allo-allo

Admiralgade 25, 1066 Cph K; Open Mon-Sat from 17:00; three-course set menu 200kr; This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , 3313 3377, www.allo.bistrodeluxe.dk

If the sheer number of diners is an accurate measure of a restaurant’s success then allo-allo is an undisputed hit. This French bistro, hidden away in an inconspicuous corner building on Admiralgade, has been doing a roaring trade since it flung open its doors on January 29. Even on a sleety Wednesday evening the closely packed wooden tables are brimming with guests.

The concept behind this latest offering from Anders Aargard Jensen is simple. Like the other restaurants he co-owns with Jans Christian Jensen - Tony’s and Madklubben – it fills the gap between fancy dining and informal café food, providing reasonably priced dinners in a smartish atmosphere where neither a Marc Jacobs dress nor a pair of jeans would feel out of place.

Both the venue and the food are imbued with this relaxed and friendly attitude. Entering up the modest stairway you’re greeted by cheery chefs chopping and slicing in the open kitchen, before being led into the dining room with its crimson red-panelled walls and original shutters, which date back beyond the building’s previous incarnation as a Spanish tapas bar. As the mission statement printed on the menu explains, there are no airs and graces here. Wine bottles are placed on the table for you to pour yourself and waiters don’t explain the intricate details of the dishes or the origins of the wines and cheese.

A true French waiter might turn in his grave at this informality, yet there are a lot of things about this restaurant that would meet with Gallic approval. The menu, for a start, has many French classics, all be it with a bit of a Danish twist. The chevre chaud comprises a tasty chunk of warm cheese wrapped in filo pastry on a salad scattered with pear and almonds, while the moules mariniere is a good stab at the French staple, although it arrives at the table frigid rather than steaming hot. Other starter options include a charcuterie plate, crab claws, fois gras and escargot.

The main courses also embody authentic French fair. A gigantic steak arrives with a bloody but warm centre and a vast pile of delicious salty fries. Native sole is perfectly cooked and smothered with parsley butter, pomegranates and apple slices, which provide an unusual yet delicious crunch, and the cassoulet would make any Toulousian grin with its generous helpings of duck, bacon and sausage.

For those still with room to spare – the portions are enormous – there are French cheeses served with chutney, olives, and biscuits or desserts including a crème brulee, with a thick sugary crust concealing a creamy interior, which tastes good, but again could have done with a blast of heat.

Wines have been carefully chosen to complement the menu, with almost all - including a Sancerre, Chateau Contemerle and Sauternes - hailing from famed regions of France. And with both the wine and the food it’s possible to dine within a surprisingly reasonable budget. The three-course menu du jour, which changes every month, is priced at 20kr, while the most affordable wine sets you back 50kr per the glass.  The most you will pay is 250kr for the steak and 700kr for a bottle of wine.

allo-allo undeniably bears the stamp of its owners and follows a similar formula to Tony’s and Madklubben. It provides good food and wine at reasonable prices in a laid-back and friendly atmosphere. In some ways this takes something away from the feeling of uniqueness – once you’ve been to these restaurants a few times they start to feel a bit the same - and yet it also guarantees a brilliantly fun and filling evening. As Michelle Dubois would say: ‘Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once,’ be sure to reserve a table in advance, arrive starving hungry, and you are bound to leave feeling happy and content.