West Brompton, French Restaurant Guide

“No wonder it’s packed every day, when the food is this good” – chef Claude Bosi’s Chelsea newcomer is off to a flying start and one of the most talked-about debuts in our annual diners’ poll, as well as amongst the fooderati in-crowd. It’s his and his wife Lucy’s tribute to the ‘bouchons’ of his native Lyons (named in memory of his grandmother) and the “rustic hearty fare from Bosi’s homeland” is “exceptionally well-executed”. With swathes of cream, eggs, pastry, butter or cheese in most dishes, the “wonderful Lyonnais food” is “not for the calorie-conscious but there is a reason why these recipes are such a part of our food heritage”, and succeeds in making it “very much the bistro it‘s trying to be”. In set-up, “it’s like being transported to France, with jammed-in tables” (“you will be part of the next table’s conversation whether you like it or not!”) and retro decor. Top Menu Tips – “special mention has to go to the utterly superb sweetbread in morel sauce and do leave space for the Rum Baba to finish, lethally laced with enough booze to float a battleship”.