Nestling in Flask Walk, a picturesque cobbled street in the well-heeled North London borough of Hampstead, La Cage Imaginaire is a traditional French restaurant that serves fine Mediterranean cuisine in elegant surroundings. Its traditional French brasserie style menu and attentive service make it an excellent choice for a quick business lunch or intimate dinner for two.

Open from 11.30 a.m. all seven days of the week, the menu at La Cage Imaginaire features starters such as risotto with oyster mushrooms and pine nuts, calamari fritti with baby spinach salad and homemade ravioli with spinach, ricotta and sun dried tomatoes. Mains options include Toulouse sausages with split pea purée, gnocchi with butternut squash and camembert and herbed veal chop with creamy mashed potato. For dessert delight in such choices as apple and prune crumble with vanilla ice cream, apricot cheesecake or chocolate pot with crushed amaretti biscuits.

The expertly chosen wine list offers a range of excellent French reds and whites, with familiar names such as Corbieres and Merlot available by the glass as well as the bottle. There are also vintage bottles, including premier cru Puligny-Montrachet or Gevrey-Chambertin burgundy, for the connoisseur's pleasure.