Provender

Doubling up as a neighbourhood café-bar and bourgeois bistro, Provender is an agreeably informal asset in leafy Wanstead, serving up petit dejeuner, prix-fixe lunch deals, plats du jour and Sunday roasts as well as a rolling roster of continental treats. The kitchen has a tendency to go walkabout in search of culinary ideas, but rustic French is still the best if you’re picking from the menu. Kick off with a plate of garlicky escargots or a bowl of soupe de poissons before tackling steak frites, lemon sole meunière or stuffed rabbit leg with mustard sauce. There are ‘casse-croûte’ nibbles to start, while desserts include indulgent ideas such as double chocolate moelleux topped with gold leaf or blackcurrant sorbet served with shot of crème de cassis poured at the table. The all-French wine list starts with aperitifs and finishes with eaux de vie.