Reviews for Cote Brasserie

A busy, buzzy brasserie

Popped into Cote Brassiere for the first time on Friday night. First impressions were encouraging - it's been nicely renovated, there's a buzzy atmosphere and we were greeted by efficient, pleasant staff. We had quite a long wait between courses - and noticed some tables enquiring where their food had got to which I can only put down to the massive amount of covers this place is trying to turn. (Not sure I'm keen on the sharing booth set up, where 2 sets of couples squeeze into the same group of seats, for instance.) However the menu was very appetising, and when it arrrived, the food was well presented. it was good, rather than excellent on the taste front, as everything we had was exceptionally rich - so much so neither of us could finish our mains (unheard of for us!). Would we go again? Probably. It's very 'visting parent friendly' and makes a nice change from Lussmanns. The lunchtime 2 and 3 course set meals look very good value. Nice to have another smart-ish venue in town that's not an Italian. [Mar 10]

We'll go back for more

I enjoyed a night out here with some girlfriends in late December and was very impressed with the service, ambience and of course the food. It's a large restaurant so on first arrival I thought it might be a bit impersonal, but actually the space just means that you can have a private conversation and still enjoy the atmosphere of a bustling restaurant. I thought the food was great and there was plenty more on the menu that I wanted to try. We didn't get as far as the puddings but I'll save space next time because looking at the other tables I think I missed out! [Jan 10]

A great start

Cote has arrived in St Albans with all the resources and expertise of a successful chain behind it so you'd expect it to be offering good quality, value-for-money food. And it does. Arriving in sub-zero degree weather, the spacious interior felt a little stark and chilly, and the power cut in and out several times. However, we were warmly welcomed by friendly staff. We chose the set lunch menu - two courses for £9.95 - which were both well presented and executed. It's easy to see why this restaurant chain is popular - it has developed an award-winning formula for a high street brasserie. Worth a visit. [Dec 09]

smart new kid on the block

Well, this was a really pleasant surprise - much more than just an upmarket Cafe Rouge. Highlights of our starters were the roquefort salad and the rillettes, and the mains were much enjoyed by all: Lamb shank, steak hache, fish parmentier, and we couldn't get my dad to shut up about his seafood linguine. It is a very large restaurant, but they give all the tables lots of space, and the atmosphere is excellent, helped by friendly service. Come summertime, it looks like they'll be able to serve lots of people in the garden too. A welcome new kid on the St Albans restaurant block. [Dec 09]

A fantastic start for this new restaurant

We went on Saturday night and had an excellent experience. The interior is spacious and funky, and we had a warm welcome and good service. We had a range of things from the menu, including mussels, rillettes, chicken, fishcakes, and everything was very good. Desserts were great too. The restaurant was full so I think you definitely need to book at the weekends. They also do brunch and we'd like to go and try that soon. A huge improvement on the Vintry! [Dec 09]