Le Chardon

The good news about Le Chardon, like the bad news, is that it is thoroughly French. Points are scored for familiar French dishes along the lines of coq au vin, duck a l’orange & braised lamb shank, & the pretty dining room, in which the Victorian tiling & grandeur, an attestation to its days as a butcher shop, remain intact. The odd British Isles grace note of Bannow Bay oysters or West Country crab is also praiseworthy. But service is a caricature of Gallic arrogance & can be rude & dismissive. Still, it’s worth braving the occasional sneer for the chance to wrap yourself round one of the small tables & pretend you’re having a night out on the tiles in Paris.