london living: aubaine of mayfair

choosing imagery for this post was one of the harder things i've had to do for my blog. when literally every photo looked ridiculously delicious, it was pretty hard to keep it to a few snaps. a few weeks ago, before hurricane fashion week, myself and my lovely friend tom took a trip to dover street to sample some french cuisine at aubaine. i'd long been under the impression that i "didn't really like" french food (their pastry, however, i've always been a big fan of. bring on the eclairs.) however, i must say, i've been converted. myself and tom sad in the gorgeous conservatory style annexe of the restaurant, sipping lunchtime bellinis (it's always happy hour somewhere) and generally marvelled at the cute, parisian decor and bubbly, chatty staff. i chose beef fillet; you've got to believe me that it melted in my mouth in the most incredible way, and the fries and peppercorn sauce were the perfect accompaniment. tom's pork dish also looked (and tasted) incredible; aubaine cook things and marry subtle flavours like no one else. i think what i loved most was that aubaine have hit on the fact that people choose food with their eyes (i'm always eyeing the next table and asking the waiter for "that nice looking cakey thing") and so the dessert menu isn't a bit of paper. nuh uh. they bring over a slab with their classic patisserie displayed on it, so you can choose your favourite. it's a little overwhelming, but only because you feel like a kid in a candy store. i chose the giant macaroon, and tom the chocolate torte. we were very, very pleased with our choices. aubaine has branches all over the city and would be perfect for a spot of tea and cake in the afternoon, or for a weekend brunch. the atmosphere was very friendly but the service remained fantastic; we almost definitely outstayed a normal welcome, but we still felt comfortable to sit and chat in the sun-dappled lounge. a perfect spot for lunch - a londoner's treat!