Franco's

Franco's attracts an untrashy Euro crowd including businessmen, well-groomed young women who like the convenience of all-day dining and the odd film director. Inviting pavement tables, which bring a classy continental feel to traditionally English Jermyn Street, are most popular; there is also a relaxing café-bar and a more formal Italian restaurant next door. In the café-bar, where a long maroon banquette provides seating at a series of round dark wood tables, is a huge silver Taittinger champagne bucket, a glass dome protecting morning pastries, a little nude art, and copies of the International Herald Tribune and Financial Times. Staff hit the right balance of friendliness and correctness - happy to chat about the latest Jackie Collins novel, concerned how we wanted the house salad dressed, and whether the coffee should come before, with or after dessert. Fennel, green beans, tomato, red onion and pomegranate brought crunch and colour to the salad leaves. Lasagne, a popular order, arrived piping-hot in a square white ceramic baking dish - comforting layers of quality pasta, rich meat and creamy cheese. To finish, ginger panna cotta had an exquisite fusion flavour but even with its accompanying strand of pristine redcurrants seemed a meagre portion - perhaps not a problem in this part of town.