agnes b le pain grille, Leighton Rd, Causeway Bay

Rating: 2.5/5

I've passed this restaurant many times and have often wondered what was hiding behind the white cotton curtains that shield diners from the gridlocked streets outside. Today, Mother's Day, was as good a day as any to find out.

Stepping through the front door felt like stepping into French bistro. Rustic yellow floor tiles, wooden furniture and a recorded chanteuse helping set the mood.

Our waiter promptly delivered a basket of bread to our table and brought over a chalkboard to show us the lunch specials. Our party all opted for the three course set menu - hard to pass up given the set cost as much as an a la carte main.

My choice of entree, the cream of broccoli soup, was too watery for my liking but had a nice flavour. For the main course I chose the mussel bouillabaisse because I saw that a neighbouring table ordered it and it looked good. Unfortunately it was more style than substance. The mussel meat was small and chewy and the bouillabaisse tasted like the ingredients had been thrown together just before leaving the kitchen. It wasn't bad, just a bit disappointing. My husband, who was sitting closer to our neighbours mussels than I, later told me that he'd tried to stop me ordering the mussels by nudging me as I gave my order to the waiter. If only my telepathic powers had been working!

The highlight of the meal, as it often is for me, was dessert. I usually prefer dessert to come from the chocolate family but was more than satisfied with a slice of bread and butter pudding served with vanilla ice cream, although the rainbow of raspberry, kiwi and orange coulis decorating the plate was a bit strange.

The Verdict: Top marks for ambience. The lunch specials are great value but the food is not good enough to justify the a la carte prices.