Franco's

Who Should Book Franco's — and When

Franco's is the right call if you want a serious Italian dinner in St James's without the gamble of a newer opening. It suits a business lunch in Jermyn Street territory, a pre-theatre dinner before a show at a nearby venue, or a long, unhurried meal with someone you want to impress without the theatre of a tasting menu. If you're after creative Italian cooking that pushes boundaries, look elsewhere. If you want a room that knows exactly what it is and delivers it consistently, Franco's earns its place at £££ per head with a wine list that is genuinely worth exploring.

The Room and the Atmosphere

The physical space at 61 Jermyn St has the proportions of an old-school London dining room: intimate without being cramped, cosy enough that the room feels full even on a quiet evening. The layout supports conversation — this is not a place where you'll be shouting across the table , and the atmosphere skews toward the established rather than the fashionable. Regulars visibly make up a large share of any given service, which tells you something useful: the kitchen is consistent enough to reward repeat visits, and the front of house, led by General Manager Boban Jachev, is practiced enough to remember faces. For a food and wine enthusiast who values a room with actual history rather than manufactured patina, that rhythm is part of what you're paying for.

Franco's holds a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, which signals Michelin's recognition of cooking quality without the full star. Alongside that, Wine Director Paolo Pellegrino has assembled a list that earned a White Star on Star Wine List and a 3-Star Accreditation from the World of Fine Wine Awards. With 415 selections and 2,500 bottles in inventory, the cellar skews heavily Italian , Tuscany and Piedmont are the standout strengths , and wine pricing sits at a mid-range markup, meaning you can find genuinely good bottles without paying a large premium for the address. For anyone who cares as much about what's in the glass as what's on the plate, that combination makes Franco's a stronger proposition than many comparable Italian rooms in central London.

The Menu and the Kitchen

Chef Stefano Turconi runs a kitchen focused on classically grounded Italian cooking rather than reinvention. The menu is extensive and built around dishes like veal and beef lasagne and linguine with lobster , technically direct preparations that depend on ingredient quality and execution rather than conceptual novelty. That approach rewards the regular diner who wants to return to the same dish season after season, and it makes Franco's a reliable rather than surprising choice. If you're looking for a tasting menu experience, note that Franco's serves lunch and dinner without a fixed tasting format, which is the right structure for this kind of cooking. The experience is à la carte, which gives the table more control over pacing and spend.

Jermyn Street Context: Why the Address Matters

Franco's has operated on Jermyn Street long enough to be part of the fabric of St James's , a neighbourhood that runs on discretion, long-standing relationships, and a preference for quality over novelty. That context shapes the dining room in ways that matter to the decision you're making. This is not a restaurant that opened to generate press coverage and is now coasting. The regulars who fill the room are a form of quality signal: they keep returning because the kitchen and the service meet a standard they've tested repeatedly. For a visitor to London wanting to eat in a part of the city that still trades in old-school hospitality, that track record is worth something. It also sits within easy reach of Piccadilly and Green Park, making it a logical choice for anyone already spending time in the West End. If you're exploring the broader London dining scene, our full London restaurants guide gives the wider picture, and for the rest of the city's food and culture offer, our guides to London hotels, London bars, London wineries, and London experiences cover the ground.

Booking and Practical Details

Booking difficulty sits at moderate: Franco's is not the kind of place that requires a three-month lead time, but for a Friday or Saturday dinner, or if you have a specific table preference, booking at least two weeks ahead is sensible. The Google rating of 4.4 across 980 reviews confirms a consistent track record rather than a flash of early enthusiasm. The corkage fee, if you choose to bring your own, is £50 , worth knowing given the strength of the in-house wine list, which may make that redundant. Dress code is not formally specified, but the St James's address and the room's character suggest smart casual at minimum; the regulars set the tone, and they dress accordingly.

Italian Comparisons Beyond London

If you're benchmarking Franco's against Italian restaurants outside the UK, the reference points shift significantly. 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong operates at a higher price tier with greater technical ambition. Cenci in Kyoto takes Italian technique in a completely different direction. Franco's is not competing with either of those in terms of ambition , it is making a different argument: that consistently excellent classical Italian cooking, served in a room with a sense of place, is worth more than novelty. Within London's Italian scene specifically, the alternatives worth knowing about include Luca for a more contemporary take, Bancone for accessible pasta at a lower price point, Artusi for neighbourhood Italian in south London, and Archway and Big Mamma Kensington if the group is larger and the mood is less formal. For serious destination dining elsewhere in the UK, The Fat Duck in Bray, L'Enclume in Cartmel, Moor Hall in Aughton, Gidleigh Park in Chagford, Hand and Flowers in Marlow, and hide and fox in Saltwood are the comparisons that matter , though none of them is doing what Franco's does.