Lou Lou's, Southsea

Vying as it does with three other small restaurants on Southsea's Marmion Road, Lou Lou's is one that I had previously wanted to visit because of its apparent French feel. I hadn't done so, however, as I always seem to be in the area at lunchtime and Lou Lou's is inevitably crowded, with very little space between one table and the next. An opportunity arose one Friday afternoon when I bumped into my son as I was leaving work. Both of us were at a loose end and decided to have a bite to eat before shopping at Waitrose. As it was around 3.30pm, I thought Lou Lou's might be relatively quiet so we sauntered along to see if I was right.

A menu in the window was difficult to approach as both the outside tables were occupied. As we turned away, a waiter rushed out and handed us a menu to tempt us. The menu seemed varied with reasonable prices and there seemed to be a few free tables inside, so we ventured in. Two of the tables turned out to be reserved, but we settled for a table for two by the side wall.

All the tables in the main area are circular marble ones, some bigger than others. The chairs are old-fashioned, basic wooden ones with curved backs. I said that Lou Lou's has an apparent French feel to it, but this is in fact because it used to be a butcher's and the original décor has been kept. Ceramic tiles cover one wall, and the wooden floor has seen better days. A curved metal rail hanging from the ceiling would once have been used for displaying carcasses. Now it has rather charming ornaments and flowers dangling down. The place has character and is quite unlike other cafe-restaurants in the area.

A waitress immediately brought us another menu. A page of all day breakfasts (including a continental one) was followed by a list of Welsh rarebit, croque monsieur or madame, then one or two pasta dishes, a few salads and a rather surprising venison burger. The usual simple lunches such as soup of the day, various sandwiches and jacket potatoes are also on the menu. Tartiflette is a typical French addition that I can't remember seeing before in a Southsea restaurant. Steak is one of the pricier lunches, but even so is just £8.95. Having not long since recovered from a nasty bug, I hadn't had eggs or bacon for weeks, so I decided on scrambled egg with back bacon in a toasted and buttered muffin, accompanied by sliced button mushrooms for £3.45. My son went for what would have been my second choice: scrambled egg with smoked salmon, wholemeal or white toast and sliced button mushrooms at £4.95.

We wanted to order freshly squeezed orange juice, but the waitress explained that the machine had been switched off. We didn't quite understand why, but we both ordered apple juice instead. This was brought over very quickly. I don't like having fruit juice with a glass full of ice cubes, and thankfully no ice was served here, but I suppose some people might want and expect it.

It must have been about ten minutes before our food was served. My immediate impression was that the servings were very generous, especially where the mushrooms were concerned. I had two rashers of nicely cooked, lean bacon, lots of scrambled egg, and a whole muffin as opposed to the half I had had at Churchill's a few weeks earlier. My son's meal came garnished with a slice of lemon and a small sprig of parsley. His butter was served separately in a small tub for him to spread on the triangular slices of toast. I thought the square-shaped plates and black serviettes were tasteful, although the serviettes were a little on the small side. Pepper and salt are provided on the table, but the waitress also asked us if we required any other sauces. We declined. The food was beautifully hot, and I would only say that the scrambled egg was slightly overdone. This usually seems to be the case in restaurants, however.

As soon as we had finished eating, the waitress came to clear our plates. For those wanting a two-course meal, desserts are mostly priced at £3.25 or £3.50 and include pancakes, waffles, ice cream sundae and sticky toffee pudding. A tempting selection of home made cakes is displayed at the counter, and Lou Lou's menu also offers afternoon cream teas. We had only come for a light meal, so we asked for the bill. As it turned out, payment is made at the counter.

The ladies had just been cleaned when I entered so I can't comment on what it might be like towards the end of a busy lunchtime. Two steps have to be negotiated to get to the toilets, which would obviously prove difficult for the disabled. These steps also lead to a rear area which has a number of small tables but is without windows.

I would be glad to return to Lou Lou's one day, as their food is good, served in generous portions and reasonably priced. I have no criticisms of the service we received. It is a place that has character but might not appeal to those who prefer ultra-modern, stylish restaurants. If I do go back, however, I shall probably make a point of going either early in the morning for breakfast or once again in mid or late afternoon. Lou Lou's is definitely a popular place, but the lunchtime crowds would put me off. Closing time is 6pm, so this is a daytime rather than an evening restaurant.

Lou Lou's

37 Marmion Road

Southsea

Hampshire

PO5 2AT

Tel. 023 9282 5113

Portsmouth's corner of Paris

quite often go for lunch in Southsea on a Saturday, but on this occasion I needed to visit Blackwell's bookshop near Portsmouth University, so it was a good opportunity to have lunch at the nearby Cafe Parisien for a change. As the Cafe is popular with university students and staff, I thought perhaps Saturday would be a relatively quiet day there, but it was pouring with rain and blowing a gale so the outside tables could not be used, and even at 1.30pm the place was packed with people inside. We nevertheless managed to find a table for three and then went to queue up and place our order.

