I decide to meet there with two friends before a concert. It was a bit too close to the starting time, but fortunately the service is quick and efficient. We first order a round of beers, which, somewhat oddly, is served in wine glasses. We hungrily attack the basket on the table filled with fresh, crusty slices of French bread and salted butter.

Next, we are treated to a taste teaser – a frothy blend of white asparagus, orange concentrate, carrot and crunchy quinoa seeds, which works quite nicely.

One of my dining companions is not overly hungry after all this and orders a squid salad starter as his main. Our other friend, clearly a butcher’s son, doesn’t have to waste any time making his selection: Américain préparé. I go for something more varied (and cooked): milk-fed veal from the Corrèze region of France in a grain mustard sauce.

The colourful salad consists of Romaine lettuce hearts floating atop Japanese amazu, a sweet vinegar dressing, and topped with tender chunks of squid, crunchy strips of black radish and decoratively rolled carrot slices. Everything is very fresh, but they could have been a bit more generous with the squid. I love the exotic tang of this dish, its different textures and varying levels of crispness.

Our butcher’s son, meanwhile, has a platter of Américain in front of him that is definitely bigger than his stomach. But he manages to eat all of the minced raw beef mixed with salty capers. He likes how simple they’ve kept the dish, providing just fresh-cut fries and a bowl of salad to go with.

I’m also pleased with my super soft strips of veal. These are buried under a pile of seasonal veg: yellow string beans, black beans, white asparagus and carrots. A moat of creamy foam surrounds the whole of the dish, while a few little leaves of peppery watercress decorate its sides, and three lightly fried potato croquettes teeter on top. The visible mustard grains provide just the right amount of bite to an otherwise too-mild dish. The portion is overwhelming, but I happily clear my plate anyway.

We have to run off to catch the concert, but otherwise we might stick around to try their fresh profiteroles in coffee with salted butter caramel.

The bill comes to a reasonable €69 for the three of us.

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