RESTAURANT REVIEW : Standby in Good Standing : Though not for the ultra-hip, Pavillon offers high-quality food and fair prices.

“Business has been tough lately,” Chantal Masegosa says with a sigh, scanning the empty tables at her Pavillon Restaurant and Bar in Stu dio City.

Plus ca change , as the French say. No one ever said the restaurant business would be easy, particularly for restaurateurs who have hot new competitors, such as Pinot, just down the street. Trends and the economy have taken their toll on her steadfast clientele, and Masegosa’s restaurant is no longer near the cutting edge. Actually, it probably never was.

The comparison to Pinot stretches it, anyway. The homey Pavillon cafe specializes in mom-and-pop French fare--crepes, omelets, well-sauced entrees and creamy desserts--and is not likely to astonish anybody for originality or daring use of regional products, as the new places do.

But there are still a handful of reasons to come here, such as high-quality food preparation, cheerful service and really fair prices. Don’t come looking for art food or the ultra-hip set, and you should be pleased with what you find.

The first thing you’ll spot is its green awning and French tricolor. Both are symbols of San Fernando Valley Gallic pride, and have been since the late ‘70s, when Chantal’s chef husband Raphael opened Pavillon.

Inside, Pavillon is quintessentially French looking, with decor you wouldn’t be shocked to see in France itself: green banquettes, pink tablecloths, Impressionist art, ferns, French windows everywhere and an ornate dessert cart smack in the middle of the dining room.

Next to the dining room is a bar, de rigueur in the casual small-town places that this restaurant is modeled after. The bar is generally populated with people speaking French, sipping their pastis or espresso just as they would in France. The main difference is that instead of providing a stack of newspapers such as Le Figaro and France-Soir, the bar has a TV tuned to Laker games on Prime Ticket.

At lunchtime, the restaurant is big on sandwiches and salads, such as a mild, creamy Caesar and the well-traveled salade Nicoise (tomato, green beans, potato, onion, tuna and anchovies), to go along with a classic quiche Lorraine and croque monsieur (a grilled sandwich with a ham and cheese filling), here dipped in sauce bechamel.

The omelets and crepes make fine light suppers. Whether describing a crepe or an omelet, jambon fromage translates to thin slices of ham and Swiss, and epinard to a rich, creamy spinach puree. Parmentier refers to a potato and sour cream filling and foie de volaille to chicken liver and onion, featured in a particularly good omelet. The omelets are never overcooked, so the fillings sort of run out onto the plates, and Masegosa’s crepes are thin, slightly sweet-tasting pancakes filled with savory toppings and under a white sauce--one touch I could do without.

If it’s a more substantial supper that you’re after, you can start with a more substantial first course: beefy, Gruyere-topped French onion soup, a grainy country-style pate served with tangy little pickles, or escargots in the shells. Chef Masegosa has a dozen-odd entrees on his menu, and there are always nearly that many specials.

I couldn’t resist the menu’s steak hache chasseur --essentially hamburger with mushrooms in a brown sauce--because I wanted to witness the humble hamburger rise to noble heights. It does.

Sand dabs are wonderfully light and elegant here. Don’t miss them when Masegosa prepares them in a light curry sauce, one of the chef’s few personal statements. And specials such as a soft lamb shank with white beans cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices bring you directly to Masegosa’s native Provence. Anything a la Provencal will be first-rate here.

I’m least impressed by Pavillon’s desserts, but in my estimation French desserts are overrated to begin with. Profiteroles are only as good as their components (cream puffs, ice cream filling, chocolate sauce), which here happen to be indistinguishable from the ordinary commercial sort.

My instincts say to stick to the dessert-model crepes, filled with good things such as custard, strawberries, apples and brown sugar. There’s fine, slightly bitter espresso to wash the crepes down with.

Where and When Location: Pavillon Restaurant and Bar, 12161 Ventura Blvd., Studio City. Suggested Dishes: salade Nicoise, $9.50, ($6.95 for half); omelette foie de volaille, $6.75; assiette de pate, $6.75, sand dabs, $12; steak hache chasseur, $10. Hours: Lunch and dinner 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday. Full bar. Parking lot in rear. Price: American Express, MasterCard and Visa. Dinner for two, $25 to $40. Call: (818) 980-0225.