Paulette

This was my second visit to Paulette (the restaurant is named after one of the owners’ grandmothers) — a small French bistro on Formosa Street, not far from Warwick Avenue station, where everything is made from scratch using in-house preparations. The menu is focused on seasonal and locally sourced ingredients, and the wine list offers a pleasant surprise even for connoisseurs. There’s also a small deli fridge with cheeses and charcuterie available to take away.To start, we ordered two portions of «Escargots de Bourgogne» — baked snails with herb butter. They disappeared in seconds.For the main course: «La pièce du boucher, sauce du jour et accompagnement» — the butcher’s cut of the week from the legendary supplier Aubrey Allen, served with a sauce and a side. The dish is meant to be shared, and works perfectly for two.Aubrey Allen is a family-run company founded in 1933 in Coventry, supplying meat to the royal household and top Michelin-starred restaurants across the UK.We ordered it medium well since we were dining with a child — and it came just as expected. At this level of doneness, the texture is firm and slightly chewy. The owner personally came over to ask whether the meat seemed tough, explaining that this particular cut isn’t typically served medium well. I’d recommend opting for no more than medium to preserve the juiciness and texture.The flavour of the meat is fairly straightforward, but the rich, well-balanced sauce transforms the dish completely.The side included a generous portion of fries and a fresh salad.For dessert, we had the «dessert du jour» — strawberries, strawberry jam, and cream. Simple, sweet, and the perfect finish to a summer lunch.The restaurant is featured in the Michelin Guide (no stars yet).Service is another highlight: you feel like a local regular. Staff greet you as an old friend, genuinely ask how you’re doing, and light up if you say a few words in French. That kind of warmth is a rarity in London.Recommended.