I admit to having had a fascination with all things French ever since the final season of Sex and the City aired. Watching Carrie walk the streets of the French capital in the last episode, I marvelled not only at the outfits, but at the scenery, the architecture, and of course, the food. I was mesmerised by the scene where she finds herself alone in a patisserie, surrounded by many fabulously sinful looking cakes. Faced with such treats, I couldn’t understand why she gave most of it to the neighbouring dog.

Not having Carrie’s vast array of sample size designer outfits to fit into, I jumped at the chance to sample the delights of French bistro Aubaine on Heddon Street. The multi- talented boulangerie/patisserie/restaurant opened its doors in May of this year, after its Brompton Road branch became so popular it even attracted Kylie Minogue and Sienna Miller. Therefore, it was with high expectations with which I arrived.

I wasn’t disappointed. The decor, with its rustic wooden furniture in creamy hues and moody lighting to set the tone, really contributed to a sophisticated feel. I loved that it wasn’t too obvious, the look of the place quietly screamed elegance, in the simplest of ways. The daytime patisserie switches to a bar area at night and this somehow helps to maintain an informal feel, while at the same time you know from the setting that quality is of the utmost importance. In short, true French chic.

As for the food, I began with the risotto aux fruits de mer (seafood risotto), so delicious that my companion kept pinching spoonfuls from my plate when I wasn’t looking, despite claiming that his own carpaccio de boeuf avec roquette, parmesan et huile de truffe blanche (beef carpaccio with rocket, parmesan and white truffle oil) was ‘deliciously tender meat with wonderful flavour’.

For the main course, I opted for magret de canard avec frites “a notre facon” (roasted duck magret with orange sauce and pommes pailles) which I too found to have a deliciously tangy flavour, the sauce complementing the meat perfectly. My friend kept to his own his this time, proof I assume that the Coq au Vin (chicken with pancetta lardoons, onions, button mushrooms and red wine) was more than to his liking.

Nothing however could have prepared me for the 'beauty' of the dessert tray―not even the wonderfully crisp, refreshing Pinot Grigio that had accompanied our meal. Gazing over the selection, I was very tempted to try the lot (perhaps showing all the desserts at once is really a trap for all those chocoholics out there) but decided that I should at least appear to have some self control. I ended up opting for the chocolate tart, a glorious truffle like consistency encased in biscuit-like pastry. To say it was one of the loveliest desserts I’ve ever had, from this chocoholic, is high praise indeed. That said, I didn’t manage to try out the chocolate mousse my dinner date selected, which he claimed to be equally as deliciously sinful. I think I should return to try out the whole tray, purely for research purposes of course.

With a combination of delectable food and those notorious West End parties, Aubaine is sure to pull an even bigger celebrity crowd into its newest branch. Who knows, Sarah Jessica Parker may even stop by…

In my opinion, Paris has nothing on Heddon Street.