Aubaine Restaurant Boulangerie Patisserie

johanna

Unfussy and friendly. Can it really be a french restaurant? :-) 13th July 2007

5 found this helpful

I am afraid I am one of life's organisers. I am not proud of this, it is a trait I inherited from my mother. When she organises it drives me mad, but yet I find myself compelled to frantically seek out venues on appropriate dates to the point I am surprised my boyfriend is still with me and my friends answer my calls. Constant co-ordinating of everyone's social lives is exhausting; I should really have joined the army. Firstly one needs to categorise; people who will a) have something to talk about b) do not have uncomfortably conflicting social/sexual/moral views c) are in the same price bracket d) are at similar stages of couple/baby-dom e) live in the same part of town or are prepared to travel. However one also has to consider the truly annoying friends who insist on hanging out with entirely incompatible lunching buddies. Consequently I love restaurants which no-one can really object to. You may now hear warning sirens blaring and have hideous words such as “bland” and “mediocre” whirling through your head…but don't worry. I have a solution. Aubaine. It falls neatly between antonyms like smart/shabby, expensive/cheap, Le Gavroche/McDonnalds, groupy/couply. The menu is diverse but not too long or haphazard. You can have a fabulous langostine salad whilst your companion has a good coq au vin (very different but very compatible). There is the Aubaine burger with chips or the wonderful (but sometimes disappointingly small) scallops with a dainty leek garnish. Everything looks like it is made in the same kitchen but one in which they have more than 3 ingredients. I am not really a pudding person but the tray of delightful cakes, which is paraded to the table to tempt you at the end of the mea,l is certainly pretty and apparently irresistible. Indeed breakfast, lunch and dinner are equally at ease in the surroundings. There are tables outside, and since the removal of the atrocity that was Tesco's Local opposite they are pleasant but limited. If these are full or it is raining the painted white and oak interior has a wonderful way of making the inside feel light and airy too. The final plus (and in my view almost an essential) is they serve food through out the afternoon, so whilst you may have someone like me trying to dictate your Saturday at least get some stuff done first.

sokratis

What does Aubaine mean? 13th September 2006

1 found this helpful

I'm sure the francophones amongst us can help here. It's a very nice place with a distinct tranquil atmosphere, which is helped by the dimmed lighting. Great as a restaurant or café both for friends, romance and business. It can get very busy though so book if you don't want to wait for a table. The staff are incredibly friendly and approachable - really good attitude.

My favourite bit is the tray of desserts that they present to you before selection. I always get a kick from waiting staff that really know what they're selling and they can present the product in a nice way. Makes it very hard to say no – of course my sweet tooth makes it hard to say no anyway.