"Brasserie Joel is situated in a hotel and quite a few of the diners were residents. It thus felt somewhat impersonal. The menu was standard brasserie fare, with nothing exciting or original, but plenty of tried-and-trusted favourites to choose from. Our waitress was on her first day (which she did apologise for) but spoke virtually no English and didn’t have a clue about the menu, so we could only order by pointing at the menu. When she brought someone to help (a manager I think), he still failed to inform me that the main ingredient of a dish I asked about was cheese (describing it as a Gazpacho). Ultimately the food was well cooked and decently presented, with a tarte tatin being particularly delicious. Next to the restaurant there is a nice bar, which was perfect for a digestif. However, the price, at £90/head (including a £65 bottle of fairly ordinary Pouilly Fume) seemed very steep for a brasserie and there are similar restaurants in the area at a far lower price point."
