'A Taste of France' - Review from Lifestyle Magazine
by Deborah Williams
On approaching the French Connection I was surprised at how authentically French the restaurant looked. My husband and I had eaten in a bistro just like it about four years ago, in the artist’s quarter of Paris, close to the Sacre Cour.
The night of the review however, I’d left my husband babysitting and was with my friend Angie, whose two passions in life are food and drink! We’d booked a table for about 8pm and on our arrival the restaurant was already busy.The atmosphere was lively with the sound of diners chatting, together with live background music, the volume of which was just right. We were shown to our table, which was in between two others, and although they were fairly close together, this did not feel intrusive. We ordered our drinks and were provided with a menu.
As we were visiting on a Thursday evening, we were offered a traditionally French three course menu, aIl for the very reasonable price of £15. We also learned however, that an A La Carte menu is available, should you wish to dine more formally, on a Friday or Saturday evening. It was also interesting to learn theme evenings are held from time to time. These are usually based on regional
French cuisine and customers are notified of these through the restaurant's mailing list. Accompanying the menu was a more than adequate wine list with many of the wines originating from the new world as well as the old world classics.
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After much deliberation, my friend chose the pate du jour, which was home made, smooth chicken liver pate with brandy and garlic. I opted for the spiced pumpkin soup from the specials board, which was served in a pumpkin shell. For the main course I ordered the vegetarian crepe forestière. This consisted of a French butter crepe filled with spinach, wild mushroom and cheese compote scented with garlic and nutmeg. It was served with a creamy cheese sauce and topped with toasted almonds. My companion tried the poulet Roquefort. This was a whole chicken breast rolled around Roquefort cheese, ovenbaked and served with a creamy sauce. Both dishes proved to be delicious and were accompanied by baby new potatoes, carrots and creamed leeks. It was difficult to choose a dessert, as they all sounded so appetising but eventually my friend plumped for the tarte citron, which was a beautifully balanced combination of sharp lemon filling on a crisp pastry base.
It was served with autumn berry compote and fresh cream. I chose the petite patisserie, which was a delightful selection of five real French mini pastries served on cream. Finally we rounded our meal off with coffee and mints. We both felt we had truly had a taste of France, which is not surprising given the fact the owners travel to France on a frequent basis and bring back with them recipes and ideas from restaurants across the country. This, combined with the owner’s extensive experience in the restaurant trade, has resulted in the restaurant's regular customer base. The food and the atmosphere were truly authentic and both of us completed the form to go on the restaurant’s mailing list! |
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