Casse-Croûte, London

Tucked halfway down Bermondsey Street, one of the best food streets in London, Casse-Croûte was the setting for my birthday meal. It’s a small, proper French bistro, with a chalkboard menu that changes daily.

There are only a handful of dishes at any one time: classic, seasonal and very straightforward. It immediately feels like the kind of place where you don’t need to overthink your order. The food is very traditionally French, with superb sauces and fantastically rich flavours.

We started with mushrooms in a cream sauce, which were honestly incredible. A generous mix, heavy on girolles (always a win for me), all coated in a sauce that I’ve thought about ever since. Rich but not too heavy, perfectly balanced. I’ve tried to recreate it at home and failed miserably. We also had ravioli, which were very good, but it was the mushrooms that stole the show.

Because the menu changes so often, it’s hard to recommend specific dishes. But that’s also the point as you go knowing that whatever’s on that board will be done well.

For the main, I had a classic bavette steak with (again) a really bloody good sauce, alongside gratin potatoes that were exactly what you want them to be with heaps of baked cheese.

We went for lunch, and it was simple, relaxed and very satisfying. But I can imagine it being even better in the evening: a bit darker, candles on the tables, a bottle of red wine and no reason to rush. A really lovely little place that makes the perfect atmospheric date spot.