The 14th of July is quite special across the channel, as the French commemorate the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille in 1789. Today it’s all about making the most of this French summer bank holiday and gathering your friends and family. In the UK, it might not be a day off, but there are many ways to celebrate the French National Day! We’ve rounded up five of our favourite events happening across the UK for the occasion.
Bastille Day at Galvin Bistrot
In the heart of Spitalfields Market in London, French tradition meets London vibes at Galvin Bistrot. To celebrate Bastille Day, there will be a dedicated three-course Menu! Salade Lyonnaise with smoked bacon lardons, poached sea trout with Brittany tomato salad, apple tarte tatin… If those dishes sound appealing, wait until you discover the other suggestions!
Cherry on the cake, Parisian singer and accordionist Fifi La Mer will perform all afternoon to bring this transport diners straight to the heart of France.
3-course Bastille Menu £42 pp
Lunch from 12-4pm, open till 6pm for drinks.
Galvin Bistrot & Bar
35 Spital Square
London E1 6DY
© galvin-bistrot
Bastille Day Party at le Pont de la Tour
A French party on a beautiful terrace overlooking the river Thames and Tower Bridge? Yes please! To celebrate, restaurant institution Le Pont de la Tour is teaming up with St-Germain French elderflower liqueur for a one-of-a-kind seafood feast in their Bistrot.
Tickets are priced at £50 pp and guests can help themselves to canapés, oysters, live station with steak tartare, mussels and palourde clams marinière, signature Crêpe suzette and a celebratory St-Germain Hugo Spritz to toast to the upcoming Bastille Day. Whilst dancing to the tune of a Parisian band, that’s our kind of plan!
Sunday 14th July 2024 from 5.30 to 9pm
Le Pont de La Tour
36D Shad Thames
London SE1 2YE
© ©Le Pont De La Tour
Bastille Day at Brasserie Zédel
Never short of crazy ideas, Brasserie Zédel is running once more their now-famous Bastille Ballot. But you’ve missed the ballot deadline? No worries! On top of that, the Parisian-style institution a stone's throw from Piccadilly Circus is hosting many other events throughout the weekend to celebrate Bastille Day.
Our favourite: This one-of-a-kind-evening, with members of the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on Sunday 14th July. The 16-piece orchestra will perform live in the centre of the Brasserie, whilst you’ll feast on a typical French three-course meal including the likes of carottes râpées, steak à la bordelaise and crème brûlée and a welcome cocktail (£98 pp). For something a little bit more laid-back, head to ZL Café to sip on a cocktail in the summer sunshine, listening to the joyful tunes of a live Parisian accordionist on Friday 12th & Saturday 13th July.
Brasserie Zédel
20 Sherwood St,
London W1F 7ED
© ©Brasserie Zédel
French cheese for Bastille Day with Paxton & Whitefield
You’d rather stay in and invite friends over? Then ancestral London cheesemonger Paxton & Whitefield has you covered. Order their classic French cheese selection to celebrate the flavours of Bastille Day from the comfort of your own home.
What you’ll find in this jewel of a box curated by their cheesemongers: fruity traditional Comté PDO, nutty Selles-Sur-Cher PDO goats cheese, decadently creamy Brillat-Savarin and firm Fourme d'Ambert blue cheese, along with a richy fig and walnut paste from the French Pyrénées. Pair it with a sweet Monbazillac dessert wine for a match made in cheese heaven.
Box £45 - Paxton & Whitfield Monbazillac £20
French Cheese Selection Box £50
© ©Paxton & Whitefield
Bastille Day Festival in Reading
Running for the 10th year, Bastille Day Festival Reading is back for a weekend of music, food and singing shows with a French touch for the whole family.
What’s on: cultural performances including French singers like Martinican bélé king Baron Black, pop singer Maloe, and a cancan show from Sandy Maya’s Dance World; French food classics like cheese, sausage bread, wine and crepes… Last but not least, don’t forget to take a stroll through the Medieval village by Historia Normannis, a local 12th-century living history group, bringing the Middle Ages to life.
Free entry
Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July 2024
11am-5pm
Forbury Gardens, Reading
© ©Bastille Day Festival
Contributor
Valentine Benoist
Editor
