Poissonnerie de l'Avenue

At the ripe old age of 50, this most traditional of French fish restaurants is still a firm favourite with an ultra-loyal brigade of Chelsea’s early settlers who like their seafood cooked in the old style. Evergreen Pietro Rosignoli welcomes back his regulars & their families with typical Italian grace, & serves a menu that – at their insistence – seldom changes. Come here for bouillabaisse, sole princesse, lobster thermidor, & fruits de mer (all provided by Poissonerie’s adjoining fishmonger), as well as the much-loved petit pot au chocolat. Lunch at £28 for three courses is a fair deal. The luxurious dining room harks back to the starched ceremony of 1960s dining out, with plushly upholstered chairs, monogrammed napkins & gold-rimmed china plates; other details, such as nautical paintings & a lobster-patterned carpet, add some maritime kitsch to proceedings.