Cote

If you have small kids and so only really get to eat out at lunch time, this Cote is a reliable and reasonable place for a decent brunch. Spacious, tolerant, we like the croque madam (get a side of chips) and the smoked salmon with eggs.
Pro tip: the breakfast brunch money goes to 1pm, even though they switch to lunch menus at 12.

From the moment I walked in it was a train wreck.
1. Gave me a crappy seat by a window
2. Didn’t offer to hang my coat
3. Asked for sparkling water and got still
4. Asked for a good Savignon Blanc and was told they are dry and the waitress doesn’t like that type of wine
5. Asked for a beat root salad on a seasonal menu provided but told only Mon-​Wed but not told when given menu’s
6. Recommended a different salad with walnuts and blue cheese and it was horrible
6. Ordered bread and was not given a bread plate
7. Had to get up to ask for the internet password and bread plate and Internet is slower than dial up
8. Ordered a medium rare sirloin steak and got a medium steak
9. Wasn’t asked
10. In the meantime my vegetables got cold but didn’t offer to replace them… although manager came over and asked if I wanted additional vegetables
10. Nothing including the crappy salad was gratis
The Good
1. Once asked for sparkling water I got it right away
2. Once asked for a medium rare steak I got it done perfectly ⁷⁄₁₀ quality meat
3. Was checked in with throughout the night by the manager and waitress
4. Dessert was great. Had lemon tarte

We came to Cote for my hubby’s birthday. It was a Tuesday night so it wasn’t too busy and meant we could choose from the many different areas of the restaurant. I like the interiors — it feels authentically French art-​deco, but isn’t overdone.
We had brithday cake waiting for us at home so we decided to have two courses. To start I had Prawn Gratinée. There was lots of garlicy tomato sauce with the large prawns. It was alright. I found the prawns to be a bit bland and chewy as if they had been overcooked but not given enough time to take on the sauce’s flavour. I also wish it came with some bread because the sauce was very tasty and needed mopping up with something. My husband had the Chicken Liver Pâté with brioche (this became my source of mopping bread). It was a generous portion nicely presented in a little preserve jar. He seemed very happy with it and I enjoyed the bit I tasted.
For the main course my husband had the Lamb Shank special. Succulent and fell of the bone. It was sat on a bed of mashed potatoes which I think is one of the best accompaniments for such a meat. I was really in the mood for seafood so I ordered the Seabass. Two large fillets arrived with a sweet beurre blanc sauce. I think it is a main that definitely needs sides so ordered some beans and fries. They were what you’d expect them to be.
It’s a restaurant that’s been in the centre of town for years and years. I wish I’d gone sooner and I’ll definitely go back some time.

We were greeted quickly and requested to sit outside on the garden terrace as it was a warm day. However, it was busy and not very personal, so we opted to sit inside. We loved the décor and it was very clean.
We had the heart shaped garlic bread, tomato soup, tomato salad, risotto vert and the duck. It was all delicious, mine was creamy and morish and my partner says it was the best duck he’d ever tasted.
The wine is quite pricey, £4.45 for a small rose. There were no vegetarian options on the mains just the lighter choices. I wouldn’t take children there, it’s more for couples/​friends etc. The waiter was attentive and polite. The outside looked a bit out of place in comparison to the inside, There was some banging going on which was a little off putting and the 12.5% optional discrectionary service charge is a little cheeky, but we didn’t notice it until the bill was given. We didn’t quibble as it did feel awkward but our food was so good, we paid it.
Would definately eat at another Cote again.

Where to start? A mixed bag but overall very good. Good French Bistro style décor (art-​deco style rather than rustic french). Excellent hostess but an extremely poor waiter — to be fair, I think he was the holiday shift but he didn’t know whether we would be given a bread basket and brought the wrong wine twice.
However, the FOOD was excellent. Very french influence and obviously for carnivores. I had a starter of pâté de Fois Gras (£7) with a glass of house champagne (£6) — superb and good value. Followed by a Cote de Boef (£17) and a bottle of Cote du Rhone. All topped off with a good chocolate pudding. Friends tucked into Confit Duck and tarte aux pommes.
Big open space, plenty of choice, elegant surroundings.
Dinner for 3 with good wines £150.
I would definitely go again and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

If all you can picture is a lump of meat on your plate and your mates are the same then this place will probably do you a good steak and chips.
If you don’t eat meat or you want to take along someone you care about who is vegetarian then their requirements are pretty much treated as an after thought.
There were only two vegetarian main courses, the one I had was fine but lets face it this is the 21^st centuary and even if you do eat meat you are probably taking along a few people and one of them wont. The staff were pleasant and the décor has been given a bit of a revamp but it would would do great if they catered for a wider audience.