French casserole cuisine

Word to the wise: Order the three-course set lunch menu, which is an exceptional deal and a more economical way to sample La Cocotte's fare.

Popular plate: Chef Fabien Vergé's signature dishes include some passed down from his grandmother, such as tender beef with white sauce.

Hailing from North Africa, chef Fabien Vergé has created a French restaurant that creates its seasonal menu around the restaurant's namesake, the French cast iron pot or cocotte. Vergé apprenticed at two- and three-star Michelin restaurants Le Merice and Eno Club in Paris before heading East.

Trying to avoid the trend in Taipei among French restaurants for cold waitstaff, over-the-top decor and hefty price tabs, La Cocotte succeeds on most fronts, providing quintessential French cafe ambience with fair prices.