Jazz-loving chef, painter & Belgian beer connoisseur Frédéric Desmette is the heart & soul of La Chouette – he’s also captain of the kitchen & frequently doubles as maître d’, too. The name means ‘owl’ in French & original pictures of these wise old birds fill the ultra-traditional dining room. His cooking marries bourgeois themes with a few hearty Belgian touches, & there’s no holding back on the calories when it comes to dishes such as pavé of rump steak with béarnaise, veal kidney with sweet mustard sauce, or fillet of salmon in a sauce laced with ‘bierre blanche’. The fixed-price weekday lunch (prix d’ami) promises three courses in less than an hour for a mere £16.50. Drink one of the recommended Belgian brews or dip into M Desmette’s resolutely French wine list.