For the amount of buzz it has generated, Chez Vous is a surprisingly small space, cleverly distributed into ground and mezzanine areas, with a bar running along one side and two cozy sofa arrangements nudged against the wall. On a recent visit, the owners explained that they wanted the restaurant to feel like someone’s living room (Chez Vous literally means “your home”). We love the overstuffed sofas and green overtones, as well as the fact that most of the tables and chairs are refurbished furniture from Sundance Café, but dislike intensely white lighting scheme – it’s depressingly hospital-like, and makes the nicest skin look sallow.

Taste Test

Our diligent pestering scored us an invite for a prix-fixe tasting that featured Roquefort and red snapper, lamb and burgers, tuna and soufflé, but unfortunately none of the absinthe cocktails that the restaurant is playing up – it was a dry day, and no amount of cajoling would convince them to break out the bottle.

Making do with a virginal iced tea, we looked to our meal for comfort, ordering all three available appetisers, including tuna, coconut crab and Roquefort ravioli. Of these, tuna was the best, crusted with sesame seeds and delicately flavorful on the inside. The ravioli was starkly minimalistic, folds of pasta wrapped around sharp Roquefort cheese, studded with hazelnuts and garnished with olive oil. This tastes best punctuated by bites of the salad it is served with, bright with bell peppers and sprouts, coated in a hazelnut and olive oil dressing. The crab is tender and sweet, but impossibly overwhelmed by a thick layer of coconut. Unless you’re a die-hard fan of the fruit, we suggest you spoon some off before digging in, so you can actually taste the fresh, succulent meat.

Sea Changes

We enjoyed our mains more, a grassy hunk of medium-rare lamb offset by a cloud of red snapper, with giant burgers for the vegetarians. The lamb was smoky with charcoal and sitting pretty in a pool of dark, bittersweet sauce with buttery, sweet mashed potatoes flanking one side and a bowlful of roasted garlic cloves guarding the other. Get this if you like big, meaty flavors: one of the culinary warriors at our table lost the fight to this dish halfway through, and overwhelmed by the taste, had to abandon it for crusty bread rolls.

The red snapper is milder, lighter, kinder on your digestive system, rained on with yum salsa and lots of spices. Veggie burgers come on buns laden with thick, juice patties, their top halves smothered in melted cheese, a cold, creamy dressing coating their bottoms. There’s more of this on the side, and we suggest you use it generously.

Fork on the Road (or At Least the Floor)

Of the two desserts, a chocolate and shortbread concoction – layers of biscuit, chocolate and cream precariously balanced on top of each other – was messier than the dainty mango soufflé, but as is often the case, ultimately much more rewarding. Crunchy and creamy, decadently adult yet reminiscent of childhood, it was well worth the sticky fingers and many dropped forks.

French Made

Chez Vous is bringing a relatively new (read: alien, blander) cuisine to the city, which means a lot of free press but also a lot of work: these guys are going to have to go a long way still, bending tastes, developing palates, finding new audiences. For this, they will need an expanded menu, stellar dishes, a knowledgeable staff and lots and lots of alcohol. But if our initial tasting, with all its hits and misses was any indication, they may just succeed.

Getting there: Chez Vous, ground floor, Eros Building, Churchgate, call +91 7738386339 Rs 1,000 per head without alcohol.