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.