La Bistronomie

What: French gastronomy at a Paris-style bistro.
Where: 1/F, A3, 800 Changde Lu, near Changping Lu. Tel: 3255 3368.
Why: For traditional French fare with a contemporary twist at affordable prices.

Tucked away in the 800 Changde Lu complex， is this quaint French restaurant with a cosy interior and a large terrace perfect for indulgent sunny days. This is the second restaurant for the Guangxi born, yet Swiss Hospitality School trained, owners with the first restaurant being opened in Liuzhou. After perfecting their brand in the small city, the management team and chef have now been moved to the Shanghai location, to leave their mark on the city’s dining scene. Originally named Indulge Brasserie, the restaurant, which has been operational for a few years, underwent a concept change at the end of last year with the addition of Chef Benoît Leloup. French Chef Leloup, from the Loire region, has a decade of experience in the kitchen, including work at Michelin stared restaurants, and has now focused the menu on classical French dishes, whilst also employing a little creative flare.

When we visited, we ordered our favourite classic French dish, roasted Camembert with melted snail butter (RMB 120). We made sure to finish every oozing drip of the rich, ripe and garlicky cheese. A close second favourite was the scallops and mushroom au gratin (RMB 70), which were beautifully presented and served in their shells. The earthy flavour of the mushrooms complimented the rich buttery scallops perfectly and we were left scraping the shells with our crusty house bread. We also had a fresh salad, Salade Paysan, with potatoes, poached egg, smoked duck filet and croutons (RMB 58). To finish our glutinous round of starters, we ordered homemade foie gras with exotic fruits chutney (RMB 75). The duck foie was light and airy, perfectly spreadable and served with a scoop of mango sorbet as well as tangy fruit chutney. The mango sorbet seemed like an odd addition, although when we tried the flavour combination we were pleasantly surprise. You need to be quick, however, before the melting sorbet runs all over your plate.

For our main course, we sampled the lamb rack with sweet pepper piperade (RMB 120), which was perfectly cooked with fresh looking, and tasting, piperade. The next dish was a timeless coq au vin with macaroni gratin and truffle (RMB 80). Finally, we tried the signature flank beef steak (RMB 175), which was cooked medium-rare and almost melted in our mouths, just as we like it.

For dessert, we tried a selection of the chef’s wonderful homemade ice creams and sorbets (RMB 32) and a perfectly executed chocolate fondant cake called, “black flowing chocolate heart and coconut ice cream” (RMB 48). Trust us, it tastes a lot better than it sounds!

The restaurant offers a long wine list of New and Old World varieties, with well-trained staff on-hand to suggest food pairings. Go here for a comfortable and tasty dinner or to take advantage of their lunch sets, starting at RMB 48 for an appetiser and a main course.