THE Sunday brunch at Bar Rouge is called "Bed & Breakfast," where the long, wide red sofa could pass for a bed upon which diners may lie and enjoy a relaxing French meal.

A bar attached to Sens & Bund restaurant in Bund 18, Bar Rouge has a lavish balcony, which has become a favourite spot for diners to enjoy the sunny, breezy spring days. In co-operation with twin Michelin star chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, owners of Le Jardin des Sens in France, the restaurant and the bar debut new seasonal creations by the brothers at the same time they appear on the menu in the restaurant in France.

Either lying or leaning on the wide red sofa or sitting outside to enjoy the sunlight or to watch the crowds of sightseers on the Bund, every diner is assured a comfortable position in which to relax. As the name implies, most of the Bar Rouge is decorated in red to create a striking visual effect. Since few people know about the brunch in the bar, it's still possible to enjoy a quiet time with family or close friends there.

Hicham Rochette, a Frenchman who is food and beverage manager of Sens & Bund, is solicitous of every guest. He and his personally trained waiters anticipate the diners' needs.

Although the twin chefs only come to the Shanghai restaurant occasionally, they have trained several right-hand chefs who continue their creations for Shanghai diners.

There are two set menus: Formule Bed (132 yuan, or US$16) and Formule Breakfast (298 yuan, or US$36). The former includes assorted pastries, one choice of assorted eggs and fruit, while the latter has added vegetables, sandwiches, salads and desserts.

The eatery is never stingy with bread for its guests. In a large basket there are a croissant, pain au chocolat, pain au lait, muffins, French toasts and buttermilk pancake.

My personal favourite is the assorted eggs. Just reading the names made my mouth water: eggs poached with crab meat and bearnaise sauce and eggs trilogy cocotte with caviar, truffles and foie gras.

As a fan of foie gras, I ordered the scrambled eggs with pan-fried foie gras, a large dollop of which is served on top of the omelette. The goose liver was large and tender and quivered in the bowl as the waitress served it. Sadly, it turned out to be a little bit greasy and I did not finish it.

The black risotto with seasonal mushrooms included in the vegetables is served family style without too many seasonings.

There is a free flow of coffee or tea served during the brunch from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm.

Bar Rouge

7F, 18 Zhongshan Dongyi Lu

Tel: 6339-1199 (reservation is required for seats on the balcony)

Average cost: 150 yuan (US$18) per person