SETTING I’ve been eating at Virginie Brouard’s wonderful French bistro for nigh on 12 years. The décor may have changed to a more contemporary style with deep burgundy and black walls but the solid wooden tables remain, as does the Gallic charm from the friendly French staff. The best tables are the two in the large bow windows; watching the ebb and flow of office workers as we sip Kir while pondering over the menu.

FOOD There have always been mussels on the menu – voluptuous, juicy and as fresh as they come, bathed in a cream sauce of some description - flavoured with cider, bacon, garlic or herbs. French bread is replenished as I mop up the moule liquor. Rhona has the pork terrine studded with pale green pistachios giving the dish a nuttiness. The onion marmalade is not as concentrated as one would expect, but it is wonderfully sweet, again adding an extra dimension to this rustic starter.

We polish off the salad as we wait for the next course. It arrives swiftly and we breathe in the heady fragrance of herbs and wine. My half a poussin lays resplendent on a bed of courgettes and sauté new potatoes. This bird can be fiddly with its tiny bones, but the flesh pulls from the carcass with ease and is roasted well, skin crisp and meat succulent. Rhona’s boeuf Bourguignon is a rumbustious blend of gloriously winey sauce, with plenty of beef, lardoons, mushrooms and carrots. The kitchen, under the steady hands of Thomas Bruno (from the stables of triple Michelin-starred Paul Bocuse), proves that it can deliver well-executed French classics including frogs legs for the non-squeamish.

We squeeze in pudding and, although not typically French, there is a good rendition of sticky toffee that gets nods of approval from the aficionado of such things – Rhona. I, on the other hand, settle for Poire Belle-Hélène, layers of poached pear, ice cream and hot chocolate sauce. I always enjoy the food here, wines won’t bankrupt you and there are plenty by the glass. So here’s to another 12 years - Vive La P’tite Folie!