Nathalie is made to measure

Milner Street is a quiet little road running parallel to Walton Street. Just clock the cars and the neat town houses, then wince at the prices in the estate agents' windows. This is old Chelsea and that means old money - the kind that is counted in thousands of acres.

All of which contributes to a pretty rarified atmosphere. One of Milner Street's pubs has been taken over by Baker & Spice and now sells a very decent croissant, while the other is the Australian (aka Sloane Central). What kind of chance does a local restaurant stand in a street like this?

Stumble off in any direction and there are smart restaurants aplenty, but Number 3 Milner Street has been a restaurant for yonks. Until January 2004, it was a tweedy, chintzy, countryhouse outpost of Searcy's empire called The English House.

A talented chef called Graham Garrett ran the kitchen but it was never packed. Then Eric Chatroux took it over, renamed it after his infant daughter Nathalie and spent some money. He called in the builders and decorators, so now you walk into a cleaner, more modern-looking dining room, complete with designer paint effects on the walls, modish chandeliers and stylish chairs.

In his past career, Chatrouxwas manager at both the Square and La Tante Claire, so he certainly knows what's what when it comes to French cooking, and he also approaches billing from the elite end of the scale. Starters range from £6.50 to £11.50 and mains from £13.50 to £18.50, but fortunately this may be one of a handful of streets where such prices don't faze the locals.

At first glance, the menu seems to lean towards French classicism, and also to be a tad old-fashioned and unduly complicated. Starters include chicken consomme with chicken oyster ravioli; a game terrine; crayfish with red and black radish salad and Bayonne ham and a tart of smoked haddock and leeks.

But, when the food arrives, it is plain upon the plate (tick), skilfully cooked (tick), and well seasoned (tick). A duck and potato crepe Vonnassienne, foie gras sauce comes with a very light, almost souffléd, pancake atop the duck. Jolly good eating. A stuffed quail looks lonely perched in a forest of rocket, but it's a neat parcel with lots of good flavours.

Main course dishes work on the principle of taking ingredients that aren't daunting (sea bream, bass, beef, duck and chicken) and cooking them in a Gallic style.

Thus turbot is poached in court bouillon and served with seasonal vegetables - it's a nice fish, perfectly cooked and still firm - while a plainly cooked veal chop is served with fondant potato and spinach. Puds are good too: a dish of three 'petit pots' is presented in three small saucers, one containing vanilla cream, one dark chocolate while the star pot is an intense, green pistachio cream.

Service is friendly, and the wine list winds its merry way through a thicket of heavyweight clarets at serious prices. With a comfortable room, sound French cooking and upper echelon pricing, Nathalie could have been made to measure for Milner Street locals. Come to think of it, it probably was.

Nathalie
3 Milner Street, SW3 2QA