Natural state

SINCE reopening Chezmax in Fulham, south-west London, owner Graham Thomson and chef Zak El Hamdou have developed a menu of southern French food using the best organic ingredients.

El Hamdou (previously of the Spread Eagle in Greenwich) is certainly qualified to spot good pork and game when he sees it. He was appointed early last year following a three-year sabbatical in north Devon spent rearing and breeding pigs and ducks, and now aims to tempt diners into the 50-seat restaurant with what his boss Thomson terms "real food".

"We want to cook with ingredients which have all their natural flavour, colour and texture and no added chemicals, and to produce honest food that's not too expensive," says El Hamdou, who is helped in the kitchen by a three-strong brigade. "For us, that means using only organic produce."

With a self-confessed leaning towards French cuisine, it's no surprise to see lamb, duck, foie gras and snails making regular appearances in menu dishes. And, in keeping with the aim to serve tasty organic food, El Hamdou makes sure that at Chezmax beef is hung for three weeks, lamb is from one-year-old animals and both are organically reared, as are the poultry and game. Moreover, the cheeseboard comprises a choice of unpasteurised farmhouse cheeses.

The cheese selection is offered (with a £2 supplement) as one of six dessert alternatives on the restaurant's set-price menu - there is no à la carte - that changes every two weeks. Diners also have a choice of six starters and six main courses. Two courses cost £21.50 and three courses £25, excluding an optional service charge of 12.5%.

Some dishes, such as a foie gras terrine starter and a fillet of beef, buttered spinach and potato galette with truffled foie gras and Madeira jus, carry a supplement of £6.50 and £4 respectively. A bitter chocolate and praline mousse with a bitter chocolate couverture also costs an extra £3.50, but this has not prevented it from being one of the eaterie's best selling desserts.

Thomson's wish is for his customers to spend an unhurried time at Chezmax, but he also offers a "menu vite" at lunch, early dinner and after-theatre for those diners on a tighter schedule. Two courses cost £10 and three courses £13.50.

Thomson, who oversees front of house operations with a team of two, serves around 30 covers each night, the average spend per head being £45 to £50, including wine and service. "It took me two years to find a chef who shared my vision," says Thomson. "We are off the beaten track but we produce something a little special that brings people in," says Thomson. n

Chezmax, 168 Ifield Road, London SW10 9AF. Tel: 0171-835 0874