Maison Ardoise

A deep, sweet and savoury soup built on onions cooked slowly until they turn mahogany, deglazed with white wine and simmered in beef stock with thyme, then crowned with toasted baguette and bubbling, browned Gruyère.

Rounds of soft goat cheese baked on crisp baguette toasts until warm and just starting to melt, set on peppery leaves dressed in a sharp mustard vinaigrette with toasted walnuts and a thread of honey.

A quietly elegant bistro classic: young leeks simmered until meltingly soft, served at room temperature in a punchy Dijon-shallot vinaigrette and showered with finely chopped hard-boiled egg, capers and chives.

Chunks of beef chuck browned hard, then braised low and slow in a whole bottle of Burgundy-style red wine with bacon, garlic, thyme and bay until spoon-tender, finished with butter-browned mushrooms and glossy pearl onions in a rich, velvety sauce.

Well-seared strip steaks rested and sliced, served with crisp, golden oven frites and a quick pan sauce of shallot, brandy, beef stock, cream and soft green peppercorns. The neighbourhood bistro dinner, no deep fryer needed.

Golden, crisp-skinned chicken thighs gently braised in dry white wine with shallots and mushrooms, then finished with crème fraîche and fresh tarragon for a silky, aniseed-scented sauce. Bistro comfort in one pan.

Duck legs slow-roasted until the meat is tender and the skin turns crackling-crisp, set on earthy French green lentils cooked with carrot, shallot and thyme, with a tart, glossy sauce of cherries, red wine and a touch of honey.

A big steaming pot of mussels opened in white wine with shallot, garlic and thyme, the broth enriched with crème fraîche and parsley, served with charred baguette for dunking. Fast, generous and very bistro.

Lightly floured fillets of halibut or cod pan-fried until golden, then bathed in nutty brown butter with lemon, capers and parsley, alongside small potatoes tossed in butter and herbs. Simple, classic and ready in half an hour.

Seared pork tenderloin medallions with caramelised apple wedges in a pan sauce of dry cider, grainy mustard and cream, in the spirit of the orchard country of northern France.

Lamb loin or rib chops marinated with garlic, rosemary and lemon zest and seared pink, served over a soft, garlicky ragout of white beans, tomato and spinach in the style of a Provençal bistro.

Eggplant, zucchini, peppers and tomatoes roasted until sweet and concentrated, then baked together in a garlicky tomato base with thyme and finished with torn basil and good olive oil. Hearty enough for dinner with bread, and fully plant-based.

The bistro lunch at its best: thick bread layered with Dijon, ham and Gruyère, smothered in a nutmeg-scented cheese sauce, baked until bubbling and browned, then crowned with a fried egg.

Silky, gently set vanilla custard baked in a water bath and chilled, then finished with a thin sheet of caramelised sugar that cracks under the spoon.

Apples cooked in deep amber butter caramel under a blanket of puff pastry, baked until crisp and flipped out so the glossy, sticky fruit sits on top. Served warm with crème fraîche.