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Fight of the French: Andrew Edmunds vs Josephine Bouchon

London’s French dining scene doesn’t always dazzle with flashiness—but two venues deliver old-world charm with skillful execution and soul. Andrew Edmunds in Soho is a candlelit relic steeped in wine and nostalgia, while Josephine Bouchon in Fulham is a newly minted Lyonnaise temple of hearty elegance. Let’s explore the culinary personalities they offer and how their main dishes stack up.

Andrew Edmunds - Soho’s Cozy Antique Bistro

Nestled in an 18th-century townhouse on Lexington Street, Andrew Edmunds, founded by art dealer-turned-restaurateur Andrew Edmunds in 1985, remains a bedrock of “old Soho” dining. Dimly lit rooms, hand-written menus, and snug tables complete its enduringly romantic ambiance.

Expect a changing seasonal menu, shifting almost daily, but grounded in Franco-Mediterranean tradition. Starters have included pork and venison terrine with pickled cabbage, or burrata with blood-orange and toasted almonds.

Mains lean feel-good yet elegant: then think hake in salsa verde, rabbit leg on lentils, and velvety calf’s liver paired with parsnip. Desserts, like chocolate pavé with raisin infusion or treacle tart, feel like a throwback to boarding-school treats, full of comfort.

The food

Pork & venison terrine arrives lavishly layered with pickled red cabbage and toasted bread. It’s savory and dense, the pickled tang a sparkling contrast to the hearty meat.

Burrata with blood orange, rocket and balsamic elevates creamy cheese with citrus brightness and nutty textures from toasted hazelnuts—an early-night delight.

Rigatoni with borlotti bean stew feels like woollen socks for the soul - rich, thick, but balanced, with each spoonful comforting and complex.

Add to that one of London’s most revered wine lists: older vintages offered at prices far below retail-in-practice norms, making indulgence almost shockingly affordable

Josephine  Bouchon — A Lyon Legacy in Fulham

Cross town to Fulham Road and you’ll find Josephine Bouchon, a tribute from Michelin-starred chef Claude Bosi to the traditional bouchons of his Lyon childhood. Founded in 2024 with his wife Lucy, this bistro channels Lyon’s rustic soul through warm wood paneling, amber tulip chandeliers, and vintage posters.

The menu reads like a love-letter to Lyon: expect grattons Lyonnais, terrine de campagne, oeuf en gelée, French onion soup, and pâté starts; mains range from rabbit in mustard sauce and veal sweetbreads in morel sauce, to quenelle de brochet (pike mousse) and pig trotter croquettes . A set three-course menu (Menu du Canut) at £29.50 delivers classics like brawn, andouillette, or pigs’ trotters—great value and generous portions .

The Food

Delicate dishes like leeks in vinaigrette are elevated with soft leeks, moussed mustard dressing, and chives—a nostalgic pleasure in miniature.

Steak tartare arrives coarsely chopped, plush, well-seasoned, and partnered with crisp toast. It tastes both timeless and confident.

Standout sweetbreads with morel sauce were light and tender, balanced by the rich, earthy mushroom jus. Rated 16/20 in one review, this dish straddles elegance and indulgence.

Diners rave about dishes like vol-au-vent with mushroom and tarragon cream or a perfectly executed rotisserie chicken with garlicky roast potatoes and green salad .

Desserts like rum-baba served tableside from a trolley and floating island topped with rose pralines satisfy nostalgia like nothing else . The service and wine attitude lean informal yet classical—wine is measured with a ruler, echoing Lyon’s tradition .

The Verdict

f your idea of a perfect night includes flickering candlelight, whispered conversations about wine, and elevated simplicity, Andrew Edmunds is your haven. It’s intimate, surprisingly affordable for wine lovers, and quietly sophisticated.

For those longing instead for generous portion, bold regional recipes, and a cheerful communal mood, Josephine Bouchon delivers French comfort with a joyful flourish. It’s messy, satisfying, stylish but always warm.

Both are exceptional, but they offer distinct experiences: Andrew gives you poetic minimalism; Josephine invites you into story-rich comfort.

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Weapons Review — Horror That Cuts Through the Noise

Zach Cregger’s Weapons has swiftly become this summer’s horror phenomenon, drawing both box-office success and critical praise. The film unspools across viewpoint-shifting chapters, starting with the vanishing of seventeen third-graders at 2:17 a.m. - all except one.

In a narrative style reminiscent of Magnolia, it unfolds through perspectives ranging from a guilt-laden father (Josh Brolin), the embattled teacher Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), a conflicted cop (Alden Ehrenreich), to the lone child and an ominous older woman named Gladys. That the horror culminates in supernatural overtones doesn’t lessen its emotional impact—it sharpens it.

Beyond scares, Weapons deftly layers deep social commentary. Critics laud the film as pointed and unsettling—Stephen King himself praised it as “very scary” and declared, “I loved it.” It explores not only communal trauma and grief but also the societal reflexes around gun violence and adult neglect. One striking symbolic image, a floating AR‑15 rifle, has resonated on TikTok as a haunting metaphor for the losing battle against gun violence in the US.

On a cinematic level, Cregger's craft is confident if not flawless. Reviews applaud strong performances (especially from Garner and Madigan), rich atmosphere, and unpredictable pacing, though some find the fragmented structure uneven. As The Guardian notes, it’s a “slick follow-up” to Barbarian—ambitious and chilling, but at times structurally jagged.

Weapons happens to emerge at a moment when horror is thriving, with releases like Together, Ghost Killer, and a new Conjuring sequel (The Conjuring: Last Rites) filling theater lineups. Unlike formulaic jump-scare flicks, Weapons lingers. Its horror isn’t just fear—it’s the cracking of familiar worlds.

This is horror with guts and heart. Expect audiences to stay talking long after the credits roll.