La Cage Imaginaire in Flask Walk will shut at the end of the month after two decades under the current ownership.
It serves Italian and French cuisine and was the setting for a date scene between Renee Zellweger’s widow Bridget and her new love interest Roxster played by Leo Woodhall in the movie Bridget Jones Mad About The Boy.
In the scene, the pair sit at a table by the bay window and share jokes about sex.
On their website the restaurant says: “This delightful and cosy family-run restaurant serves traditional French and Italian cuisines which offers a quiet and intimate setting perfect for business lunches or romantic dinner dates.”
It has also featured in the Ricky Gervais series Afterlife, while fans of the restaurant have reportedly included Gervais, John Hurt, Mr Bean star Rowan Atkinson, and legendary cookery writer Claudia Roden.
The restaurant is thought to have opened in the 70s and current owner Antonia Macone has worked there since 2000. That’s where she met her partner Constantin Tofan and the couple decided to keep the name of the 28-cover restaurant when they took it on six years later.
They serve up the likes of pasta, duck, coq au vin and beef bourguignon in an idyllic corner of Hampstead on a cobbled corner at the end of Flask Walk.
The website goes on: “The talented chefs at La Cage Imaginaire bring you a wide range of unique dishes from the Med. From Sauteed Frogs Legs to Beef Bourguignon, delight in how our chefs elevate these classic dishes.”
With its white tablecloths, chalk board and cosy setting, it’s not surprising it has grabbed the imagination of film makers and been a location for other date nights.
Of 395 reviews on the platform Tripadvisor 296 have been good or excellent with some diners praising the affordability of the set menus and one saying it felt like “being in Paris.”
However a recent visitor reported it had gone downhill and criticised both the food and the service advising “avoid this restaurant.”
Dining and Cooking