Restaurants

‘Nunc est bibendum’ is the motto around the floor mosaic of the tyre-plump Michelin man, and this casual café/bar in the lovely tiled foyer of the Michelin building is indeed a good place for a drink, at any time. And good for premium-quality oysters too: four native and rock varieties on our visit, including premium-priced Colchester No.2s. You can sit in the foyer (a thoroughfare for customers to the adjoining Conran shop or first-floor Bibendum restaurant), in the small café to the side, or outside sandwiched between the oyster and flower stalls. Shellfish is a speciality, with the likes of lobster or crab mayonnaise, crevettes grises and a towering crustacea platter (minimum two people), but there are other fishy options (smoked salmon, gravadlax, rollmop herrings with onion salad) and salads on the regular menu. Most are small, light dishes perfect for the figure-conscious ladies who dine here at lunchtime. A small daily specials list adds variety; on our visit it included carpaccio-like slices of spiced pineapple with basil chantilly cream. Whites dominate the wine list; the house varieties are helpfully available in 450ml pots as well as by the glass and bottle. Staff are polished and professional.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008