You won’t hear any gibberish at Rigmarole, an elegant lair (a long walnut wood bar, dim lighting) warmed up by the heat of Robert Compagnon’s Japanese binchotan wood charcoal. There’s a meditative ambiance about the place in which, unsurprisingly, we had one of the best dinners of 2020! Served à la carte (a little pasta-heavy, unfortunately), the night we went: a glorious diver scallop and basil tartare; presidential mackerel cooked on the BBQ over a bed of thunderously spiced yogurt; a divine grilled aorta and heart skewer; a very gourmet lettuce heart grilled over charcoal and moistened by an anchovy sauce; ravishing ravioli lounging over ricotta and eggplant; pasta with a touch of outrenoir squid ink sensually twirled on the plate; stunning spaghetti in fish soup topped with grilled red mullet fillets; before the playful dessert of the day, a much improved version of an After Eight with mint and dark chocolate infused ice cream. // A.A.

FEELING THIRSTY? Nothing but some killer natural wines: a Loire Sauvignon from Noëlla Morantin (€8 a glass), Les Trouillots, a Côtes-du-Jura white from Valentin Morel (€38), an Ardèche Gamay from Hervé Souhaut (€5), Red Sonja, an Austrian red from Christian Tschida (€70)…

PRICE: Plates and skewers (for two) €8-39.