The owners of a French bistro in Norwich have said a big merci to renowned food critic Jay Rayner after his glowing review.

He visited L'Hexagone in Lower Goat Lane for lunch on September 1 while in the city with his My Last Supper tour.

The review was then published in The Observer, the Sunday sister paper of The Guardian, on September 19 and Rayner wrote a glowing report.

Norwich Evening News: L'Hexagone has had loads of bookings after being reviewed by Jay Rayner.L'Hexagone has had loads of bookings after being reviewed by Jay Rayner. (Image: Instagram @joshuapatrickphotography)

He said that it hit "all the right notes effortlessly" and did a "small number of things really well".

The bistro was opened by couple Thomas Aubrit and Gemma Aubrit-Layfield in 2020, who take care of the cooking and front-of-house respectively.

Mrs Aubrit-Layfield said: "He booked under a different name and we were shaking like leaves when he came in.

"But we just treated him like we do everyone else and he instantly got our relaxed and simple ethos."

Since Sunday, the phone hasn't stopped ringing and the pair have received hundreds of emails with people looking to book a table.

Norwich Evening News: Jay Rayner loved his trip to L'Hexagone in Norwich.Jay Rayner loved his trip to L'Hexagone in Norwich. (Image: Instagram @joshuapatrickphotography)

Mrs Aubrit-Layfield added: "We couldn't believe it and burst into to tears when we read the review.

"We also got loads of new followers on social media, which has given us a real boost as a small business."