One for the ladies who lunch

The row caused by the V&A's campaign about an "ace caff with a museum attached" is so old as to almost exist as a museum piece itself. Nowadays, providing food alongside art is a vital income stream.

Just behind Selfridges, in Manchester Square, the Wallace Collection, that delightful altar to 18th-century aesthetics, has devoted time and Lottery money to developing its Cafe Bagatelle, a glassed-over courtyard in what was formerly an old dumping ground.

Named after Richard Wallace's country retreat in the Bois de Boulogne, the Bagatelle even boasts the original bronze urns and mcurvily decorated Bagatelle fountain from the 18th-century chateâu, and was decorated very much with ladies who lunch in mind.

The menu boasts that diners will be able to eat alongside the sound of the eponymous fountain freshly splashing, but only a viscous green puddle was in evidence. All in all, not very Fragonard. "What's wrong with the fountain?" we asked the waiter when he finally wandered over to take our order. "I dunno," he said.

Lunch was rather tasty. I had iced asparagus soup, which was flavourful and refreshing, and Mr Millard had jasmine tea-smoked quail, which he prounounced "skinny, but tasty, and it is only a starter."

He then moved on to poached wild trout, also delicious, while I had an extraordinarily inventive concoct ion involving a pan-fried baby artichoke, ricottastuffed courgette flowers and tomato couscous. Hooray! - an exciting vegetarian dish in central London.

After this, it was easy to coast on to summer pudding (him) and white chocolate and raspberry crème brûlée (moi), which had a properly blow-torched top and a properly indulgent bottom, just as Boucher, a key Wallace artist and major fan of les derrieres, would have liked it.

The service was slow, but not hostile. Our three-course lunch, plus two glasses of wine, and some bubbles to start, came to £97.

Café Bagatelle
The Wallace Collection, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN