Latest opening: littlefrench

What​: A 50-cover restaurant in the village of Westbury Park near Bristol, littlefrench is a neighbourhood restaurant serving ‘classic, unpretentious and regional’ French food with dishes will be inspired by the chef’s travels with his wife and her French family.

Who​:Bristol-born chef Freddy Bird is the man rattling the pans at this his first solo venture. Bird trained at Ballymaloe before starting his career in London; first at two Michelin-starred The Square with Philip Howard and then at Moro with Sam and Sam Clark. He returned to the South West in 2008 as executive chef of the restaurant at the Lido Bristol and then as its newer sister site the Thames Lido in Reading, which opened last year. Joining him in the tiny kitchen is Digby Littleboy, formerly head chef at Thames Lido.

The Food:​ Bird developed his take on Moorish and Mediterranean food when cooking over fire in the kitchens at Bristol Lido, and while the food at Little French is very Gallic by nature, it does make use of some of the skills and techniques he’s picked up in his career so far. Starters include queen scallops with sauternes and butter chives; radishes with cod’s roe; flowering baby courgette, ewe’s curd and sauce vièrge, while mains on the current menu include plaice with brown shrimp butter, jersey royals and spinach; wood grilled leg of Pyrenean lamb, with new season garlic and anchoïade; and a whole wood grilled turbot with tartare hollandaise and whole charcoal grilled guinea fowl with wild oregano, olives, fries and aioli to share. There’s also a bar menu, featuring the likes of lamb chops with rosemary salt; oysters with shallot vinegar; and milk fed lamb kidneys with Dijon mustard, while desserts include strawberries with chantilly cream and chocolate mousse. It’s also open for breakfast, serving a selection of pastries and a brunch menu at the weekend.

The vibe​: As the name informs, this is not a restaurant on a grand scale, with Little French more akin to Paris’ neo bistros with its bare brick walls and simple wooden chairs. There is a slightly more cosy area, with dark green wallpaper and burnt orange banquettes, but in general the restaurant has an airy, laid-back vibe that befits it’s all-day positioning, Freddy’s wife Nessa has overseen the restaurant design and also runs front of house, meaning it oozes charm and that personal touch.

And another thing:​ littlefrench is a true family affair. As well as being run by a husband and wife team, all the restaurant’s crockery and ceramics have been hand thrown in Freddy’s mum’s studio.

2 North View, Westbury Park, Bristol​​
www.littlefrench.co.uk​​​