Less of these side dishes would be more. The same problem afflicts a chunk of soy-sauced Chilean sea bass, disrupted by a gummy Israeli couscous. If the rice pudding were drained of butter, desserts would be the most consistent stars here. A mocha pot de creme is dark velvet, intense with coffee. A wedge of chocolate hazelnut tart is crunchy from its nut filling straight through to its cookie crust, and lashed with chocolate and caramel that tempts you to swipe up the last smears with your fingers.
Simple strawberries are royalty with a drift of lemon mascarpone cream.
Whatever you do here, don't fill up before dessert. Separate smoking area.