Felix Bar and Bistro

The term 'bistro' seems a little modest for this always-busy French eatery with all the bustle of a frenetic Parisian brasserie. It's almost too Gallically good to be true with its luxurious timber and white-tiled surrounds, plus a statement oyster bar brimming with iced fruits de mer. Prawn cocktail in a martini glass with a creamy avocado base, crisp lettuce and light Marie-Rose sauce banishes any doubts about this '70s throwback, but a salad special of Balmain bug with Asian flavours was somewhat too tart. For mains, a classic skate with brown butter and capers gets a much-needed hit of bitterness from caramelised witlof; and grilled pork neck, roasted nectarines, baby spinach, honey and mustard is an honest bistro dish deftly executed. A beautiful bombe alaska with lemon curd is a wickedly sweet disc of madeira cake and ice-cream with a lusciously creamy egg-white shell. A berry compote provides a pool of welcome tartness. Fantastique.