Polidor 68

Named after the famous Parisian restaurant frequented by the likes of Ernest Hemingway and James Joyce, Polidor 68 aspires to be a little bit of the Left Bank transported to Lark Lane.

The food isn’t as French as you might imagine, opting instead for a more eclectic range of global dishes with influences from North Africa, Israel, Italy, India and the US. In other words, it’s modern bistro food, albeit with a Gallic slant. And it embraces our more flexible, modern way of eating with small plates, brunch dishes and deli boards, alongside the more traditional mains (large plates) and desserts.

Recommendations include the baked camembert with granola and sourdough, which sounds like an unlikely juxtaposition but works a treat. And the whipped goats cheese with toasted pine nuts, pomegranate, salsa verde and baguette. Yes, we have a cheese and bread obsession, but we are in Paris after all.

No writerly hang-out worth its salt would be without a well-stocked wine cellar and a decent list of classic cocktails. Go for a French martini or a whisky sour. Or abandon all pretence at boho-cool and order a pornstar martini. Hemingway wouldn’t judge.

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