Blackfriars, French Restaurant Guide

“Consistently lovely for any occasion” – this unusually attractive venue occupies a graciously converted former Georgian auction house in Chancery Lane (dating from 1807), complete with period glass ceiling. It celebrates its 15th anniversary this year as part of Pascal Aussignac’s Club Gascon group, and offers “good value Provence-inspired cuisine and unusual wines from South West France and Corsica”. The basement cocktail bar, Baranis, boasts London’s only indoor pétanque court.

“Correct Gallic fare where comfort rather than wow is the name of the game” sums up this “good-value French bistro” group, which has a flagship in Battersea and branches in Putney, Wandsworth Common, the City and at the Institut Français in South Kensington. Sceptics judge it “rather run-of-the-mill”, but more commonly it’s seen as a useful standby and continues to garner a voluminous amount of feedback. In particular, fans say, it’s a “favourite place for steak & chips because they do it the French way”.