Numidie

In good company on restaurant-packed Westow Hill, this green-fronted French-Algerian bistro is a safe choice. The venue looks and feels cool, with its massive mirrors, vintage fittings, colourful walls and shabby-chic mismatched crockery.

The nicely priced set menus includes such choices as Algerian fish soup, grilled anchovies, falafel or merguez sausages. We liked the melange of flavours in the merguez dish - a smear of tapenade here and a splodge of harissa there nod to both France and North Africa. The wines look both ways too, with a Moroccan rosé among a mainly French list.

Couscous is ubiquitous: sometimes with a mixture of kebab meat, at other times with lamb shank or chicken tagine. You'll also encounter undeniably French favourites such as steak and chips. We particularly enjoyed a crisp fish börek with a pot of heady aïoli.

Save space for desserts, which feature the likes of cognac crème brûlée, chocolate tart, and pear with pistachios and yoghurt (a lush choice).

It's easy to see why Numidie has kept busy for more than a decade.