Luc's Brasserie

Luc's does what generations of politicians have generally failed dismally to do, namely bring the English and the French together into close proximity - and smile. The location for this superb diplomatic achievement is none other than the historic and increasingly fashionable Leadenhall Market with its picturesque cobbled walkways that have somehow miraculously survived the health and safety process, and its echoes of London past and present, now triumphantly joined at Luc's with Parisian chic.

One of the greatest achievements of the Leadenhall Market project lies within its creation of a classless zone where all sorts and conditions of people happily whoop it up, and it is into this scene that Luc's blends with precocious ease, offering food that is cosmopolitan and appealing. So the city slicker finds himself sitting next to the day visitor from Cheltenham, or the lonely émigré from La France itself, amidst a riot of simple wooden tables casually draped with spotless white cloth.

The décor is indiscreetly French, with a restaurant that seats 100, and an upstairs private dining room that accommodates another 30. To provide before and after space a long elegant bar is backed with a cluster of high tables at which solitary visitors to Luc's can cherish their isolation with a meal and a glass or three.

Chef and Partner, Darrin Jacobs, has produced a menu that signals yet another success for l'entente cordiale, starting with some bacon and potato rösti and melted Emmental toasts, sautéed foie gras with toasted brioche, or some escargots de Bourgogne. Grilled Dover sole offer at least a breath of L'Angleterre and the French attitude to matters of meat is well captured in the duck rillettes with red onion confiture.

Steaks feature strongly; all are served with oven dried tomato, frites and sauces aux poivre or béarnaise. Chateaubriand for two invariably makes the best of the cut as well as rolling nicely off the tongue when ordering. Calves' liver Lyonnaise makes a welcome change from our often uninspired methods of making this nutritious meat appealing to a wider public.

The eponymous steak hache burger has all the appeal of a well prepared faggot combined with the flavours of well hung meat, served plain or with beef tomato, cos lettuce and dill pickle.

No French leaning menu is complete without a boeuf bourguignon, or bouillabaisse with rouille, gruyere and croutons, and of course the French are always much more adventurous in their approach to bucolic meat such as wood pigeon, served here with braised endive and wild cherry sauce.

Desserts offer profiteroles with Luc's white chocolate ice cream, tarte au citron, apricot and almond tarte and, of course, crème brûlée.

A wine list that leans exclusively towards the Gallic mode should come as no surprise, nor indeed as a disappointment bearing in mind the quality of the 100 plus wines from which to choose. Their Website is well worth a click to find out more about special offers and opportunities for private functions in this central City location.