Oh la la! Something exciting is happening on the Devon hospitality front and it’s très, très bien. Le Vin Perdu is a brand-new French bistro, opened this summer on Ashburton’s West Street. At the helm are chefs Clare Lattin and Tom Hill who made their names with London’s Ducksoup, and who have already scooped a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand for their Northern Italian dishes at sister restaurant, Emilia, just a few doors down on East Street.

Now they’ve added French regional cuisine to the Ashburton menu, swerving haute for rustic, comfort classics. We went with friends to try the signature dish, the rotisserie (slow-grown Hubbard chicken pasture-reared at a farm two miles away) and it came on a pretty scalloped platter, juicy and gently steaming for us to carve up between the four of us. This is elevated home-cooking, not fancy but deeply delicious, and served with a choice of skillfully made sauces, which change with the season. We’re talking rosemary and anchovy; girolles, creme fraiche or tarragon and garlicky herbs. Order a few between you to try and they come in sweet little jugs for you to pour over the succulent meat, chicken fat potatoes and maybe a simple gem lettuce in a mustard vinaigrette. Simple when you know how, that is – the flavours are complex and flavourful. Really satisfying, and even more so when washed down with their curated natural, organic and biodynamic French, Italian and English wines.

Fancy a cocktail? Sit on a stool at the bar with a steak tartare or plate of mussels, while knocking back a fruity Paloma or syrupy Bourbon Old Fashioned. You name it, they’ll shake it.

Le Vin Perdu is located in one of Ashburton’s most beautiful buildings: an ancient townhouse with a terrace where you can feast on sunny days, and an open fire inside for when you want to get cosy. The period interior is kept natural, with wooden tables and honey-coloured seating enhanced by the feel-good glow from the handmade lampshades.

Here’s a real find, unique, a treasure in the making. Take your friends for a naughty lunch on a school day. Book in for a date night to soak up that intimate glow and all the lovely wines by the glass (different every time you go). Ditch the apron and spoil the whole tribe with a Sunday family lunch and all the delicious French trimmings. Even then, you’ll want to go back for more, then take your London mates to show them Devon’s where it’s at.