Thiis pretty French bistro is nigh-on impossible to pass without crooning, ‘ooh, how sweet!’. But while there’s definitely something doll’s house-ish about the look of the place (cute, brightly coloured, with pavement tables on the traffic-free lane outside), the Papillon experience is about as fuss-free and down-home as Bath gets. In fact, once seated, you’ll start to feel as though you’re on holiday in a small French town on the outskirts of Nice rather than tucked away in between the Royal Crescent and the Circus. Fortunately, the food lives up to the fantasy – sturdy, well-executed dishes of the kind we swooned over when watching Rick Stein’s ‘Mediterranean Escapes’ lead the way to prandial satisfaction, with wine to match. Lack of space combined with a loyal fan base of regulars mean that things can get a bit, erm, cosy at times, and staff can get a little bit flustered as a result. But hey, c’est la vie.

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A-Z • Alfresco hotspots • Bath Institutions • Lunch-time destinations