Review Time
Visited the Cote at St Katherine Dock and looked at the `new’ menu before we entered as wanted the not so set menu as always felt paying the full price at a cote was always poor value for the portion size. First criticism is the menu does not show the set menu just the à la carte. We sat down and on the menu the waiting staff give you it’s a very small section at the bottom and I mean small. Choices are poor and salad and a soup are 2 of the 3 option on the starters, cheaper to produce obviously rather than the previous offering.I had numerous emails from Steve the executive chef saying how they’d lost their way and were going back to traditional French food with a twist, pasta on the main as an example???When having 3 courses and a small glass of wine (plus service) comes in well over £100 then I expect excellent food etc, Cote has always been nice (tight on portions) but no way are they worth the prices now. In summary, new menu equals price hike, less choice and someone seriously needs to review their wine prices.If they don’t change it quickly we won’t be back.
Cote, what is happening? I always enjoyed meals at your restaurant and I’ve been visiting since 2018. However over the last year or so your menu has become less and less, and what you do get is basic at best. All the French cuisine has gone. It’s chicken and chips, steak and chips, but with no thought or care for how the meals look when they come out. I ate at your Cheltenham restaurant at the weekend. I can’t say I’ll be returning which is such a shame because I always loved the meals and the choices offered. The staff are lovely as always, but the food and options are basic.
I’ve been a loyal Côte guest for over 15 years. There were times when I dined weekly, I’ve organised work events there, and I even supported them through lockdowns by ordering Côte at Home. I’ve always praised the food and, above all, the teams in-branch (the Bluewater staff deserve special mention - they’ve been nothing short of brilliant).What’s made me decide not to return isn’t the new menu itself - though personally, I find it less elegant and distinctive than before - but the way Côte has responded to its customers online. Loyal guests sharing their views have been met with defensive, patronising responses. Even worse, Côte has publicly “liked” comments where other posters mocked and personally insulted customers. Seeing a brand I once loved endorse that kind of behaviour is shocking and unprofessional.Especially in a world already full of online toxicity. Not liking the menu and saying so is one thing - that’s fair feedback. But belittling people or making personal digs based on their profiles (as one commenter did, with Côte appearing to endorse it) is something entirely different.Every restaurant evolves its menu - that’s part of business, especially in such a challenging time for hospitality. Some people will embrace the changes, others won’t - and in this case, it appears many won’t. But how you respond to loyal customers who have expressed their concerns politely, and with genuine care and affection for Côte, says far more about your values than the menu itself. Respect and professionalism should never go out of style.After 15 years of loyalty, it’s genuinely sad for me to say that I won’t be coming back. A menu can change with the seasons, but once you lose trust and respect, it’s very hard to win it back.
Visited Cambridge last week, having been many times here, Richmond, Hays Wharf etc. Steak baguette was enjoyed but the Salade Nicoise was most disappointing, egg and anchovies missing (egg eventually provided when I requested it and compensated for with a drink). Just tasteless and I would not have this dish again. Not impressed with new menu, although I realise it’s a tough time for restaurants and menus have to be refreshed, prices increased. A couple of ‘old favourites’ but no fish apart from salmon. No ‘seasonal’ menu as in the past. Set lunch nothing like as good a choice as previously. Pleasant atmosphere and waitress but, sorry to say, as have been a regular for many years, will not be returning to any Cotes in a hurry.
Cote ReadingI found the new set menu by far inferior to the old one and of course the price has gone up.t My meal was bland and I certainly wouldn’t want more of the never ending oven chips/fries. The food was more in keeping with a motorway cafe or something I had rustled up for the family. Nothing like I expected of a restaurant. The choice was limited and the restaurant seemed to lack any colour and character. The staff were confused about the menu and how the tables should be. I can’t help thinking you are in financial trouble and are now operating on a shoe string. Such a shame.
We have been visiting Bluewater Cote since it opened. It has been our favourite restaurant. I have arranged work meals there, celebrated numerous birthdays and just had wonderful experiences for 15 years. The staff at Bluewater have remained excellent; friendly, professional, efficient and knowledgeable. Last week we visited to see what the new menu would be like… we were hugely disappointed. The previous set menu had been relegated to a tiny section at the bottom of the menu, like an afterthought. We ordered the French Onion soup ( enjoyed many times previously) and Steak Frites, again a meal we have hugely enjoyed for years. But first we were served bread which we were told was “free”. It was awful nothing like a wonderful fresh French baguette. It was dry and inedible. My steak was so thin it was not pink, I had to cut the gristle off both sides and the Frites ( please look up a dictionary definition) were dry, horrible oven cooked CHIPS NOT FRITES. The overall selection was diminished and in our opinion, inferior. We also noticed that most of the staff were new. When we asked why we were not served frites, we were informed they were gone and it would be bottomless chips. We did a bit of research on arriving home and discovered Cote is now under new management. I’m afraid you have lost my custom and no doubt, that will apply to my large group of friends and others who will turn away. Why on earth have you changed what was working so well to something so insipid and unimaginative? Not to mention of course, the increased prices. I am happy to pay more for inspired food and French style atmosphere, but this? Maybe you should have contacted your loyal customers for research to see what they might suggest or recommend? We are saddened and a little angry. I need to emphasise my displeasure it NOT aimed at the Bluewater staff but at the management who have made such decisions. We keep our fingers crossed for improvement in the future….
I’m French, and Côte Brasserie used to be one of our favourite places for a relaxed, authentic taste of home here in the UK. We’ve visited countless times over the years. The menu once captured real French flavours — the Duck Confit, slow-cooked and meltingly tender with green lentils and red-wine jus, was always perfect. The charcuterie board came with beautifully cured alpine salumi, cornichons, and rustic bread; the Poulet Breton was comforting and full of flavour. And where are the crisp French fries and those lovely sides?We tried the new menu on 1 October: the crab mayonnaise was good, and my husband’s pasta ragù was fine, but my seafood pasta was disappointing — bland defrosted prawns, mussels with a strong smell, plain spaghetti, and no parmesan offered.Most of the French staples have vanished, and what’s left feels cost-cut and generic. Please bring back the signature dishes and the focus on flavour that once made Côte so special.
I visited Cote restaurant in Reigate and it was very welcoming to begin with all staff very lovely and chatty, I was served by Chanice who was an absolute delight and carried a high standard of hospitality. What a lovely warm welcoming restaurant it is serving the very best food! Will visit again for sure!
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