My impression of the restaurant chain Le Pain Quotidien, which translates as "the daily bread" in French, was that it's somewhere you go for your early morning coffee fix, a decent filled baguette for lunch or perhaps an afternoon pastry. Therefore I was somewhat surprised to see they have now branched out into the evening dining market, in fact my visit to check out the new menu provided several surprises.

The new restaurant on the busy Fulham Road in Chelsea is quite a landmark venture for Le Pain Quotidien; it's their 25th site and opened a few weeks back on the 25 birthday of the company first set up on Rue Danseart in Belgium.

Inside, the large restaurant space can cater for around 85 covers and the simple décor follows a light wooden theme from the flooring to the tables, chairs and benches along with a trademark communal table. The space does lack a bit of ambience for the evening dining experience, particularly the stark lighting, and perhaps some candles and flowers on the tables might bring a warmer feel to the place.

But it's more about the food than appearances and the menu might be small but it packs a number of interesting classic dishes and a mixture of small plates, sharing boards and charcuterie, with a cocktail menu and draft beers not seen at any other site.

The first surprise of the evening was that our charming waitress came from Transylvania, I have never been served by anyone from this region of Romania before. And she was a delight, bubbly, efficient and knowledgeable – the kind of girl you would like your son to bring home.

She recommended the Moroccan spiced meat balls (£8) to start and they were an instant hit. Light and flavoursome and sat they well in a well-constructed fragrant sauce with little hits of tomato and chilli topped with refreshing yoghurt and some delicious crusty bread.

A frittata packed with chorizo (£6.50) was also good, light in consistency with plenty of flavour coming through from the well portioned authentic ingredients, and served with some dressed leaves.

For main my partner Fiona went for a classic – coq a vin (£14) and it certainly passed the taste test. The chicken was beautifully tender and when coated in a rich smoky sauce with real depth it hit all the right notes. The only thing missing was perhaps something green on the plate to brighten up the appearance and add a bit of texture.

My well-cooked moist and tender pressed lamb with smooth celeriac (£14.50) was also jolly decent. The meat sat in lashings of tasty gravy and some carrots with crunch and watercress made for a pleasant plate of well-seasoned food.

We enjoyed a 'one minute' carrot salad (£4) with the mains which was a refreshing aside while a bottle Rioja (£23) from the concise wine list of went down nicely.

I could not let dessert pass me by and had to try the chocolate fondant (£5). Wow, it was rich and indulgent with a light crust giving way to a mini pool of dark runny Belgian chocolate, with some clotted cream perfect for cutting through the richness of the pud. Fiona took the more circumspect route and enjoyed her light and fresh madeleines thoughtfully served with some berries.

This rounded off a pleasant meal and a promising start to Le Pain's entrance into the evening food market. Perhaps I should not have been that surprised by the quality of the cooking or that I would meet a delightful Transylvanian waitress – although that is unusual – but both were vital ingredients to a successful evening.

Le Pain Quotidien, 212 Fulham Road, Chelsea, SW10 9PJ - 0203 823 4510