Le Patio - Bailleul

We ate here on a very hot evening and were lucky enough to be out in the patio area, a really pleasant place to eat, enclosed and full of beautiful shrubs in tubs. We were warmly welcomed and the service throughout was extremely pleasant. The dishes showed flair and originality without being over-complicated and fussy, and were a welcome change from the usual French menus which are often all variations on the same theme, wherever you are in France. We skipped the starter as it was a hot evening and we didn’t feel like eating too much, and we both chose the quail breasts with an escalope of foie gras. My husband had a selection of sorbets, which he said were all delicious and which he was sure were home-made, and I had a most interesting globe of gold-dusted chocolate, filled with little pieces of ganache, meringue and raspberries. A warm coulis of raspberries was poured over this to allow it to soften so that it could be cut without exploding – very original, and delicious. We felt it was good value for money and wouldn’t hesitate to go back, should we visit Bailleul again.

Service, menu; food and surroundings were excellent. Extremely suprised that it wasnt busy - we arrived (dripping wet) 19:00 on a Friday night with no reservation and were literaly welcomed with open arms. In fact we were the only diners until about 20:15. Why wasnt it packed - perhaps too early; perhaps the weather; perhaps tiems are hard in Bailleul.

Bailleul is an attractive town but not necessarily on the main tourist route. This restaurant is, therefore, quite a pleasant surprise. The food is very well prepared, the menu attractive and not over-sold by lots of pretentious flourishes and very good to eat. It isn't cheap but the quality of the plates is excellent and there are small, careful, delicate - and gratis - tasters to introduce the main courses which gives a sense of the customer being welcomed.If I were to voice any criticism at all it would be directed at the decor, not the food. The black tiled floor and black ceiling are just a little daunting and cold, despite twinkly lights and candles. That apart, it's good to find a provincial restaurant in a small town serving French cuisine with pride and skill.

Have eaten there a couple times now during my regular business trips to this part of N.France. This makes a nice change from the majority of regional 'Flamandes' restaurants in this area and the cooking and presentation is more modern and bordering on 'fine dining'. As a consequence it is a little more expensive than the local style restaurants but the quality is also better. The wine list is pretty good and features some nice wines across a broad price spectrum. It has a nice ambience and the hosts are welcoming. They have a nice little courtyard patio outside for the warmer weather (hence the name).Well worth visiting if you are in the area.