The French House

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With its velvet high-backed chairs, pinstriped wallpaper, gilded mirrors and slightly batty-aristocratic-style paintings, the French House would make an excellent location for a fashion shoot. It's easy to picture doe-eyed models in flapper dresses here, looking languid for a Vogue spread, though the ''no photography'' sign on the wall might put a dampener on things.

The cafe, which occupies a corner on Danks Street, is coming up to its second anniversary. While the interior is very chichi Parisian-style, the enormous verandah with potted trees and wrought-iron tables and chairs is more laid back.

Glass cases hold dozens of treats including filled baguettes, quiches, brioches and croissants. Then there are the gateaux, mille feuilles and tarts that look almost too exquisite to eat. Everything, including the baguettes, are made here. The Douwe Egberts coffee ($3.80) is ''comme ci, comme ca'' - it's a little bitter. You can get bowls of it ($4.30) but I can't imagine wanting so much. A better choice are the loose-leaf teas served in pretty teacups on a silver tray, with an ornate vintage sugar bowl full of sugar lumps.

The smoked salmon, feta and cherry tomato quiche ($6.90), in a shell of flaky pastry, is generous with the smoked salmon. The delicate madeleines are light and sweet. But more exciting are the tarts ($7.90). After careful deliberation we decide on the strawberry, the chocolate caramel and the sour cherry. The chocolate caramel is a little over the top and the sour cherry is lovely enough. But the strawberry tart, with its fresh strawberries, oozy custard and thick, buttery pastry is the winner. It makes us come over all ooh la la.

The French House

Address 1 Danks Street, Waterloo, 8399 2770 Open daily, 7.30am-5.30pm

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