Odette's

We’re in the upmarket neighbourhood of Primrose Hill, where as luck would have it it’s a sunny day. We nab a table on the pavement just in time to catch a girl in denim hotpants being papped entering the pet shop next door; later we learn it is Imogen Thomas, BB contestant and former mistress of footballer Ryan Giggs, on a fleeting visit to London.

That’s life in P Hill, all celeb-spotting and deli-shopping on the villagey Regents Park Road, where a box of tissues will cost you three quid. There are only two restaurants on this road, Greek eatery Lemonia, and Odette’s, the Modern European restaurant that has had Welsh chef Bryn Williams at the helm since 2008. Odette’s is what you would call a neighbourhood restaurant, in so much as it’s been serving the locals with an unflinching reputation since 1978.

Set lunches are usually fantastic value; this rings true here, with two courses costing a mere £17 a head. Lamb’s tongues are beautifully soft, cut into thin, tender slices and served with potato, while the salmon ceviche is light and refreshing, with warm dashes of chilli and spring onion.

The main courses are equally dainty; a piece of roast cod flakes apart with ease, paired with slices of spicy chorizo which add flavour to white beans. The leg of rabbit is sublime, the meat falls off the bone, and the addition of couscous proves to be a surprisingly good match.

Add to that a carafe of Spanish white (a 2009 Duquesa de Valladolid Verdejo) for £18.50 and a bottle of water, and this exquisite meal from a very talented chef has only set us back £30 each.

Before leaving we spy the moody, dimly-lit bar downstairs, making a mental note to come back soon.