My favourite restaurant serves rubbish food – and I still love it

One of my favourite restaurants of all time serves mediocre food, has a limited menu, and occasionally brings a dish containing none of the advertised ingredients.  Why do I love it so? Because the service and the ambience are both a delight. The warm greeting from the proprietor who always remembers his customers’ names; the attentive (but not fawning) waiter who immediately produces menus and water without being asked; and the sommelier who recommends a perfect aperitif before talking us through the wines in a matter-of-fact way that belies the usual ‘You can really taste the terroir,’ and ‘This one is like a summer’s day in Provence.’

The drinks and appetisers all arrive in exactly the correct order, and with the requisite 20-minute gap between courses. The cheese and dessert are properly paced, and if they have run out of sweet wine or port, someone will pop to the local store to pick one up without making a fuss.