While preparing for a refreshed look in 2025, Mon Plaisir, London’s oldest French restaurant located in Covent Garden, has announced a timed auction of its classic interior decorations. The auction, which begins December 28 and concludes January 11, offers patrons and collectors a chance to own a piece of the establishment’s rich 80-year history.
The restaurant, easily recognized by its large tricolour flag, has accumulated numerous iconic items since its founding in 1943 during World War II.
Mon Plaisir was established by two brothers and later sold to Alain Lhermitte in 1973, who had previously served as the restaurant’s maitre d’. Under Lhermitte’s ownership, the restaurant expanded to multiple London locations before returning to its original venue.
Lhermitte, who described the restaurant as “a real restaurant for real people,” was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2011 and passed the business to his family in 2017 before his death in 2022.
The restaurant has maintained its authentic French bistro atmosphere, complete with a copper-topped bar that originated from a Lyon brothel. French couples frequently cite Mon Plaisir as a reminder of home due to its genuine experience.
Despite its changes in ownership, the restaurant has continued to serve great food with its famously characterful waitstaff.
While Mon Plaisir claims the title of London’s oldest French restaurant, L’Escargot presents a competing claim, having opened as Le Bienvenue in 1896 before moving to its current Greek Street location in 1927. L’Escargot earned its reputation as the first restaurant in England to serve the French delicacy of snails. The restaurant even maintained a snail farm in the basement to ensure fresh ingredients for its namesake dish. Following its 1927 renaming, L’Escargot became known for its hunting cry origins that influenced its distinctive name. Another establishment, Kettner’s, suggests even earlier origins dating to 1867.
The new family owners have assured patrons that key elements of Mon Plaisir’s heritage will remain intact, including the original 1943 dining room and the distinctive copper bar.
The auction represents an evolution rather than a revolution, allowing the restaurant to update while honoring its significant place in London’s culinary landscape. For many longtime customers, the restaurant holds sentimental value through generations of dining experiences and personal memories.
