This must be one of the most glamorous destinations in London. I felt like a movie star walking through the bar and past the mirror screens leading to the dining room. It didn't surprise me, therefore, to learn that stars, aristocrats and royalty have graced the tables.

The main dining area is fairly large; when we first arrived to a near empty room, we felt as if we should be speaking in reverent whispers, but by the time we left, we were surprised by how noisy it had become when full. The tables are also a little close together - great if you want to eavesdrop, not if you don't want to be eavesdropped on.

The menu is very French, and as sophisticated as the décor. It's almost too long: the bewildering array of classics, intermingled with some more unusual options, makes choosing difficult. The Bloke started with aspic of oysters en gelée de champagne (£10.50), an icy platter of six gleaming creatures that literally slid down the throat. I opted for Crème Dubarry (£8.50), a rich, cream-based cauliflower soup with paper-thin disks of scallop. Maybe it just wasn't the right choice for me; I'm sure it was an exemplar of cauliflower soups, with a delicate flavour and perfect consistency, but it didn't do it for me. Perhaps Salade à la Russe with fresh crab (£12.50), or grilled sea scallops with chives and ginger (£14.50), or terrine of game Mirabelle, sauce Cumberland (£8.50) instead - maybe next time.

We both had fish for our main course: fillets of red mullet à la nicoise (£16.95) and grilled sea bass au fenouil (£18.75) were perfectly timed, presented and garnished, but for some reason, not particularly memorable. The volailles, viandes et abats section also featured some saliva-inducing dishes, including bressoles of bresse pigeon with foie gras, braised pig's trotter with morels, daube of Aberdeen Angus à l'Ancienne. Again, lots of possibilities for a return visit, and I would definitely choose a more unusual dish, with full confidence that the kitchen would turn it out faultlessly.

We lingered over a chocolate and almond parfait (£7.95) to finish, as smooth, rich and satisfying as we had come to expect from the Michelin starred kitchen.

In keeping with the pricing of food, drinks don't come cheap. A gin and tonic aperitif set us back £6.50 and there aren't many bottles on the (fantastic) wine list under £30 - though there are quite a few with three figure price tags. You don't even want to look at the Chateau d'Yquem collection unless you've just come into a sizeable trust fund.

We left a little regretfully. Walking out into Green Park, some of the "glamour by association" falls away, and it's back to the real world. Until the next visit, anyway.

- Tracy Yam, 11/2003