La Buvette

Tucked away on a leafy walkway off the high street, this French neighbourhood bistro isn't easy to find, but once you know where it is you're bound to go back. Its alfresco courtyard is a sunny-day magnet, while inside the intimate space fits the bistro genre to a tee: all pastel shades, floorboards, close-set, brown-paper-covered tables and café-style chairs. The kitchen confidently turns out the requisite regional French fare, big on flavour and conjured from quality produce. So expect refined classics like a rustic fish soup with rouille, gruyère and croûtons, followed by chargrilled onglet. The roster also flirts with lighter, more current offerings: witness sparklingly fresh roasted monkfish with a balanced, clear-flavoured combo of Jerusalem artichokes, zesty gremolata, big-hit tapenade and a tempura of spring onion. Service is appropriately relaxed and informed, while clever prix-fixe deals are friendly on the wallet and appreciated by the pre-theatre crowds.