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"My dishes are based on the accents of South-West France, from my village Montauban, with a modern spin. I'm always experimenting in my kitchen, with my team. Just as I did in my mother’s and grandmother’s kitchens since I was knee-high to the large wooden table where we kneaded the dough and prepared the cassoulet", explains Christian Constant.

"My clients no longer want to spend hours in a restaurant", he observes. And with this in mind I've created "Le-Menu-Carte" with a choice of 5 starters: 6 mains and cheese or four desserts. Or, order a main-course and a dessert or from the daily specials, 4 seasonal starters and 4 mains. What ever your budget, we can work around it. Vegetarians should call ahead and we still prepare take-away for dinners at home, but these must be ordered in advance.

Some signature dishes such as Woodpigeon, cooked a la plancha with fricassee of girolles mushrooms and sweet garlic feature, when in season. Clients get so disappointed if I try to take their favourites away", smiles Constant.

Q: So, Christian how can you continue to offer such splendid dishes while cutting the prices in two?

Well, out goes the lobster which is very expensive, in it's place I’m doing spider rock crab, fennel cream and herring caviar. The service in the dining-room is more relaxed, we no longer have a "bus-boy" to bring the food to table; it comes direct from the kitchen, to table, served direct by the waiter. We are no longer carving at table either. I am serving fresh vegetable amuse bouches, say crispy radishes or new seasons olives, with warm country bread and salty butter. Out goes the cheese board in comes one perfect seasonal cheese from Cantin. And, although there are no tablecloths, diners still get an outsize cotton napkin, to tuck into their necks if they want!

Q: Christian, can you describe some of the dishes that feature on the on the Daily Specials A La Carte menu?

They change frequently according to the market and the season, of course. At present Stephane Schmidt and I are doing a frothy Bisque soup of shrimp, with a light cream and herring caviar. A Violon version of "Cesar" with sucrine and Batavia lettuces, slivers of parmesan and crispy ham, and we’re carving Jambon Bellotta "Patanegra" just outside the kitchen on a special board. That can be followed by a hearty Tete de Veau (veal's head) with the tongue and brain poached and a sauce Gribiche (capers and hard boiled eggs whisked into a mayonnaise). We’ve kept the woodpigeon added a succulent rib of beef cooked a la plancha with a gratin of macaroni and a wonderful Lasagne and daube of beef cheeks with marrowbone. Succulent stuff.

Light dishes that are not as traditional are on the Menu-Carte. Say, spit-roast chicken from the Landes region. A delicious spit roast turbot with baby potatoes and a mousseline sauce. Sea-Bass from St. Malo crusty with almonds and a sauce ravigote with Sicilian capers. My authentic Cassoulet Montalbanais or the classic Violon pigs feet pie (andouillette) with a sauce made with segments from the wine.

Q: Who is in the kitchen with you?

The décor may have changed but the equipe more or less stay the same. Stephane Schmidt has been Chef de Cuisine at Violon since 2001. He has had experience at The Crillon when he was with me, also at Alain Ducasse's Bastide de Moustiers, Christian Willer's Palme d'Or, Cannes, Stéphane Raimbault's L'Oasis at La Napoule, chez Westerman and Haeberlin and Alain Passard at Arpege.

Wines are very important and I appreciate the enthusiasm of Fabien Richez, with us since 2003. Not only at the Violon cellars, Fabien is responsible for choosing the wines at Café Constant. He takes orders in the restaurant, the better to discuss the marriage of the dishes with his discoveries, and he speaks very good English! At present he recommends a white Menetou Salon, P. Clement, 2005 Madiran red Chateau de Peyros 1999 and the Cotes de Roussillon wines from Domaine Cachau. "Very well made," says Fabien who has fine wines in the cellar and to view on the wine wall at the entry to the newly transformed restaurant.

At Café Constant (no reservations, so come early for lunch and dinner) traditional brasserie food is served, at the bar, on the ground and first floor. Choose from a long list written on an antique blackboard. Prices are reasonable and won't break the bank. Starters include Cream of Puy lentilles dotted with foie gras, Oeufs Mimosa, Salade de Crudites, Terrines, etc. Mains include a Beef tartare, Penne with basil and tomatoes, Spanish omelette, steak and chips. Desserts include all the favourites such as Rice Pudding, Peach Melba, Profiterolles, Vacherin, Ile Flottante, Ice creams or cheese. Kanterbrau and L'Abbaye de Florette beers are on tap at the bar. Well chosen wines are by the glass, half bottles and carafe. And, late in the afternoon after lunch service at Le Violon d'Ingres, the Constants usually eat here… but only you know that.

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