Racine

Racine is clearly doing something right; since opening in 2002, the place has continued to hum with a throng of locals and visitors. Furnishings provide little to write home about. The predominantly brown colour scheme is cheered up slightly with mirrors, but such sobriety serves to focus attention on the resolutely French cooking of chef-patron Henry Harris.

There are invariably some Lyonnais classics on the menu, and most recently, we were thrilled by the pan-fried calf's brains with black butter, which came with a few capers for that extra pinch of sharpness. Another winning dish was grilled rabbit, which arrived with a velvety dijon mustard sauce finished with tasty pieces of smoked bacon. Beef comes from Cork, via Knightsbridge butcher Jack O'Shea, and the côte de boeuf (for two, served with béarnaise sauce, £77) is hung for 44 days.

Cooking here is classic and comforting, pretty much delivering what's on the tin. Dessert of petit pots of chocolate is another crowd-pleaser. The lunch and early dinner prix-fixe represent good value in this exclusive part of town. Additional draws include the assiduous service and a mostly French wine list containing 20 options by the glass.