You can choose from a list of several hundred wines and forty varieties of Champagne at Le Bouchon Breton’s zinc bar, but the chances are you’ll end up staying for the exquisite food.

The Venue
Spitalfields is a big old air-hanger of a building and with so many restaurants and units knocking out food, competition is fierce. LBB is without doubt one of the most sophisticated tenants. Giraffe, The Real Greek and Le Bouchon Breton’s closest neighbours, wagamama, who share the elevated first floor space, are hardly gastronomic hotspots that should trouble a kitchen of this calibre but such is the demand for quick, cheap and uncomplicated lunches, queues often snake out of its popular neighbours whilst this classically French affair sits criminally undervalued.

The venue is decked out in a classic French brassierie style, albeit a particularly upmarket one and, despite the fact that the staff are dressed in very formal attire, they are very friendly and gregarious. There’s an outdoor terrace, which overlooks the throngs of the market and this is a good little spot if you enjoy people-watching from an elevated line of vision.

The Atmosphere
A big space needs a vibrant atmosphere and, at quieter times, the Le Bouchon Breton’s cavernous room makes even the clicking of cutlery and the clearing of throats painfully noticeable. Things improve dramatically once trade picks up and conversation flows as the place fills up with a mix of French-speaking families with children, City folk and couples treating themselves to a culinary feast.

The Food
Michel Roux Jnr is one of the notable names behind this operation, so your expectations are high and Le Bouchon Breton doesn’t disappoint. A classic French brassiere menu of steak frites and premium seafood are amongst the highlights of a comprehensive list. The rib-eye steak (£17), one of ten different cuts available, is simply superb – there’s no need for razor-sharp knives, you could probably use a blunt spoon to slice this up, it’s that delicate. A simple dressed side salad and some perfectly cooked fries accompany the beef and a béarnaise is, as you’d expect from any fancy French restaurant, faultless in terms of its thick consistency and tart, buttery flavour.

Lobster is a much more difficult creature to handle and here it is served in its shell for (£18 a half/£32 for a whole). The half portion is served with its own tools that require the precise touch of a surgeon and the brute force of a plumber to crack, crunch and prise the meaty contents from its shell. Once, you have done do it is well worth the effort and the freshness and quality of the produce is undisputable. Sides of garlicky green beans or buttery mash are £4.25, which seems a fair whack, but you can easily share one side between two people.

The cheese trolley is enough to have fromage-lovers going weak at the knees. The eccentric waiter who wheels the trolley round to each table is worth summoning just so you can be regaled by the stories behind each chunk of cheese on offer. The selection changes regularly, so repeat visits are sure to throw up some new and exciting adventures in the world of all things dairy. Unless you’re a hardcore cheese fiend and have a fondness for brain-numbingly stinky fromage you may want to select some of the less intense varieties because, if you follow the waiter’s breakfast of choice, an innocent-looking off-white number, you may well end up frothing at the mouth at the sheer bitter, mouldy intensity of it all. It is great for trying something new though, and you can select and share 3 pieces for £7.50, 5 for £10 or 7 for £12. Definitely worth trying, at least once.

The Drink
The wine list is, naturally, a predominantly French affair but there are concessions made to top wine-making countries such as Portugal, New Zealand and Italy. Most bottles are over the £30 mark, which limits the choice for those on a budget but, having said that, glasses start from as little as £4 for an El Muro Tempranillo or Roc d’Opale Blanc. If you really want to indulge, a glass of the 2005 Le Fleur de Pomeaux from Medoc (£15) is the sort of deeply intoxicating wine that will leave you spellbound.

With the venue’s terrace at the front ideal for warmer weather, you can easily slip up here for a few glasses of Champagne or one of their cocktails. The house Champagne, the Henriot Brut Souverain, starts at £10 per glass or £44 a bottle. Cocktails start from £6.50 and A Mezig’s cocktail, a blend of Tanqueray gin, Manzana, fresh cucumber and apple juice is the sort of thirst-quenching drink you can savour in warmer weather.

The Last Word
West London is traditionally the home of French ex-pats in London, but over in East London, Le Bouchon Breton is flying the flag in a way that should make its homeland proud.

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