French Connection

People looking for a touch of continental elegance to brighten up the glum autumn days need look no further than the heart of Stourbridge.

French Connection Bistro, in Coventry Street, has long forged a reputation as one of the town's most popular restaurants among diners.

But despite a number of recommendations I had never tried it before, and decided now would be an ideal time.

I quickly found the restaurant's excellent reputation to be well-founded with the surroundings matched by the quality of the food.

Visiting early lunchtime rather than during the evening, I found the place to be already filling up with customers. Staff behind the bar were all very friendly and helpful and the food was served surprisingly quickly and was of a high quality.

The decor of the restaurant aims to give the ambience of an authentic French bistro and succeeds wonderfully.

Already the autumn blues were beginning to diminish as I took a look at the lunch menu and was greeted with a range of options to tempt the palette.

To begin with I sampled the Mediterranean prawns which were an excellent appetiser for the meal.

The dish was served with a small salad and placed on a decorative fish-shaped plate - which I thought was a nice touch.

For the main course, I tried the moules mariniere which is fresh Scottish mussels cooked in a fish stock with white wine, cream and garlic.

The dish was served with French fries and French bread.

The mussels were cooked to perfection with the sauce complementing the dish perfectly.

They were served in a large bowl and the portion was more than sufficient.

For dessert I had a fruit pavlova which was light and a fine end to a perfectly balanced meal.

The total cost of the meal came to nearly £24 which given the quality of the dishes and ingredients was extremely good value.

Although I opted for dishes from the lunch menu, there are also a range of other options to tempt the tastebuds of diners.

Those looking for only a light snack rather than a full meal can choose from a range of baguettes and paninis with a variety of fillings.

There is also a three-course menu for £10.95 available on the blackboard which visitors can opt for.

Customers can choose from two starters, three main courses and two desserts.

A similiar option is also available in the evening but with four or five courses for £12.95.

The bistro is owned by Colette Garner and her husband Christopher, who also works as a chef there.

Mrs Garner says the couple travel to France regularly and always visit some of the restaurants there to ensure they can offer an extra authentic touch in their own bistro.

"We want diners to sample the most authentic French cuisine possible in the right setting," she says.

For one of the themed evenings, the couple contacts a restaurant in France and asks what is on the menu so they can replicate it in the bistro. This is designed to increase the amount of choice being offered to diners.

Based at the heart of the town centre, French Connection Bistro is easy to get to and is close to all of the main car parks.

For both surroundings and quality of food the bistro is highly recommended for a visit.

It is open from 9.30am until 3.30pm from Tuesday to Friday and it starts serving from 9am on Saturday.

It also opens in the evening from 7pm between Wednesday and Saturday with the last sitting at 9.30pm.

The restaurant is closed all day on Sunday and Monday and there is no evening service on Tuesday.

Lee Watton

Coventry Street

Stourbridge

Tel: 01384 390940