Restaurants

This casual café in the lovely tiled foyer of the Michelin building is a consistently reliable operation, much loved by smartly dressed lunching ladies. Who can blame them, with such well-mannered service and an ocean’s worth of seafood to enjoy? Seating is at circular, marble-topped tables in a small side space, or in the foyer; the latter is light and airy, but noisy thanks to hard surfaces. The oysters are top-notch, of course (you can buy some for home at the crustacea stall outside). There’s also lobster mayonnaise, prawns, crab, potted shrimps and elaborate seafood platters on the standard menu, as well as a short, daily-changing choice of Mediterranean-slanted light dishes, both cold and hot. Options on our visit included chicken breast with piedmontese peppers and pesto, rump of lamb with baba ganoush, lentil and preserved lemon salad, and fillet of sea trout with haricot beans, diced tomatoes and salsa verde (odd-tasting and too strong for the delicate fish). Panna cotta or blackberry cheesecake are typical puddings. The French-focused wine list majors on whites and champagne, with, usefully, all house wines available by the 460ml pot.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009