The menu is written on blackboards above the counter and looks a little confusing at first, but it is quite easy to find the appropriate section, depending on whether you want soup, a plat principal/cooked meal, a salad (choice of twelve), a croque monsieur or some other kind of sandwich. Main meals include salmon, cod, sirloin steak, and chicken, as well as one or two vegetarian options. I remembered that just over a year before I had had 'Number 12', consisting of open ciabatta, scrambled egg, smoked salmon and cream cheese for £6.95, and my son and I both decided we still liked the sound of it. I quite often choose salmon when I have a meal out, and I never buy eggs for myself so scrambled egg makes a change. I was tempted by cappuccino but then decided that fruit juice would be healthier and thought that carrot and apple juice with ginger sounded unusual. My son's partner ordered a three-egg omelette with chips, and we decided to share an extra plate of chips between us. Several varieties were available, including French, curly or thin, but we chose Belgian fries which are the chunky kind, served with red onion, ketchup and mayonnaise.

Having paid, we seated ourselves at our table with our drinks. It was big enough for three but would be a squeeze for four, unless for drinks only. There is just enough room to make your way between tables. The chairs are of a similar kind to those of Cafe Rouge, comfortable enough but with a rounded back which annoys women such as myself who have shoulder bags that slip off and end up on the floor.

Whilst waiting for the food, I tried my carrot and apple juice with ginger and was delighted by the combination of sweet and spicy flavours. The only problem was that the fruit and vegetable solids sink to the bottom of the glass and the juice at the top is rather watery, reminding me of a fruit juice I'd once had at Wagamama. These drinks are probably very healthy, but it's difficult to drink them through a straw – or directly from the glass, for that matter.

We had been given an empty wine bottle in which stood a numbered wooden spoon to identify our order, and it wasn't long before a waitress brought our food over. The main dishes were served on oval plates, with the Belgian fries on a round plate. There was just enough room on the table. I enjoyed having the Number 12 as much as I had on the previous occasion; the scrambled egg was just the right consistency and the smoked salmon provided a good contrast to the egg and cheese. It is for me, however, with the four pieces of ciabatta, a very rich and filling meal. It was all I could do to sample a few of the fries, and I thought that a side salad would perhaps have been a more sensible choice. I do always tend to say, though, that I have a smaller than average appetite.

I certainly would not have been able to manage a dessert that day, but I have had very good cookies there in the past, and I saw someone at a nearby table with a mouth-watering slice of chocolate cake. I might try that one day, but I shall have to have a salad as my main meal! The fruit tarts also look very tempting and would be slightly healthier than cake, of course. Coffees at Le Cafe Parisien are the Lavazza variety and are excellent. I haven't tried the smoothies myself but have it on good authority that they are delicious. If tea is your preference, there is a wide variety of Twinings on the menu.

A few weeks later I met my son at Le Cafe Parisien for a late breakfast, this time at about 11.30am on a Saturday. It was much less crowded; again the weather was utterly dismal, so the outside tables were not being used. I was wondering about trying an omelette this time, but eventually we both decided that the full vegetarian breakfast (£6.95) would be more varied. There was a choice of brown or white bread or toast, and we both chose brown toast. As it was a chilly day, I ordered a regular cappucino at £2.10 and my son went for an indulgent hot chocolate sprinkled with mini marshmallows and chocolate powder. (His excuse is that he has IBS and coffee upsets him!).

We sat ourselves at a small round table by the window – not that the view is anything to speak of. The drinks were up to our expectations, even though I'm hard to please where coffee is concerned. After a while our breakfasts arrived along with two slices each of toast and butter on separate plates, of course. We each had two fried eggs, a large half tomato, two veggie sausages, two hash browns and a generous serving of sliced button mushrooms. It was delicious, perhaps the mushrooms having the best flavour of all, although there was nothing I could fault. It was as much as I could do to have one slice of my toast, but my son had polished everything off by the time I was only halfway through my lunchtime breakfast. As neither of us was in a hurry, we lingered and had a glass of Appletiser each. By half past twelve there were still a few vacant tables.

One thing I particularly like about Le Cafe Parisien and that sets it apart from other restaurants is that it gives local artists the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work on its premises. My brother, who paints as a hobby, had an exhibition there in the summer of 2007. He was selling his canvases in aid of a local fisherman's charity and most of the work was bought on the evening of the private view. I hope that others who are trying to make a living as an artist have had as much success with their exhibitions at the Cafe.

If you are visiting the New Theatre Royal on Guildhall Walk or the Guildhall itself, Le Cafe Parisien would be the ideal place for a pre-show dinner as it is only a couple of minutes' walk away. It is also very close to the Ibis Hotel, Commercial Road shopping centre and Portsmouth and Southsea station. Worth mentioning is the special offer on Tuesday evenings of two steaks for £12.95. On weekdays during the day it is a popular place for university folk, although it does have to compete with the Via Lattea and the Students' Union.

Le Cafe Parisien has its own website that gives plenty of information on menus, exhibitions and other special events. I recommend a visit if you are in the area.

Le Cafe Parisien

1 Lord Montgomery Way

Portsmouth

PO1 2AH

Tel. 023 9283 1234

lecafeparisien.com