As you leave this restaurant, you will be shouting La Trouvaille, which means lucky find in French. With such a fabulous location and restaurateurs with over 20 years of passion and soul within the industry, La Trouvaille is truly a place you will want to make your own. Passion is executed in every inch of detail within these four walls.

The Venue
Nesting behind the hustle and bustle of London’s fashionable Carnaby Street, La Trouvaille can be found on the cosy little cobbled Newburgh Street, within easy walking distance from either Oxford Circus or Piccadilly Circus. The venue consists of both a downstairs wine bar and the upstairs French fine dining room. Downstairs is packed to the rafters with local office workers and people who have made the trek to this ambient wine bar, and French fare is on offer there if you are after a quick bite, but upstairs is where it all becomes delicieux!

Stylish Viennese mirrors adorn all walls, along with black and white prints, wooden floorboards, pristine white tablecloths and the much talked about transparent Philippe Starck chairs. Around the holiday season eating in the restaurant is like being inside a delicate silver Christmas ornament. The tiny windows exhibit well looked after plant boxes and twinkling fairy lights. There are only ten tables, so it is very cosy - almost as if you have been invited to your very own dinner party some amazing chefs.

The Atmosphere
The Downstairs bar has an amazing atmosphere of people devouring their favourite French delicacies whilst indulging in some finely chosen French wine. Upstairs, the atmosphere is charged with patrons enjoying romantic meals for two and groups quietly enjoying their food. The staff are attentive and overtly passionate about the origins and methods of their food and wine. They are made up of mostly French waiters who will indulge you in French conversation(if you are that way inclined) and will choose the wine that best suits your dish. They are funny and chatty and passionate about the business of French cooking.

The Food
Starters are mini servings of what you would normally have as a main, thus giving you the opportunity to sample the best the menu has to offer. A popular choice is the tender seared slices of tuna, which come bite-sized and accompanied by a dollop of vanilla dressing and a smoked garlic puree. They are seared perfectly, with pinkness remaining within and are of medium temperature, so need to be eaten straight away. The vanilla dressing is thick as a vanilla pod infused with grape seed oil, and together form a brilliant combination.

. Their monkfish and black pudding feuillete with Sichuan pepper sauce is such a surprise for the taste buds. The black pud is not of the Scottish variety but instead a French creation that’s thinly sliced and cooked to perfection. The monkfish simply melts in the mouth and leaves a surprising aftertaste of salami and peppercorns.

For the mains you are literally spoilt for choice. Choose from succulent fillets of beef, veal, pigeon, mutton or sea bass. A frontrunner is the fillet of Galloway beef with generous servings of turnips, gratin, carrots and green beans topped with delicious truffle sauce. The plate is meticulously set out and the meat is fresh, tasty and mouthwatering. All of the dishes are thoughtfully combined with unusual rich sauces. The fillet of grey mullet with sauteed wild mushrooms, Swiss chard and creamed mushroom jus is an absolute winner. It is perfectly seared and is meaty enough to fulfil, whilst the sauteed mushrooms provide the extra flavour.

All of the desserts have been paired with extraordinary dessert wines. With the amazing selections of organic wine on offer, it would be criminal not to end the meal with one of their famous cheese platters. The Les Fromages Affines is an amazing selection of French and English cheeses from Leadhenall. Other recommended dessert alternatives include the chocolate fondant with ginger ice cream. The average price for a meal for two with wine is about £100.

The Drink
The staff takes the guesswork out of ordering your accompanied wine, and can perfectly tune you into one that will blow you away. There is an impressive list of organic wine. The reason the organic wine is tempting is that it is made free of pesticides in the soil, comes from local growers known to the waiters and to top it off will not give you a hangover in the morning - or so they say. It does seem to go down rather quickly though, as the taste is very fresh and subtle.

The Last Word
Lucky find definitely sums up the experience of dining in the very good, very French La Trouvaille. Over the winter months they add a discretionary amount on your bill to donate to the homeless. These guys truly have thought of everything!

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