I say pub - it's kind of something more. Yes there's a restaurant upstairs but it's not just that - it's genuinely different and a little eccentric. It's tiny. It's packed. The walls are packed with interesting photos. It also has a bit of a history of being
interesting, Charles de Gaulle drank there during the second world war for example. Maurice Chevalier, Francis Bacon and Dylan Thomas were also known to drop in for the odd tipple.
And it does feel a bit French - the drinks are not your usual London pub offerings. Breton cidre, wines, a selection of bottled continental beer such as Budvar and Duvel or draught Kronenbourg (but by the half - not by the pint).
The customers are an interesting mix with a fair smattering of arty/theatrical types and the occasional web developer/musician who writes blogs about pubs. The staff are friendly but beware - they don't let you use your mobile phone on the premises. So turn
it off before you enter! You know it makes sense.
49 Dean St, Soho