Addess: 3 Khan Asparuh Street
Telephone: 952 6176

A  new French restaurant has come to town, offering fresh, luxurious seafood flown in daily direct from France; and what's special about this is that it doesn't have a luxurious price tag. Step in to La Commanderie and you will feel that you are in La Provence- the experience is truly French.

Francis Delamare is a former chef of famous Parisian restaurants La Tour D'Argent and Oscar Bellinger, to name a couple. He truly looks the part: big and flamboyant, and sporting a classic moustache which appropriately turns up at either end. He has gathered 42 years of culinary experience from across the world, perfecting style and elegance in presentation and superb taste.

Fine food is an art and good art takes time, Delamare tells me in a colourful French accent as he shows me several pots that have been simmering on the stove for nearly four hours. The immaculate kitchen is huge and is superbly equipped, a quality that remains a rarity in Bulgaria. He laughs, waving his arms in the air as he explains the mountain of paperwork he had to overcome to import the majority of his tools.

My colleagues and I were transported to France as we sat down for dinner. Delamere's wife Georgeta greeted us as she delivered complimentary hors d'oeuvres and formally asked us if we would like an aperitif while perusing the wine list and menu.

The tri-lingual menu is well set out, primarily focussing on seafood, but also offering a range of traditional French meat dishes. Cold starters on the menu include Beluga caviar and foie gras de canard, but with all the cold weather we have experienced lately I selected the terrine de saumon et homard servie tiede au beurre avec truffles (salmon and crab paste with truffles) from the hot starters menu. The salad Commanderie of smoked salmon, fresh langoustines, avocado, tomatoes and lettuce is beautifully presented and it's worth noting that it comes in a very healthy portion.

Fresh seafood in Sofia, as we all know, is hard to come by, and as we have all come to expect, it carries the associated price tag. Some restaurants (one on Narodno Sabranie Sq) will charge as much as 50 leva for a fillet; I am pleased to say La Commanderie's prices are not what one would expect. My order was a whole fish of sea bass grilled to perfection. Perfection can be subjective and La Commanderie takes no risks, asking: "saignant, a point, or bien cuit?" (rare medium or well done). I replied, "saignant", of course! The only way to eat fresh fish. The whole cooked fish was delivered on a huge platter and expertly prepared by the chef, who carefully removed the skin and bones and served directly onto my plate. Accompanied with hollandaise sauce and cabbage in a duck confit.

Make sure you have a healthy appetite because you do not want to miss out on dessert. Chef Delamare prepares all the pastries on site. I opted for something a little lighter: baked apple filled with icecream doused in hot maraschino caramel creme. I think this speaks for itself.

The wine list comprises both French and Bulgarian wines. The French wines are from Pauillac, Bordeaux, and Cote du Rhone. It is also refreshing to see a boutique Bulgarian wine listed: Chateau de Val, with excellent depth and character. It comes as no surprise that amongst the restaurant's provincial decor Delamare proudly displays a bottle of French wine dated 1945.

La Commanderie caters for both smokers and non-smokers and although the restaurant is situated in the basement, the ventilation is very good. The bathrooms are clean and also nicely decorated.

The a la carte three-course dinner with wine is approximately 40 leva a head, however on offer is a limited selection set menu at just 25 leva a head.