Oldest French restaurant in London to auction off decor ahead of new look

The bistro was founded in 1943Lea Dzifa Seeberg What’s On & Affiliates Editor and Stanley Murphy-Johns Press Association

11:47, 26 Dec 2025

London’s oldest family-run French restaurant is auctioning off its classic interior decorations to make way for a new look. On a busy street in Covent Garden, usually adorned with a large tricolour flag, Mon Plaisir has served up “great food” and “rude” waitstaff for more than 80 years.

The bistro was founded in 1943 during the Second World War by two brothers, before being sold to their maitre’d Alain Lhermitte in 1973. Mr Lhermitte expanded Mon Plaisir to new locations around London, giving customers an authentic French gourmet experience.

In an interview from 2007, he described his restaurant as a “real restaurant for real people – not for bulls******s”. Eventually, Mon Plaisir found itself back down to just the original venue, and in 2011, Mr Lhermitte was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Mr Lhermitte passed the restaurant over to his family in 2017 before his death in 2022. Now Mon Plaisir is under new family ownership and they’re making changes.

A selection of the classic French interior decorations from Mon Plaisir, including advertising signage, art posters, clocks and cockerels, will be up for auction from December 28.

Steven Stockton, of Catherine Southon’s Auctioneers and Valuers, said: “This is a rare opportunity to acquire an affordable slice of London gastronomique history. Since 1943, Mon Plaisir has been at the heart, and stomach, of Covent Garden.

“Everyone I speak to seems to have a Mon Plaisir story, all given with a deep fondness- one London-based French couple told me they loved it because it reminded them of home – the food being great, the interior stylish and the waitresses oh so rude!”

The new owners are leaving the original 1943 dining room unaltered and keeping the copper-topped bar, said to have originated in a Lyon brothel. A timed auction will begin on December 28 and end on January 11.

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