success with their last team-up at Row on 5, Spencer Metzger and Jason Atherton have joined forces again. As with Row on 5, Metzger leads the kitchen but this is a very different affair to his other two-Michelin-starred restaurant. This time, he's opened something that's much more laid back and zeroes in on something that's on trend in London right now, classic French food.

Spencer Metzger in Chez Rose

Where is it?

It's in a space that fans of Jason Atherton may know well. Until a few months ago, this used to be Little Social, the smaller sibling to the now departed Pollen Street Social on the same street. Apparently, Atherton was considering parting ways with the space (Mayfair rents and rates have skyrocketed since it first opened), but Metzger thought he could bring new life into it, and he's certainly done that.

Personally, we've always liked this restaurant in this or its former guise. With space for only (roughly) 40 people, it's a warm, welcoming nest of a restaurant and the pivot to classic French cuisine seems perfect. It's had a modest upgrade - new floors, new wine room/PDR at the back and a few other touches throughout - and it now feels like a proper old-school French bistro.

Outside Chez Rose, where the few terrace tables are giving off a proper Parisian vibe.

Where should we sit?

On a warm day, there are three tables outside which are very tempting, given you're away from the hustle and bustle of Mayfair on Pollen Street. Inside, the booths by the front are the best tables and if you're in a group, get the larger table right by the front window.

Where could we go for a drink first?

There is a bar here, but it's really put aside for counter dining. There are a couple of fairly decent pubs nearby, The Windmill and the Mason's Arms. If you're after cocktails, the bar at Sketch isn't too far away and you're also only less than five minute's walk from Claridge's. And if you wander across Regent Street, Antidote and Marjorie's are worth looking at on the wine front.

What's on the menu?

It's all about classic French cuisine, albeit slightly more luxe than your average Parisian bistro. Before Row on 5, Metzger was known for his tenure at The Ritz with John Williams, so he knows a thing or two about high-end French food. This is much more casual than The Ritz, but Spencer's time there has clearly given him the French cooking skills that can still be applied to this more casual setting.

Things start with snacks, and you'll definitely want to explore this part of the menu before you get started on the rest. This includes oysters and Comte gougere, and we can strongly recommend the following:

Red prawn, tomato, Amalfi lemon (£6 each) - we'd prioritise these little snacks.

Devon crab pain perdu (£6 each)

After that, it's a traditional three-course affair, with classic favourites like pate en croute, tournedos au poivre and more on the list. We've been hearing good things about the big Orkney scallops with Café de Paris butter, but here's what we went for:

Oeuf Meruette with wild mushrooms (£14) - a classic French dish superbly executed. 

Steak tartare, pommes gaufrette (£15) - proper hand-cut tartare with a bit of a kick, and we're a fan of those pommes gaufrette too. 

Poulet roti, vin jaune, morels, frites (£78) - a sharing course and one done extremely well. Fantastic chicken with a to-die-for sauce (and this came with a sauce boat with even more to pour on the side). You'll want to dip your fries in that sauce. We absolutely loved this. 

Peas, lettuce, broad beans (£7) - a shout-out to the sides too, this and the trombetta courgette with parmesan and pine nuts are strongly recommended.

And for dessert?

There is one dish that is probably their signature, and it's one you're going to need to pre-order when you order the rest of the meal - the 70% chocolate soufflé for two. It is absolutely huge (and not cheap at £34) and comes emblazoned with the Chez Rose logo on top. It's very impressive and you can see an example of that here.

If you order that, you definitely won't have room for anything else. We had to forego the enormous soufflé mainly because we wanted to take a look at some of the other desserts, particularly these:

Crêpes Suzette (£13) - With a long stint at The Ritz under his belt, it's understandable that Metzger's crepes are the must-order here (if you're not going for the soufflé). 

Crème caramel with cognac (£12)

How about drinks?

On the wine side, they've brought across sommelier Christian Dobriceanu from Row on 5 to head things up at Chez Rose. He's taken the lead from the menu and looked particularly to a classical representation of French wine on the list, taking the most classic examples of Sancerre, Chablis, Pouilly Fume and more. It does move outside of France where necessary, for wines like a Barolo, and it's not really a low-intervention type of list either. The list was still a work in progress, with the wine room at the back of the restaurant playing a big part of that and there are plans to have one night of the week where they focus more on mature vintages. 

Price-wise, bottles start at £35 for a 2025 Picpoul, which is extremely reasonable for this part of town. The cocktails are also worth a look, all with a little bit of French influence, like the following:

Chez Rose Spritz (rose, aperol, soda, £15) and the Madame Roth (gin, St Germain, Champagne, £15)

Overall thoughts

We're very much in the era of the pivot, with restaurateurs finding ways to make new life from their current spaces. Chez Rose is an example of how to do it very well. The space has always been a particularly lovely, compact restaurant and switching it to a new French bistro suits the space. When you pair that with a kitchen that's turning out classic French hits with aplomb you've got a hit. A much more easygoing counterpoint to Row on 5, this should bring new life back to this part of Pollen Street.