Cafe Rouge

As chains go, Café Rouge is definitely up there for me. It just never disappoints! There’s always a voucher code to be found (try voucher cloud or voucher codes– the free app makes code finding easier than ever!) and you can be rest assured that you’ll leave happily full. The house white is pretty yummy if dry whites are your thing.
If you’re already needing to unbutton those jeans after your main, there’s the option of a mini dessert with coffee, which I think is genius. You’ll agree with me here if you have eyes bigger than your tum but cant resist the combination of coffee and chocolate.
Yes, perhaps I should branch out and be a little more adventurous but Café Rouge delivers where other chains don’t, especially if you’re fed up of the usual italian places.

US business traveler staying at the nearby Hotel du Vin, I wandered to Prince Albert Street and stumbled upon Café Rouge. It was a Monday night, I was alone (many guests were) and I was warmly greeted. Service was kind and attentive. Food was quite nice — exceeded expectations. Had a small Caesar Salad and then the ½ Thyme Chicken with Frites. Wine was basic, but good. Overall really enjoyed the meal and ambiance. I’d definitely return when in the area again and recommend it. It’s not fine French cuisine, but quite enjoyable and tasty. Give it a try!

For me, this is a great place to head to for some hangover-​curing brunch as they serve a really good eggs bennedict and pour a pretty impressive bloody Mary.
Its a cosy and comfy place to start the day off on a weekend and although part of a chain, it does feel a bit quirky. The staff are always friendly though so not entirely in keeping with the french!
I’ve eaten lunch there once and found it a little un-​inspired so I’d stick to breakfast or brunch.

So you’re walking through the lanes with your parents. You’ve been wondering around for a while looking for something suitable and you’re beginning to get tired. You think, «I just need a safe bet. Somewhere reliable that’s close by.»
What you should be thinking is «Let’s go to Café Rouge.»
\Despite its faux French styling and sometimes-​slow service, Café Rouge is a decent place to visit for a good value meal with those you love. As the south lanes are a mishmash of good and bad places it can often be hard to decide where to go. To avoid this situation I always have a couple of places ready in mind for when hunger strikes and dependability is what you need.
In my opinion it’s on the same footing as places like Pizza Express, as they appeal to the middle-​of-​the-​road market but provide quality food at very reasonable prices. The judge of such places can be the quality of simple dishes like steak, which Café Rouge does adequately. Their 5oz minute steak is always perfectly cooked and well seasoned. I do find they tend to go a little overboard with the garlic butter but it’s not a big issue when the cost isn’t too much.
Like I said I’d recommend Café Rouge as a backup because there are much better places nearby. It would be a shame to overlook Brighton’s array of fantastic eateries in favour of a standard chain restaurant. Then again, you always know what you’re going to get with Café Rouge.

I know its a chain and I know every one is similarly decorated to create the illusion of a French brasserie. However, I can’t help but be drawn in time and time again. There is something charmingly tongue-​in-​cheek about the décor: the red and yellow paint job and the hand-​painted illustrations and french words (‘café au lait’ etc) on the wall– maybe its just me, but I find it cosy and familiar. It’s obviously OTT and I like it.
Every time I’ve eaten at this restaurant the service has been efficient and friendly. It’s location (South Lanes) means it does get really busy at the weekends, so be wary of this as it can get really loud and a bit cramped-​feeling. Like Sarah-​Jane I always go for the Onion Soup at lunch time– the Gruyère croûton is ridiculously good making it ridiculously hard to order anything else! If I’m eating in the evening, I’m a sucker for their Moules Mariniere, the white wine and cream sauce is garlic heaven and they give you delicious dipping bread to soak up the juices.
I recently discovered their breakfast menu for the first time… I ordered a cheese and tomato crêpe served with a fried egg and my mum had the Eggs Benedict– both were positively delicious! Glad to find yet another place to enjoy my favourite meal of the day…

It’s all about the Soup L’Oignon.
I understand Café Rouge is a brasserie that offers a wide range of specialist French dishes from marinated duck and pan-​fried chicken breast to minute steaks. I’ve scanned the menu and noticed that they offer a mouth-​watering selection of salads, baguettes and hot sandwiches — including the classic Croque Monsieur. I’ve tried and loved the salmon fish-​cakes with french fries and lime and coriander mayonnaise.
For some reason though, whenever I sit down on one of their comfy, red and white chairs, take a sip of coffee and pick up the menu — I always find myself dreaming of the thick, french onion soup with a gruyère croûton floating on top of a bowl of caramelised onions and rich beef stock.
‘What would you like Madam?’
«Why, I think I’ll have the Soup L’Oignon (again) please.»

If you don’t fancy going to a pub late at night, Café Rouge will do it for you. I’ve had a cup of tea and a slice of apple pie there at close to midnight, and the staff were perfectly accepting of that. I liked the place.
Good for more conventional meals and drinks as well, of course.

I used to really rate Café Rouge but it has gone down in quality in my opinion. I had dinner here a few weeks ago and while it was good I’m not sure it was worth the price. We had bread to start, steak for mains and a very nice molten chocolate pudding for dessert. I asked for my steak medium but it was a little bit on the rare side for me so I asked them to cook it a bit more. The waiter obliged but was a bit snooty about it and made me feel very bad for asking. I also felt a bit skanked on the portion of chips which were literally a handful and that was it. Apart from that it was a pleasant meal. However I think I would only go back when it was doing one of its 2for1 promotions and then it would be a little better value for money.