Master Chef Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is driven, intense and humourless as she runs her kitchen at the upmarket '22 Bleecker' restaurant in the best part of Manhattan.
She's up at 4.30am to beat the competition to the best fish at the market, only ventures out of her kitchen to be complimented on a dish, and lives life with the tunnel-vision of the perfectionist.
And then along comes laid-back Nick (Aaron Eckhart), the new sous-chef who fills the kitchen with opera and laughter. Add to the mix Kate's nine-year-old orphaned niece Zoe and you have the recipe for a standard romantic drama.
So far, so predictable. The premise of the tragic orphan as a catalyst to save the driven professional woman from a life of desperate loneliness as a singleton is far from original (and these days is mildly offensive) and there's never any doubt how this story will end.
The interest comes from setting the story in a restaurant - it's the food that is definitely the star. Succulent slabs of beef, delicate sauces, perfectly placed scallops, just-picked veggies. Ignore the pretentious "food is life, food is love" metaphorical psycho-twaddle that underscores too many scenes and just feast your eyes � it's a foodie orgy.
While 'No Reservations' is more likely to get a Michelin star than an Oscar, the acting all round is top-notch. Abigail Breslin ('Little Miss Sunshine') in particular is excellent and manages to give Zoe more depth than the usual "cute orphan" stereotype.
Catherine Zeta Jones makes a decent job of the uptight Kate's journey from ice maiden chilly to relaxed and loved-up warmth. Aaron Eckhart ('Thank You for Smoking') barely has to break into a sweat to play sweet and funny Nick, whose unshaven scruffiness contrasts with Kate's perfection and which in reality would likely put the patrons off their foie gras.
In some of the most amusing scenes, Bob Balaban ('Gosford Park') gives a delicious cameo as the therapist who seems more concerned about the food Kate brings him than analysing her "problems". Patricia Clarkson ('Six Feet Under') plays Paula, the owner of 22 Bleecker, with a smart sophistication.
Overall then this movie can be enjoyed as a light and fluffy lemon souffl�, but doesn't quite provide diners with the original signature dish of quail and truffles it promises.
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