Little French Restaurant, The

The British love affair with French cuisine rolls on and all over the country pockets of Gallic expertise pander to this national inclination. Given that lenient cordiale is not always the uppermost thought in the minds of the collective British, this is an enormous tribute to the culinary abilities of a race that are characterised by such daily icons as garlic, the whiff of Gauloises, romance and inscrutable politics.

The Little French Restaurant, tucked into one of the more civilised corners of Earl's Court, takes a leading role in perpetuating our adoration of not only the cooking abilities of the French, but perhaps just as importantly their philosophy regarding this highly rated pastime, occasionally cloaked beneath the mantle of necessity.

Half the battle in any French restaurant so impudent as to establish itself in a foreign field is to get the décor right. Thoughts of impressionist art, pewter bars, red velvet and dangerously ponderous sparkling chandeliers and a general air of controlled decadence come to mind, and on at least some of these matters The Little French restaurant ticks the box.

But of course, when the chips are down, it is the food and drink that make the pace, so let's start with the wine list. Having perhaps visited their website beforehand you will have noted that the most expensive bottle of wine does not even reach the £25 mark. This, from one of the most respected wine producing countries in the world, may well have surprised and a Crozes Hermitage at £22.95 does not disappoint. As ever an exception is made for the Lanson champagne which does cross the threshold, but wait - the house champagne at £22.95 is most certainly not to be overlooked.

Lunch time in Earl's Court makes the middle of the Sahara look overpopulated and the three course meal on offer at £9.95 is therefore offered at both lunchtime and in the evenings, making it incredibly sound value. With a choice of eight dishes each from the starters and main course the eye catches a traditional start with French onion soup, vichyssoise, mushrooms 'Stiltonnaise', mushrooms marinated in lemon garlic and spices, then grilled with Stilton cheese, or some fresh  marinated salmon with dill, lemon juice and spices on a bed of salad.

Main courses weigh in with coq au vin d'Alsace done the French way in a pot, before even considering the lamb Wellington, hardly an item one expects to find in a French restaurant, but never mind all that was a long time ago. A return to patriotism is signalled by the arrival of the cod à la Provençale, but let nobody ignore the turkey escalope, as Bernard Matthews strikes a blow for England, served with port wine sauce.

Desserts such as apple pie with cream, or tiramisu lead the satisfied diner to a graceful completion before coffee is served and the relative merits of a single malt or an excellent brandy become a talking point.

The Little French restaurant lives up amply to its name and has all the necessary accoutrements to ensure its neighbourhood status. Do check on its Website for further information and evidence that it is in tune with then spirit of the times.