When I first heard the name of this restaurant, I couldn't help but think of the ancient Greek god of shepherds, flocks and lechery, Pan. However, Froggy was quick to point out the plurality of connotations 'pan' has in French – 'piece', 'part', 'side' . . and strangely 'bang'. Apparently, nothing to do with the Greek god of excess. Too bad.

So the Le Grand Pan means . . . The Large Side?. However, accurate my translation is, this is definitely an apt description of what you'll find here. The menu primarily consists of cotes (literally 'sides' as in the side or rib meat of an animal) of beef, pork and veal, served for two with mesclun salad and hand-cut fries.

And our cote de boeuf was definitely large. So unless you are just finishing a fast or are otherwise ravenously hungry, I suggest you learn from our mistake – skip the appetizers.The assiette de charcuterie was a bit boring, limited solely to variously palatable sausages, served with bread and a jar of pickles. However, the fried eggs generously topped with shaved black truffle was a treat. The spongy truffles, slightly crisped, lended earthy substance to the rich and runny yolk. It was a marriage further perfected by a negligee of luscious butter just barely detectable as the eggs slipped over my tongue and down my throat. On second thought, share an appetizer – this one.

The mesclun salad came tossed with an appropriately zingy vinegarette and the frites were good and garlicky, if a little too soft. But the main attraction here is the meat. We asked for ours 'a point', which to my mind is the equivalent to the North American temperature 'medium-rare'. Ours came out closer to 'medium-well'. Thankfully, this was great quality beef and well-marbled enough to stand up to being cooked a little longer than I prefer.

The wine list is reasonable and well matched to the carnivorous menu.

Organic wines are also available by the carafe.

This is not a place for a quiet romantic dinner – it was bright and full by 8pm. But the service is friendly and informative. And as we walked home, my pants feeling a bit too snug, I thought perhaps Le Grand Pan has something to do with excessive indulgence after all.

In a Nutshell: Good restaurant, simple, high quality meat meals, good value.

Price: Apppetizers: 8 – 22 euros, Entrees: 40 -50 euros for two people.

Reservations: Recommended