L'etoile

L'etoile means 'star', and even without the regular presence of busy, busy, dancing and kitchen-ruling celeb chef Manu Feildel, his pretty restaurant still shines brightly. Step inside this adorable terrace, get cosy on the long banquette or embrace the courtyard out back, and put yourself in the hands of French professionals who know how to turn on the Gallic charm. In the galley, good technique informs honest Parisian-style dishes that are as delicate as they are bold, with definitive flavours that linger long after the final mouthful. A dainty scallop sausage bathes in a punchy crustacean bisque, while a lush asparagus veloute accentuates supple slivers of crab. A sous-vided, seared and roasted chicken breast puts tarragon in the spotlight, while the wagyu butcher's cut (skirt) smothered in bordelaise proves that few do steak and frites better than the French. Wind things up with beignets a la confiture de rhubarbe avec glace au pain d'epices that's rhubarb jam doughnuts with ice-cream to you.