The buzz: The newest restaurant on the foodie lane that is Gough Street is somewhat misleadingly named; Babylon serves classic French and Italian cuisine, not Middle-Eastern.

The décor: Stark and simplistic: white tablecloths and dark furniture throughout mean the spotlight in this small 24-seater restaurant is not on flashy décor, but solidly fixed on the food.

The drinks: Featuring mainly French and Italian wines with a couple of classic cocktails thrown in. The alcohol license doesn’t come in until the end of next month and until then, there is no corkage fee if you choose to bring your own. Ask for their crystal glasses if you’re bringing out the Petrus.

The food: The emphasis here is on finding the best ingredients from around the world: escargot, spring chicken and foie gras from France; pork and beef from the U.S, porcini from Italy, and whatever fresh fish there is in the market that day. The foie gras is steamed in wine and then served cold, a welcome break from the greasier pan-seared version. The catch of the day we had, a pan-fried black snapper, was crunchy and snappy, but it was the accompanying Dijon cream sauce that really stole the show.

Why you’ll come back: Darkly lit and romantic, it’s the perfect first-date spot for long, lingering dinners and the portion sizes are made for sharing. It’s not so flashy that you’ll look like you’re trying too hard and it’s out of the way enough to show that you really put some thought into it.

A1, 49-51 Gough St., Central, 2815-5411.