Bouchon Fourchette

“You know, we are practically in Greenwich.” hissed Tom Parker Bowles when I eventually met him for lunch a couple of days later at Bouchon Fourchette in London Fields — more evidence, were it needed, that east London has a burgeoning restaurant culture.

North of Viajante might be more helpful in pinpointing the premises as actually this stretch of Mare Street has a fair bit more burgeoning to do.

Chef Jeremy Huguet, a graduate of restaurants run by Alain Ducasse and Pierre Gagnaire, has opened what is signed as a café-bistro, and early on in the meal Tom sighed and said: “This is exactly what is needed in Notting Hill.” The premises are pleasingly plain, the just-visible kitchen compact and the bar area of a size that makes practical sense of the idea of a glass of wine or three and a selection from the lists entitled Apero and Boards (for two) of charcuterie and cheeses.

We were intent on a more comprehensive experience as it was Friday and the afternoon stretched ahead. A bold decision to share a main of steak tartare and frites as a first course plus mackerel rillettes with cumin bread and bone marrow and toast worked extremely well with glasses of Verdejo Vegaval Plata DO Valdepeñas Miguel Catalayud at £4 (125 ml).

Hachis Parmentier with green salad and duck confit with puy lentils were both cooked in a manner where you realised that the chef had considerable expertise up his sleeve.

The recommended bottle of Pinot Noir Roncier Rouge Louis Tramier & Fils at £19 was good company. There are omelettes on offer, which I always think is the sign of a sound restaurant. We shared a Café Gourmand that included heavenly crème caramel and chocolate Liégeois served with crêpes dentelles.

171 Mare Street, E8 (020 8986 2702) Mon 5pm-10pm. Tues-Sat 9am-10pm (11pm Fri and Sat). Sun 9am-5pm. Lunch offer £7.99. A la carte, a meal for two with wine, about £66 includes 10 per cent service.