The French Restaurant

Reckon that modern restaurants lack that sense of occasion? A visit to The French might change your mind. Offering glamour on an intimate scale, it was the venue for an early Posh & Becks date, but old-fashioned service & a tinkling piano ensure that even ordinary mortals are made to feel special. Dinner in the lavishly appointed restaurant is an expensive affair (go early in the week for the better deals) & meals begin with a visit from the bread trolley. Simple dishes work best here, so a plate of oak-smoked salmon, followed by Cumbrian beef with braised oxtail or honey-roasted Goosnargh duck, is likely to satisfy; for a spot of tableside theatre, share the chateaubriand. Dessert – perhaps a straightforward custard tart or crème brûlée – offers an excuse to prolong your spell in restaurant wonderland. The wine list is surprisingly underpowered, although £35 will buy something decent.