A FINE (DINING) ROMANCE

La Popote is all about good food in a welcoming setting and now diners can take away its food to their own homes

- Lauren Allen

There’s understandably quite a lot of pressure when acquiring one of Cheshire’s longest standing and most prestigious restaurants, but new owners Joe Rawlins and Gaëlle Radigon have taken it in their stride.

Since their move last October to La Popote, housed in a lovely renovated farmstead nestled on a Marton country lane, the couple has been committed to continuing its renowned legacy of culinary excellence – but with a difference. They’re ripping up the cookbook on fine dining.

“People say it’s fine dining,” Joe says. “But we like to think of ourselves as being more casual fine dining. “We’ve got tablecloths, we’ve flowers on the table – but if you want to come here in jeans and a t-shirt and you are comfortable, that is the most important thing. We want you to come here and it be an easy ambience, no stress.”

His ethos speaks volumes about his and Gaëlle’s restaurant style: a comfy yet luxurious dining experience that is right at the heart of the appeal of La Popote, whose name translates as a French army canteen or kitchen. Customers don’t just dine here for the great food, but for the excellent front-of-house service (which hasn’t changed since the couple bought the place) and the ever-growing wine list, of which 70 per cent is the French stuff.

The easy-going atmosphere adds to the charm, with the restaurant effectively split into two: customers go from the fireplace in the winter to the garden in the summer. And for the in-between times, there’s the lovely bright feel of the orangery. “The whole package for us is the food, the service and the wine,” says Joe.