Les Bouchons des Filles

Opened by two young women who met working at a more traditional Bouchon, this cosy restaurant is as unpretentious as its lighthearted owners; all close-clustered wooden tables and bentwood chairs, a place where the food is the star. Specials are chalked on the backboard, and the menu is based on the old traditions with a lighter touch- sausage is served in filo pastsry, rather than the artery-bursting kind, crayfish quenelles replace the stronger pike, lentils come with a celeriac salad- this is modern bouchon cooking, with friendly service and a happy, chattering crowd.

The kitchen is open, so diners can see what’s being cooked, and the presentation is delicate and fresh. Les Filles have taken the old ways and removed all the heavy tradition, with subtler tastes, pleasing extras like complimentary amuse-bouches, and imaginative puddings and local cheeses. The menu may be a little adventurous for some- but it’s just right for a city that prides itself on both old and new gastronomic joys.