This charming, independent restaurant offers a slice of Breton cuisine in an area monopolised by big chains. After 22 years, they must be doing something right.

The Venue
Stepping into Chez Lindsay reveals a cosy, welcoming dining room with a semi-rustic feel thanks to its brick walls and wooden floorboards. Swathes of yellow and low-key lighting help to create a warm, highly inviting vibe.

The Atmosphere
The restaurant is almost empty at the start of the evening, however diners keep arriving and within a short while few tables remain vacant, even on Monday nights. The patrons are mostly mature couples or smartly dressed groups of friends in their 40s - no doubt local residents of this affluent suburb. The highly attentive waiting staff are French, ending each sentence with “voila” or “bon appétit”, adding to the Gallic mood at Chez Lindsay.

The Food
The menu focuses on food from the Brittany region, famed for its galettes and seafood. As such, there is plenty to choose from for fish-lovers and buckwheat pancake enthusiasts. Galettes can be ordered as a starter or main with the typical combinations of egg, cheese and ham, or more adventurous fillings such as ratatouille, scallops or chitterling sausage. The pancakes themselves are flat, thin and porous after being cooked on a griddle; a simple egg, cheese and mushroom combo does the trick.

As well as an extensive selection of Breton crepes, the grand plats are fish-heavy, with just calves’ liver, breast of chicken in Calvados cream sauce and steak for the meat-obsessed. Vegetarians have to make do with a goat’s cheese tart, however French cuisine has never been fond of veggies. The panache de la mer is a mixed grill of fish and seafood. The chunk of poached salmon, langoustine, seabass, prawns, scallops and clams atop a bed of new potatoes makes me wonder whether they haven’t in fact served the two-person platter by mistake. Each item is cooked to perfection and there is so much to tuck into the main course turns into a very engrossing epicurean experience, not least thanks to the pots of tartar sauce, tomato and red onion salsa and a fish chowder-like sauce. If you dare to order the sirloin steak well-done it will probably arrive as medium anyway - and all the better for it - as its flavoursome grilled coating and juicy meat is delightful, and along with a large serving of French fries is bound to disappear.

Unsurprisingly, crepes feature heavily again on the dessert menu. The Canadienne has a generous drizzle of sweet maple syrup and can be flambéed with Calvados, Grand Marnier or cognac, with the latter resulting in an intensely warming flavour. The pear tart with cider coulis is equally successful with semi-sweet pear slices, gloopy crème patissiere and the slight tartness of the cider.

The Drink
It is traditional to drink cider as an accompaniment to galettes, therefore several imported brands are on offer, which are served in cups rather than in glasses. Wines are mostly from the Loire Valley, with house wines starting from around £15.

The Last Word
At around £80 for a three course meal for two with wine, Chez Lindsay offers good value, especially considering the main courses are generous enough to provide a substantial meal. So appealing it’s worth crossing London for.

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