THE NORTH RIDING PROJECT

Despite appearances, this is where the blue bloods eat.  The thing to do is to order Ostend oysters, on to which you drizzle a peppery vinegar sauce with diced shallots.  Then comes the onion soup, a speciality of Les Halles; the real connoisseurs sprinkle it with grated Parmesan.  You follow this up with a young partridge or some fish straight from the market; add some Bordeaux and a dessert of garden-fresh fruit, and you’ll have to admit one eats extremely well at Les Halles.

De Nerval/Selected, 1999