Light lunch in Brighton

One Paston Place lies just far enough from the centre of Brighton not to be of interest to the "bucket and spade brigade". It is, however, within reach of the business lunch trade, which is, according to joint owner and head chef Mark Emmerson, the main target market for his 40-seat restaurant.

Prices may appeal to those eating out for a special occasion but, with starters costing £4.50 to £7, and main courses hovering around the £15 to £17 mark, One Paston Place is aimed mainly at the palates of the business fraternity. The best-selling wines on its 37-strong list reflect that clientele: a Chablis, Château de Maligny, for £19.90 and the red Château Musar at £20.50.

When Emmerson and his wife Nicole bought the restaurant from the Coq d'Or Restaurant Company last year they commissioned a soft-focus watercolour of the 100-year-old restaurant's facade. Although they had been managing the premises for seven years since it opened as Langen's Bistro, the watercolour highlighted the French atmosphere they want the menu's contents and interior to evoke.

Crab mille feuille (£7), canon of lamb with sauce Mistral and Jerusalem artichoke mash (£16) and assiette gourmande (£6.50) are current favourites on a menu of six starters, main courses and desserts which changes three to four times a week.

Emmerson's preference for French Mediterranean food stems from a year's work at a restaurant in Cannes, and a 15-year love affair with the region's main ingredients. "We use lots of garlic, basil, artichokes and courgettes. They have just stuck with me. These are the things that stand the test of time," he says.

Emmerson is a stickler for light recipes - all the dishes are cooked using a wide selection of light oils, instead of butter and cream.

"People are far more health conscious and want to get up from a meal still feeling like a human being - rather than in France, where it is sometimes difficult to get up and walk away from the table," he says.

More than 70% of One Paston Place's diners are repeat customers. To promote variety and cost-effectiveness the menu is changed every few days, according to the availability of ingredients.

Emmerson and his two chefs, David Keates and Stuart Dove, make everything except the bread, serving between 275 and 350 diners a week.

Fish is expected on the menu at this seaside venue and dishes vary with the seasons. The mid-February menu contains cod and red mullet dishes.

The restaurant also offers a £16.50, three-course set lunch menu that acts as a loss leader, bringing in customers who will hopefully return and become more profitable night-time eaters.

However, the Emmersons still earn an average £40 on food and wine, coming down to £30 without wine. The totals include coffee and petits fours at £2 and a 10% service charge: "Otherwise the British tend to forget to pay for service," says Emmerson.

One Paston Place, Brighton, East Sussex BN2 1HA. Tel: 01273 606933.