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Gregory Marchand’s cult Parisian bistro Frenchie opens a British outpost in Covent Garden

Frenchie is the nickname Jamie Oliver gave to chef Grégory Marchand when Grégory headed the kitchen of Fifteen in Shoreditch. In 2009 he used it as the name for his own Paris restaurant and wine bar, then also a traiteur and wine shop, in Rue du Nil. In London it is spelled out clearly in black-and-white mosaic tiles on the doorstep of the otherwise slightly shy and retiring entrance to Frenchie in Covent Garden. It is, maybe, the Frenchiest thing about the enterprise.

Gregory Marchand’s cooking helped him survive an orphanage, impress Jamie Oliver and revolutionise the Paris restaurant scene. Now he’s opening in London

For one evening only two outstanding chefs: James Lowe (Lyle's - London) and Gregory Marchand (Frenchie - Paris) team up to create a unique "Amazing Dinner" inspired by both their cultures. The result was a masterfully choreographed feast for the senses.

"As a chef, you have to take risks and push yourself out of your comfort zone. That’s how you grow," says Gregory Marchand, chef-owner of Frenchie, the Paris institution so good that seven years since they opened reserving a table is nearly impossible – there’s still a three-month waiting list.