Check out five of our fave French-inspired restaurants where you can enjoy classical cuisine – as featured in the new and updated Trencherman’s Guide edition 33, the gourmet’s go-to for finding the most exceptional restaurants in the South West
Le Vin Perdu, Ashburton, Devon
Ashburton’s rotisserie-led restaurant takes inspiration from the neighbourhood bistros of France that change their menus weekly to reflect whatever’s in season.
Sibling to the Italian-style Emilia nearby, Le Vin Perdu hops the border into France for its flavour cues. The rotisserie is the heart of the kitchen, and guests can expect meltingly soft lamb shoulder in rosemary and anchovy butter, served with garlic-roasted parmentier potatoes, and lush rotisserie chicken with garlic and herb butter, served with potatoes roasted in chicken fat.
The restaurant occupies one of Ashburton’s ancient townhouses, and its light-filled dining room has a bar for aperitifs, along with larger tables for group dining. For an easygoing family feast, swing by for the rotisserie chicken Sunday lunch.
Caper & Cure, St Paul’s, Bristol
In the sweet spot between Stokes Croft and Montpelier (the indie-rich quarter of Bristol), Caper & Cure offers one of the city’s most compelling dining experiences.
The restaurant is housed within the historic Tucketts Buildings, a department store that was built in the 1890s and has enjoyed guises including a ‘cash chemists’, internet cafe, and arts and music venue.
Taking a modern-European influence with a leaning toward French cuisine, the intimate spot is a go-to for smart, ingredient-led dishes – served in a relaxed setting. For a special occasion, Caper & Cure offers a chef’s table experience where ten diners feast next to the open kitchen for supper with a theatrical edge – think The Bear minus the intense energy.
Devour the likes of warm crab and crayfish butter with soft herbs and house bread, followed by braised Cornish octopus with cuttlefish and chorizo cassoulet.
Chez Dominique, Bath
This family-owned restaurant is a firm favourite in well-heeled Bath. It occupies a prime spot close to Pulteney Bridge and has a private dining room overlooking the weir.
It radiates French bistro charm, reflecting owner Chris Tabbitt’s experience in classical French and British cuisines at establishments including Bibendum in London’s Michelin House.
Head chef Sam Lewis uses fresh local ingredients to create a seasonal menu that pops with flavour. Dishes include the likes of fillet of seabass with chorizo, aubergine and squid ink risotto; whole Cornish plaice with garlic butter, samphire and mussels; and whole roast partridge with blackberries, savoy cabbage and liver croutons. Keep it français for dessert with the griottine cherry clafoutis with vanilla ice cream.
A revamped wine list includes plenty of exciting bottles, with French classics sitting alongside stonking finds from further afield. Warm and attentive service completes this pleasingly Parisian experience.
Lapin, Wapping Wharf, Bristol
French in flavour yet resolutely Bristolian in attitude, Lapin (sister restaurant to BANK) is housed on Wapping Wharf, part of Bristol’s floating harbour. The compact bistro is building a reputation for its casual, contemporary take on classic French cooking and Gallic vibes. Its other claim to fame is a whopping wine list of over 60 French bottles available by the glass.
Inside, Lapin nails the laidback bistro aesthetic with chalkboard menus, sage green walls, wooden tables and wine bottles lining the shelves.
The daily prix fixe menu offers great value for a casual lunch, but the full à la carte encourages indulgence. Try dishes such as confit duck leg with spring cassoulet and kielbasa, pork schnitzel with peas, bacon and morels, and roast duck crown à l’orange (served to share) with bigarade sauce and braised chicory.
Chef-owner Jack Briggs-Horan draws inspiration from his childhood holidays in France and crafts his seasonal menus using ingredients from local growers, farmers, butchers and fishmongers. Produce from the team’s allotment on the outskirts of Bath also appears regularly.
Saveur, Exmouth, Devon
There’s no need to cross the Channel to experience Parisian bistro vibes when a seaside excursion to Exmouth reveals a vraiment délicieux dining encounter.
The restaurant is hidden on a pedestrianised street just off the main square. Inside, chef‑patron Nigel Wright works alone in the kitchen, crafting modern, seasonal dishes of two‑AA‑rosette status.
His excellent menus celebrate all things local and seasonal. They lean towards seafood thanks to the venue’s proximity to the ocean – and Nigel’s hotline to the fishmongers at Brixham Fish Market. A starter of monkfish scampi with sweetcorn salsa and curry oil can be chased by the catch of the day – typically served with romesco sauce or salsa verde – for those who want to experience the freshest haul from the dayboats.
For the less piscatorially inclined, the options are equally delicious. Think Powderham fillet steak with bone marrow mash, confit garlic, braised beef cheek and truffle sauce.
Proceedings really ought to finish with a cheeseboard piled with fine fromage from the likes of Green’s of Glastonbury, The Bath Soft Cheese Co. and White Lake Cheese.
The service is as laidback and warm as the decor, making this a charming find for a casual lunch with chums or an intimate dinner à deux.
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