Anniversary Lunch at French Affaire, Stony Stratford

I’d only been to French Affaire once before – for a friend’s baby shower – and while we had afternoon tea on that occasion, I still took a look at the menu and longed to return. It was a fantastic event – the décor was super cute, there was a lovely atmosphere, and the food was so tasty.

Unfortunately, on this occasion (being pregnant), I was limited on things to do and places to celebrate – for our first wedding anniversary, we’d feasted like royalty at Paris House (ticking off a foodie experience of mine), but of course, anything like that would be wasted on me. As we both had booked the day off and with Alfie at school, it was left in my hands. I decided to book French Affaire for an early lunch.

Being a Monday, it was pretty quiet – only a mum and young daughter were brunching when we arrived for our 11:30am reservation. That said, by the time we left, there were three other couples and a larger party celebrating a birthday (armed with large helium balloons and gift bags). I did notice when finding somewhere, a lot of places are shut in Milton Keynes on a Monday!

Bearing in mind, it was quieter, the service was excellent throughout – very attentive without being overbearing, and at no point did we feel rushed. We sat on the opposite side of the restaurant to where I’d previously sat, which was nice – with the sun coming through the window and meant I got to look at the lush living wall.

As its name suggests, French Affaire specialises in French cuisine – think brioches, baguettes, croques and crepes. I’ve already said I need to return, as there were so many items I wanted to try, but couldn’t – not least, the lobster croque monsieur, the steak brioche (and baguette for that matter) and ALL the sweet crepes (especially the apple one with calvados)!

We both sipped homemade lemonades – strawberry & basil for me, mango & basil for Ash. They were so refreshing and just really tasty. I think it’s cray how herb complement and elevate fruity/sweet flavours. I tried both and don’t think I could have chosen a favourite – the mango one was a lot sweeter, though.

To eat, I had the grilled chicken brioche – a bun filled with chicken fillets, crunchy slaw, lettuce, tomato and signature sauce. It was a bit of a beast, even when I’d cut it in half, but it was oh so delicious. I’m a sucker for homemade (or proper!) coleslaw and it really was divine. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was in the sauce, but it was creamy and delicious. Best of all, the chicken was cooked perfectly, retaining a juiciness. It came served with seasoned French fries… and I felt like I demolished it!

Ash had the club sandwich – one of my all-time faves and I definitely had food envy (despite how delicious my meal was). A classic triple layer sandwich, consisting of grilled chicken, crispy bacon, egg, tomato, lettuce and Dijon mayonnaise. His see and was huge, as you can see, and came served with a large portion of root vegetable crisps (which also looked so good – and I was suddenly that bit more envious).

We both had room for desserts, and I always knew I wanted a crepe. I didn’t want to feel too full, so opted for a lighter option – going for the classic lemon & sugar, which is actually my favourite. And it did not disappoint. The pancake was light, yet crisp around the edges, and although the sugar had already been added (plenty of it, too), I was able to add my own lemon and absolutely drowned it! I reckon I could have eaten two, or maybe gone for something a bit more extravagant after all… there’s always next time!

Ash chose the café gourmand – a small pudding, served with a coffee. He went for an Americano with the chocolate & praline profiterole – which looked like a giant Ferrero Rocher. It was quite hard, particularly when it came to cuit it up to eat and I’m surprised it didn’t ping cross the table. It looked so yummy and a bit of me – but I’d always go down the crepe route!

It’s always nice to go out child-free (if that doesn’t sound too much) and be able to hold a conversation – but great food and better company are always worth celebrating.

Love, Lucy xx