Café Bleu (Newark, Nottinghamshire)

I live in Newark , having moved here from London. Cafe Bleu was heralded to me as The Ivy of the East Midlands, and so I was quite excited about trying it out. I 've now eaten there several times and have found it varying from not great to quite good. The decor and ambiance is lovely - in summer its great to sit on the terrace. The service can and does vary greatly - on somedays there appears to be no visible Maitre'd, and often as a result the service suffers, as most of the waiting staff are young and inexperienced - On my last trip to CB I asked for a Bellini and was met with a blank stare - to make life easier, I asked for gin and slimline tonic, but what I got ...  Read the complete review

Newark is a bustling little market town, and has quite a selection of individual restaurants along its Castlegate. We decided to book Café Bleu as a treat for our 20th (!) anniversary since we met. (I know, I know, I don't look that old) Café Bleu had first come to my attention earlier this year, when I was looking for a restaurant for a birthday celebration. Café Bleu won the Best Out of Town restaurant in the 2006 Nottingham Restaurant awards, even beating the formidable Langar Hall, and also Tom Brown's (whose chef now runs our local, serving superb food). Café Bleu's own website sold me with its emphasis on Contemporary European cooking and a quick call on ...  Read the complete review