An evening spent in the Chez Gerard, restaurant is very pleasant, as the food is nice and the service excellent.

However, don't go to the High Road Loughton Brasserie, if you are looking for a quiet romantic evening where you can whisper sweet nothings to your partner.

For when I popped in for an early evening meal with an old friend, we almost had to shout at each other across the table to be heard in the general hubbub of diners' voices.

Having said that, the restaurant is lovely and offers a good choice of dishes from speciality Moroccan tajines, to club burgers, pasta dishes and steak cooked in every way imaginable. It boasts the best steak-fries this side of Paris,'and is also open for breakfast and morning coffee.

My friend chose the Tajine de Agneau, served in a ceramic terracotta tagine, with couscous and a side dish of pastilla legumes - a sort of vegetable pancake with a yoghurt dip.

The waiter lifted the lid of the tagine with a flourish,revealing a piping hot spicy Moroccan style lamb dish.

I ordered a Chez Gerard club chicken burger, a meaty chicken steak which was so thick it could have been home-made, and fries. The mixed salad of leaves, red onion, tomato and a house dressing was delicious and the dressing didn't drown the flavour of the veg.

We decide on tiramiso for dessert and were both very surprised when the waiter brought it to our table, as it looked lost and lonely in the middle of two huge dishes.

Although the portion wasn't large, it was very tasty and a bigger slice might have proved too much for our increasingly full stomachs.

The lush, strong coffee was served large cups which were full to the brim.

All the food was nicely presented and Chez Gerard, the decor is brown and cream and the whole place is light, airy and very modern, with a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere which makes it ideal for all sorts of diners from the very young upwards.

We paid £4 for two glasses of fresh orange juice and £3.90 for two coffees, the tip was left to our discretion.

At £13.95 for the tajine, and £8,95 for the burger, with the side salad dishes £3.75 and £2.75, tiramisu £4.74 each, the food was just a little overpriced, but nice.

BRASSERIE CHEZ GERARD
275-277 High Road,
Loughton,
IG10 1AH.
Tel: 087131 106531.