What better way to start the year than to fight through snow-laden motorways to reach an authentic, contemporary and warming French bistro for a much-needed breakfast. This was the scenario for our visit to Villandry at Bicester Village, which opened in November 2008.

Villandry complements the existing foodservice line-up of Carluccio’s, Prêt and Starbucks, offering a quick service ‘rapide’ counter of soups, tarts, made to order sandwiches, pies and salads, combined with a 150-seat, table service bistro. The bistro menu focuses on French classics such as moules frites, duck confit and a daily plat du jour, together with rotisserie and chargrilled meat and fish dishes.

This is the second Villandry unit, the first to open outside London, both owned and operated by Jamie Barber (son of developer Martin.)

The Bicester operation is a simpler version of the original Great Portland Street unit, with a smaller food store and narrower menu to match the requirements of the retail shopper, but the finished product is superb. The use of wood and stone finishes, coupled with a chocolate and cappuccino colour palette, gives a warm and modern twist on the classic French brasserie.

Our breakfast of a Toulouse sausage sandwich, scrambled eggs on toast and two teas came to a very reasonable £11.00, given the quality of the ingredients used. Service too was excellent.

Villandry is an excellent addition to Bicester Village – not only as a quality refreshment stop for the weary shopper, but also as a neighbourhood bistro for local residents. As a sign of the times, people were browsing, but shopping bags were few and far between. Foodservice usage, however, was strong, with users looking for refreshment and a treat as part of their visit.

Food: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Service: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Value: ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

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