Raymond Blanc's guide to London

an image of chef Raymond Blanc sitting down to eat a sandwhich and coffee from Paul's bakery — (Image credit: Paul's)

Raymond Blanc has long been a symbol of fantastique cooking, bringing the French flair beloved by Michelin inspectors and fancy chefs to London plates for decades. Having stepped out of the kitchen and in front of the cameras, he's a familiar face on our screens, whether it's from his shows Simply Raymond or his cameo in the beloved sitcom Miranda.

Who better than Blanc to provide the ultimate foodie tour guide for London, bringing both his cheffing credentials and his love for the city to the table. After teaming up with bakery chain Paul to bring a bit of sophistication to Londoners' daily coffees, the Michelin-starred chef has shared his other favourite places in the city to spend time at, from killing a quick thirty minutes in between meetings, to the 'viral' spots he wouldn't bother checking out.

London has a bounty of incredible restaurants, where are you desperate to try? Who do you think is doing something really exciting at the moment?

an image of the interior of Nina restaurant in Marylebone

We are lucky to have so many wonderful places on the doorstep. There are wonderful places in Marylebone — one of my favourite places is Lita, it has such a good menu and a lovely atmosphere. And Blandford Comptoir Restaurant — Xavier Rousset [the award-winning Master Sommelier who served as the Head Sommelier at Blanc's Michelin-starred Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons] has created a wonderful place. The menu has such a good selection and of course his wine list is wonderful. I think that Bouchon Racine is also fantastic and every time I go there I have such a warm welcome. I’m also keen on Nina in Marylebone — in fact it was my partner, Natalia who took me there and I was really impressed.

Are there any London spots you think are overrated? We're seeing a lot of 'viral' places or the Tiktok-ification of the eating scene. Are there any spots you avoid, and any that you wish had the hype?

As a chef, I am very curious to try as many places as I can and I don’t tend to visit somewhere just because it is the new place to be seen. I am lucky as I have worked with so many talented people who have their own restaurants or bars and I will always try to support them as much as I can. It is not easy to own and run a restaurant these days with wage cost, National Insuarance, food cost, rent, etcetera.

Over the years, I have worked with and have a great friendship with Heston Blumenthal, he I recently had dinner at The Fat Duck and it was amazing – one of the best meals I have had for a long time. He is so creative and has such knowledge and creativity – it is definitely somewhere to add to a wishlist.

Let's talk about your average day. What's for breakfast, Raymond?

A post shared by PAUL Bakery UK (@paulbakeryuk)

In the morning, if I swim early at my local health centre, I tend to stop on my way home to get a coffee and croissant from PAUL Bakery on Baker Street or Marylebone High Street, but if I am home, I will have some yogurt and blueberries or maybe porridge as it gets chillier now the autumn mornings are here. Simple yet delicious.

If you've got a spare 30 minutes to kill, where are you heading to after that?

I try to walk as much as I can and if I can allow extra time before meetings, I enjoy doing that. I am lucky as home is near Marylebone Village so walking there is nice and I enjoy places like Southbank as there is always so much going on along the river and I can always stop at Brasserie Blanc.

a film camera image of a man holding a glass of ros&eacute; whilst wearing a navy blue apron over a blue teeshirt

Lunchtime! Where do you head for a midday recharge?

If I am in a hurry I will go to a Joe & the Juice. Energiser Juice is really good and the Tunacado. I also try to arrange meetings at one of the Brasserie Blanc’s – Southbank or Threadneedle Street are both great locations and I can combine meetings with saying hello to the amazing team. At the moment I’m enjoying the tomato salad with a lovely baguette.

Sometimes we all need an afternoon pick-me-up, do you have any go-tos?

an old image of Raymond Blanc in a field picking Cavelo Nero

I try not to snack too much but sometimes enjoy a patisserie in the afternoon or will buy some fresh fruit. Apples at the moment are so delicious — albeit the crop this year is not that great due to the heat wave we have all experienced this summer.

In a very sophisticated (ahem, French) manner, if you were going for an Apperitif, what are you choosing?

an image of the interior of Blandford Comptoir in Marylebone

Well this is a good question! I do enjoy a negroni or a glass of champagne – or a glass of pinot noir, a wine from my home region. Close by me is Le Vieux Comptoir – it is a French wine shop with a small deli and café. And I am so lucky Xavier who used to work at Le Manoir has a wonderful little place really close to me – Blandford Comptoir. I go there very often, it’s small but really convivial and he has a wonderful selection of wines.

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Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.