Paul Stammers finds chef Michel Sadones flying the flag for France at a pub with a very English name.

CAN you keep a secret? Well, so can Michel Sadones. And his concoctions and recipes are so private that even his missus has to stay out of the kitchen when the maestro is at work.

His perky garlic dip contains breadcrumbs, natural yoghurt, herbs and – obviously – garlic, but apparently it owes its “je ne sais quoi” to an ingredient that’s kept very hush-hush. The same goes for the fish stew and several other dishes Michel is serving up at The George in Botley, his latest foray in French dining.

The notoriously colouful Michel, of Creation’s Creperie fame and SIXTV, has a new business partner, Phil Radbourne. Phil is the former landlord at the Woodstock Arms, which explains why The George pulls a decent pint.

When I visited with my fiancee, Amy, and her parents, several customers were contentedly sipping beer in the bar while we headed to the snug restaurant, where the rain drummed on the conservatory roof as swans drifted along Seacourt Stream a few feet away. And yet it’s taken someone like Michel to start pulling the punters into this long-overlooked Oxford pub.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE?

The decor includes bold mustard shades; there are wire figurines on the shelves and the walls feature arty black and white portraits, some of them quite salacious. This lent the place a suave air, even if the stereo seemed to be on the blink. The layout was spacious – access was clearly no problem, as one diner was in a wheelchair. Another customer was one of Oxford’s restaurateurs, who enthused to his companion about how Michel, who has run restaurants and cafes across the city for years, was an “Oxford legend”.

WHAT DID YOU HAVE?

We skipped the specials board and stuck to the French menu, with no regrets. Apart from a platter of bread with garlic dip and olives (£3), we didn’t order starters, reckoning – rightly – we would be tucking into some hearty grub.

This was particularly true for my fiancee’s dad, whose supreme de volaille (£10.50) – an entire chicken breast – was served in a tangy tomato sauce on a bed of tagliatelle. There was nothing petite about my tender ribeye steak either, served with peppercorn sauce, skinny fries, firm mangetout and (naturally) French beans (£13.50).

Amy’s mum was more than happy with the Normandy-style pork fillet in cream, mushroom and coriander sauce with sauteed potatoes (£12.50). However, my fiancee thought her portion of fried queen scallops – pleasingly, served still with the coral - with julienne veg and mash looked a little small considering the £16.50 tag, but she was glad not to have dented her appetite when ordering one of the fabulous crepes, of which more later. We washed it all down with a fruity French white wine – surprisingly good considering its naff name, Attitude, and a bargain at £11.50 a bottle.

SO TELL ME ABOUT THE CREPES Whopping and exquisite. The choice is attention-grabbingly honest – you can choose Bonne Maman or Nutella, should you wish. Amy’s mum played safe with lemon and sugar (£4), but the rest of us asked for Belgian chocolate (£5); apple and cinnamon with mango coulis and nuts (£5.50), and Le Mess de Michel (£5.50) – red fruits with creme fraiche and meringue, served in gluten-free form for Amy. The vast parcels left us feeling wonderfully stuffed.

VERDICT As Michel likes to say, it’s traditional French cuisine “with no fusion or confusion”. Bon appetit!

Michel at The George, 1 West Way, Botley 01865 244795.