Garcon de la Vigne is easy to find. Walk all the way to the end of the shopping street in Hiroo, then turn left at the corner where you see "Homeworks" on your right. This small restaurant, which opened in September 2005, serves excellent traditional French prix-fixe lunches at very reasonable prices. The restaurant offers three-full-course meals - the Steak Lunch Set (starter + steak for Y1600); Menu Garcon Set (starter + main dish for Y1,200) and the Y2,800 full-course lunch (salad or terrine + main dish + dessert).

During a recent visit I had the "Menu Garcon," which includes a choice of a salad or a potage soup as a starter, followed by either the meat or fish of the day. I chose the soup and the pork with vinegar sauce, and I asked Iino-san, the owner of the restaurant, to recommend a nice wine to go with the main dish.

The wine selection here is very particular. There are no Bordeaux, but you'll find interesting collections of Burgundy, Beaujolais and Loire wine. All the wines are "vins natures" - meaning they have no additives - with prices ranging from Y5,000 to Y10,000 per bottle. Surprisingly, almost all the wines here are also served by the glass. Iino-san selected a red Beaujolais called "Morgan" (Y1000/glass). It was light and refreshing, and it gave me the feeling that springtime would be soon arriving.

After I enjoyed a creamy yet light green-pea soup, the main dish arrived. A hefty chunk of pork and dauphinois (potato gratin) were gracefully and appetizingly arranged on the white plain dish. The slightly sweet, not-too-sour vinegar sauce added some spice to the excellent meat, and it all went well with the tasty rye bread served here at lunchtime.

In the evening there's a full-course menu priced at Y3800. The onion soup is very authentic and makes an ideal "winter warmer" in season. Mains include dishes like duck confit and choucroute alsacienne. They also have various a la carte choices, including an excellent Moroccan-style lamb stew that will remind many customers of the flavors of Parisian bistros. At the entrance is a small bar counter where you can stop by for a glass of wine or beer along with snacks such as raw oysters and venison carpaccio. Late-night diners will appreciate the fact that "Garcon" is open until 2am. It's the perfect restaurant in which to bask in the afterglow of a good film or concert.