A modern French bistro with a focus on affordability opens in the leafy southwest London borough of Richmond this month. Chef John McClements, who ran the local Ma Cuisine group for three decades, has come out of retirement to launch the project.

Mignonette is just five minutes’ walk from Richmond station on the Kew Road, where it has taken over the former Restaurant 109 premises. Originally from Scotland, John trained at the Gleaneagles hotel and also founded the highly regarded restaurant McClements in Twickenham.

He says the new bistro will “focus on elevating more affordable meat options rather than simply prime cuts, such as steak tartare, stuffed pigs trotter and ox cheek bordelaise, with daily fish specials and impressive vegetarian/vegan options to match“.