Bistrot Bruno Loubet with Green & Blacks and the new "Ultimate Chocolate Recipes" book

I can't decide if I like cheese best or chocolate.

Fortunately, no-one's holding a gun to my head and forcing me to choose. Yet. But should a desert island scenario arise, I feel it would be wise to be prepared.

Until a few years ago, I would have put my hand up for another Lindt ball. But as my crows feet grow deeper, so does my penchant for all things savoury, and nothing more than a fine smelly cheese. The mouldier the better. And if there's a hint of cauliflower taste about it, get me a room.

But sometimes only chocolate will do - in that way that eating 500 pieces of raw carrot at 4pm is just not going to cut it when your body wants melt in the mouth fat and cocoa. Recently it was Chocolate Week, and that only further fuelled the flame.

I went to a scrumptious chocolatey afternoon tea, and Green & Blacks took me out to dinner at Bistrot Bruno Loubet (a restaurant I love) where I drooled over their new cookbook and discovered a fresh favourite that sleeps on TPG's pillow when he's off on business trips - the salted caramel chocolate Peanut Bar. Yes. Salted. Caramel. Chocolate. Peanut. Bar.

The Green & Blacks Peanut Bar - in civvies

It's only available in the USA at present, but a sample found its way to my gullet. We need it here in the UK. Desperately. Let the campaign begin. (I urge you to join me in support with a comment below - they can consider this a petition).

I also met Green & Black's head of taste, Micah, who - aside from having the really awful job of tasting & developing chocolate flavours - has recently edited the new Green & Blacks Ultimate Chocolate Recipes cookbook. Oh, and the man can also eat whole desserts face first.

The cookbook is a gorgeous, colourful compilation of tempting recipes for such gourmet delights as chocolate meringue pie, chocolate and cardamom muffins and (hold me down) a velvet salted caramel chocolate torte. Favourite recipes have been contributed by chefs, food writers and others. This is one book set to inspire quite the chocolate dinner party extravaganza at Chez Greedy.

Quail and pistachio dodine with spinach and egg raviolo

So, what of Bistrot Bruno Loubet? Since my last review, it was high time to repay it a visit. As usual, service was easy, relaxed and knowledgable and the food was a delight. My starter of a miraculously light guinea fowl boudin blanc on a pea soup was comforting, with lovely, subtle but moreish flavours (£7.50). For my main, the quail and pistachio dodine with spinach and egg yolk raviolo was cooked perfectly - a rich, tender and satisfying dish (£17.00). I dipped into various desserts around the table, none which moved the earth for me, but all were perfectly nice.

Bistrot Bruno Loubet really is one of my favourite places to eat for excellent French cooking with a bit of flair. I was happy to see it recently recognised with the Best New Restaurant Award at The National Restaurant Awards 2010.

We finished off with several excellent cheese platters while greedily scouring the pages of the new chocolatey cookbook - ahhh, all bases covered.

"Green & Blacks Organic Ultimate Chocolate Recipes, The New Collection", edited by Micah Carr-Hill,  is available for around £16.99 RRP online and at various bookshops.

Bistrot Bruno Loubet, 86-88 Clerkenwell Road, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 5RJ (Tel: 0207 324 4455)



Greedy Diva's dinner was provided by the very fun team at Green & Blacks.

Bistrot Bruno Loubet: Farringdon, London

I'm on the bus to Farringdon, salivating rather enthusiastically over Marina O'Loughlin's description of stickily rich hare royale with onion raviolo, pumpkin and dried mandarin puree at Bistrot Bruno Loubert.

Unsurprisingly, having held the bus driver's foot to the metal, we arrive early at Bistrot Bruno, like 2 eager puppies. It buys us some time to peruse the menu in the window - tongues to pavement.

And there's no hare today.

The lip quivers.

But the sun is shining in Farringdon, and nowhere does it gleam brighter than in the breezy modern bistro we've come to inspect. With white walls and big windows, BBL is casual but aglow, humming with a contented chatter.

Loubet has returned from an 8 year sojourn in Australia (Brisbane) to once again have the London food scene in a lather. He previously flaunted his skills at such places as London's L'Odeon and the Inn on the Park where he earned a Michelin star. He was named the UK's Young Chef of the Year (1985 Good Food Guide) and was appointed  head chef of Raymond Blanc's  2 Michelin Star restaurant, Le Manoir, all before heading to Oz and coming back again to tackle his new creative venture. Blimey.

Loubet's interesting, creative bistro food adds a modern twist to French classics. It has both feet on the ground, but adds something surprising and creative, often involving exotic Asian or North African ingredients.

I start with the Mauricette snails and meatballs, which circle seductively around a light, creamy mushroom mousse (£8). The sauce is delectably sweet and savoury, but the heavenly mousse steals the show.

We're dining with our lucky charms, T & M (it seems they never have a bad lunch, at least not with us). TPG and Lucky M have chosen the Sunday roast (beef this week), which comes with a plentiful starter - slabs of hearty terrine, bread and cornichons - and a floating island and Pernod custard dessert, all for £22. The starter is meaty, tasty and generous - we easily could have shared one between all of us. Lucky M is working his magic already.

Lucky T starts lightly with a side salad, which was basic but did the job - she's only warming up. (Believe me, wait until the chocolates arrive...)

Having braced myself for the hare, my chosen substitute was going to have to be a rip snorter. Lucky T and I both opted for the confit lamb shoulder. The lamb was pressed into a round little bombshell - fatty, juicy and tender - with white bean mash, sweet red pepper, preserved lemon and green harissa (£16). I wouldn't say there were fireworks, but this was an absolutely lovely combination of flavours, adding some exotic zing to an otherwise hard core meaty dish.

The menfolk enjoyed their lashings of perfectly cooked slices of roast beef with vegetables and bearnaise. Again, servings were generous.

Lucky T and I shared an apple and quince mille feuille with an orange blossom sabayon (£6). Beautifully presented, this was at once a decadent and light finish to the meal. Eternal thanks to Lucky T for allocating to me the larger share.

The menfolk tried to look manly, beating their chests as they nibbled daintily at the their floating island of cloudy meringue in its creamy custard base. In the name of research, I helped TPG crack his way through the toffee coating (which he wasn't fussed about, but I liked) to serve myself several spoonfuls. The meringue was dense rather than delicate, and TPG thought it excellent. The custard was lovely and creamy with a surprisingly strong hit of Pernod - I don't know how that works, but it really does.

Coffees came with a scrumptious little chocolate ganache each, with hints of salty caramel undertones. In true Peanut Gallery form, TPG likened the flavour to a sophisticated version of the Cadbury Chocolate Eclair.

Service was friendly and mostly good, although dessert wines would have come after dessert was devoured had we not issued a prompt (and even then we had to hold back our spoons awhile). Then, having specifically requested coffee to arrive after we'd finished the dessert wine, it came early - twice. We let it go the second time.

Niggles aside, I thoroughly enjoyed Bistrot Bruno Loubet. It's been heaped with praise since it opened some weeks ago, but it's a worthy recipient. I can see it going from strength to strength as it continues to provide clever bistro delights to us lucky Londoners.

A 3 course meal for 2 with wine, dessert wine and service costs around £90. And you probably won't need dinner...

Bistrot Bruno Loubet, The Zetter Hotel, 86-88 Clerkenwell Road, Farringdon (Ph: 020 7324 4455)