Well, it is not what you think. I am not about to write about the dishes described in La Fontaine’s moral tales, if there are any that is, but rather about a wonderful small fish restaurant in Paris. I am not sure why they decided to call it les Fables de la Fontaine, except perhaps because it is on place de la Fontaine.

I hadn’t been to Paris for quite some time. I don’t why given that I could be there in less than three hours door to door. But on a whim, I decided to go there last weekend, to see my great friends Anne-Marie and Jacqueline. Anne-Marie booked Sunday lunch at les Fables – it is one of the rare good restaurants open on a Sunday – it has one Michelin star, and the young chef Sebastien Gavé trained with several great chefs including Joel Robuchon.

One thing I miss in London is lovely small restaurants where you can eat perfect food in an informal atmosphere. And this is exactly what you get at les Fables. It is small and intimate, yet very comfortable and not at all cramped. And the food is perfect.

To start with the bread, a kind of leaven baguette, is delicious – sadly not such an obvious thing in Paris nowadays. I started with langoustines mayonnaise, not only because I love langoustines but also because the menu said ‘cuites à la minute’ which indeed they were, brought to me still warm and cooked to perfection, with a light mayonnaise to which the chef must have added egg white to give it such a light texture. For my main course, I ordered aiguillette de St Pierre (John Dory), served on chorizo foam with white bean purée on the side. Delicious, although not as perfect as the langoustines. And to finish, I had a lovely aged ewe (brebis) cheese with cherry jam. All in all, a perfect meal, in a perfect Parisian setting. It won’t be long before I hop again on the Eurostar, perhaps only for the day to return to les Fables for Sunday lunch.

Les Fables de la Fontaine - 131, rue Saint-Dominique, Paris 75007 ; + 33 1 44 18 37 55; www.leviolondingres.com

Anissa Helou