A French summer by way of Brick Lane

with sauce gribiche, merguez sausage rolls with the c raft y cleverness of h a r i s s a m ayo n n a i s e and cheese beignets with onion confit that is a witchy, dark, sticky mess — delight and also surprise with their clarity and distinction.

Figuring that Charcuterie and Cheese will merit praise for purchasing rather than cooking we move straight to Fish, first monkfish with smoked aubergine puree and chermoula courgette. A ruffian species, often quite antagonistic to eating, this monkfish is succulent, even managing to flesh out the old restaurant fable that in its inexpensive days cunning chefs would breadcrumb or batter it and sell it as scampi. Whole baby tomatoes rolled in hot oil until their skins are blistered and peeling aw ay p l u s the potent sl u d ge o f aubergine add to a dynamic assembly.

The empty plate is whisked away quickly followed by slices of peppered r a re tuna s e r ved wit h a scoop of avocado spiked with chilli and lime and a neat coil of shaved cucumber.

Lamb tagine with apricot, almonds and lebna (yoghurt cheese) deserves its own tape of chaabi music but unfortunately the restaurant’s low ceiling and a large party — an aberration but done as a favour in their new neighbourhood, Yannis later tells us — drowns out any possibility of hearing music and renders conversation almost impossible.

I return for lunch another day in the hope — rewarded — of relative quiet and to try the whole roasted baby chicken with Sarlardaise potatoes and tarragon jus. A mention here for executive chef (for both restaurants) Tam Storror — a chap with a long stint at Bibendum on his CV — who obviously understands the irresistible lure of the simplicity of just sleek potatoes and garlic fried in duck or goose fat.

The spuds Sarlardaise are comme il faut and the tarragon-imbued juices beautiful but a puny poussin (served for two) is too much of a wimp to do them justice. Quail with gem lettuce, smoked cheese, chopped hazelnuts and grapes works better as a joyful gathering.

Keen to try other North African dishes o n e o f u s h a pp i ly m a ke s b a ke d Morocc an e g gs with peppers and flatbread the choice of main course from the set lunch menu, but that gets off to a dull start with a green bean salad made with creaky beans barely cooked or conceivably not cooked at a l l . F ro m the à la c arte, s a f f ro n couscous with tabbouleh and pomegranate yoghurt is bliss.

Desserts maintain the vivacity and impetus that marks this venue as a really interesting opening, even if it is the second a l b u m. B l a c k c u r r a n t financier, an almond-flavoured sponge, served with white wine sabayon is a perfect ending to an intricate but not over-elaborate menu scheme. Suckers for beaten and baked egg whites could opt for chilled peach and saffron soup with c o c o n u t ma c a r o o n o r w i l d strawberry vacherin.

The drinks list is strong on aperitifs and cocktails with a fair number of the predominantly French wines offered also by glass and half-litre carafe. If the sun still has his hat on when you visit, why not succumb to some rosé? The Domaine de Rousset Les Bambines from Provence ( £ 8 .75/ £ 2 5/ £ 3 5 ) possesses that captivating pale onionskin colour that signifies a South of France summer. Even in Brick Lane.