Four O Nine

Four O Nine is well on the way towards qualifying as one of London's most exclusive restaurants, with a private entrance on Landor Road where you look for the single green door with the small sign and press the buzzer to gain entry. Indications are that there are plenty of people around who appreciate the degree of privacy that this offers, and this 'hidden gem of Clapham' is a regular port of call to a dedicated cognoscenti

Inside there awaits a warm welcome, food that has been prepared with care and consummate expertise, and friendship, all against a background that is cosy and charmingly informal, with dark wooden floors, cream coloured chairs and sepia photographs of the surrounding locality, giving instant rapport to many diners.

Chef Andre Dupin's classic French menu, with a thread of Asian influence winding through it, has five choices in each 'remove' as courses used to be called. Starters might offer fillet of red mullet with dressed crab, fennel and sauce vierge, glazed pork belly with delicious buttery savoy cabbage and baby onions, butternut squash soup with basil pesto, or the superb foie gras and chicken liver parfait with tomato jam and warm toast.

Main courses drive steadily down the French classic auto route, with crisp fillet of sea bass partnered with olive oil mash, grilled courgette and cremolata, a herb stuffed coquelet with fondant potato, braised celery and meat juices or linguini of girolle mushrooms with rocket and parmesan. No French restaurant should be without a grilled rib eye steak on the menu, and there it is with roast tomato, herb butter and French fries.

Cheeses from Neal's Yard, well respected supplier of cheeses to the discerning, can always be relied upon, and sweet tooths can revel in a hot chocolate pudding with vanilla ice cream, or panna cotta with cinnamon scented oranges. In season don't miss out on the poached English rhubarb with champagne sorbet.

A punchy wine list of some 80 global selections shares the same inclinations as the menu.

New to Four O Nine is a private dining room, seating between 8 to 20 guests, available for lunch or dinner. The restaurant is now also open for Sunday lunch, with three courses for £25.

Their elegant Website offers more information, and records any seasonal menu changes.