With its cheery lemon yellow shop frontage and the welcoming seats and menu board set up outside, this atrractive restaurant in the centre of Newbridge is sure to entice passers-by to come in for a bite.

And it would be a good call, as this is a friendly continental bistro just like the kind of place that you’d expect to find in regional France.

Owner operated by chef Pascale Moreau and front of house manager the eponymous Olivier – a professional pair of restaurateurs who know how to do the important things right – l’Olivier specialises in traditional French food and classical Italian dishes, and what they produce is downright delicious food.

The main room has a large front window looking out onto Limerick Lane and is simply decorated with black and white photographs; there’s a large blackboard giving specials as well as mentioning upcoming food events, and more eating space upstairs on a mezzanine floor decorated with French posters. With plenty of room between tables set with quality glassware and china, it’s plain and simple and the effect is comfortable and inviting.

Good service begins with a friendly greeting from a waitress who shows you to your table, and promptly offers iced water and the menu.You might nibble a Ventaglio (fresh pizza base with olive oil and salt, served in the same way as bread) while looking at the menu, which offers a typical choice of French and Italian favourites including pizza and pasta dishes, onion soup, gnocchi, galettes, steak frites, fillet with béarnaise, duck à l’orange, cocottes of beef/pork/lambs kidneys, poulet chasseur, and French desserts.

The cooking is really good and, depending on the time of day, there is plenty of choice between light and casual dishes – which perhaps include more on the Italian side of the menu - or a more structured meal.

Delicious starters will quickly confirm the quality of the cooking - Galette Desarzin au Saint-Jacques, for example, is a lovely dish of three scallops perfectly cooked with garlic butter and wrapped in a buckwheat pancake, while Salade Landaise is an attractively presented rendition of the classic salad of mixed salad leaves with smoked duck breast, lardons and croûtons, served with a lovely house dressing.

For the main course, you might go for a very well made Poulet à la crème - breast of chicken in a rich creamy mushroom sauce – or a Steak frites au poivre, which is just what you would get in France, with a pepper sauce and excellent fries.

Finish, perhaps, by sharing the Café Gourmand of three mini desserts - perhaps a crème brulée, a chocolate pot and a mini meringue, all beautifully made.

Knowledgable staff give casual but attentive service, including wine service - the wine list is small and heavy on French wines, but keenly priced and not only does it have informative notes but the French waiter explains the different grape varieties and offered recommendations.

If you enjoy good value casual dining with a continental flair, you will enjoy L’Olivier.

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