Le Café Anglais, 8 Porchester Gardens, London W2 4DB

It's been described as sexy, gorgeous and relaxing. Walk into Le Café Anglais and there is no doubt you are within one of the loveliest rooms in London. For a start, where else can you go to enjoy food and friends in an Art-Deco ocean-liner? Rowley Leigh's new 200-seater restaurant occupies a huge space, with socking great windows and lofty ceilings. On arrival for dinner, I felt both comfortable in the serenity of its eau-de-nil and burgundy colour scheme and exhilarated by the spirit-lifting bustle of efficient staff and contented customers. It's a happening place, all right.

After a glass of perfectly chilled house champagne at the bar, we were led past the centerpiece rotisseries to one of the tables dotted along a leather banquette.

Service was attentive, but unobtrusive. Our waitress encouraged us to order some hors d'oeuvres first to allow us time to mull over the extensive menu. With anchovy custard and accompanying pile of mini soldiers of anchovy toast in front of us, as well as salsify fritters with dipping mayonnaise, we were happy to absorb the options.

The hors d'oeuvres at £3 each strike me as a very civilized idea. A neighbouring table of four were probably having a business dinner, but sharing their selection of fennel salami,  kipper pate with soft boiled egg and mackerel teriyaki, they were soon chatting as convivially as old friends.

Hmmm. But what to have as a first course? Oysters would be good, but I wanted to try something with a Rowley trademark. I was tempted by Parma ham with pickled damson, but went for the pike boudin with fines herbes and beurre blanc for me as Rowley likes to get people to try something they think they wouldn't enjoy. My companion chose warm smoked eel salad with bacon. Both of us were soon competing over whose starter was the most delicious.

There was a lovely pause to enjoy a delicious Sancerre while the main courses were cooking. Usually, I would be tempted by fish and the variety here is satisfying: fried huss, whiting with shrimps and garam masala, poached brill with sauce Dugléré, red mullet fillets with fennel and grapefruit salad and anchovy butter, plus simple grilled sea bass and Dover Sole with either sauce Bearnaise or sauce Vierge.

But, I was mesmerized by the rotisseries, slowly roasting chicken and game birds, and decided to go for a seasonal French partridge with cabbage and bacon, £15. (One thing to remember: if you ask for your meat to be well done, it will take longer...)

My companion chose the shoulder of lamb with cumin and quince jelly, £13.50, which he pronounced perfection. We liked the way you can indulge your mood by picking your own vegetables. We chose pommes annas, only to find out what it was! (A delicious mound of potato, roast crisp on the outside and gloriously soft inside.) Spinach and purple sprouting broccoli arrived in neat white side dishes to make perfect accompaniments.

I defy anyone to look at the pudding menu and resist. The moment I saw Queen of Puddings, £5, I knew I had to have it - and it was absolutely delicious.

Perfectly set lemony-breadcrumb custard topped with raspberry jam and soft peaks of meringue. With a huge array of ice creams and fresh fruit options among the nursery-food staples, this makes Le Café Anglais a must-eat-at destination in itself.

I've made a mental note to return soon, several times over, to taste everything on a truly tempting menu. The lunch specials (Set Lunch Table d'Hote, 2 Courses £12.50) make this an even more tempting mission. Ditto, the seven-day designated Evening Roasts...

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