Yummy French Food (Cafe Rouge)

Member Name: bookworm123

Product:	Cafe Rouge
Date:	10/09/09 (155 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good food, good service

Disadvantages: Often over-crowded

As a fan of French cuisine I am always seeking out places to acquire this. Often the only available places are very expensive and only serve the more elaborate end of French cuisine. After years of disappointments I finally stumbled upon Cafe Rouge when they opened a restaurant in one of my local towns.

Cafe Rouge is a chain of restaurants with nearly 90 properties across the UK. They open for breakfast, lunch and dinner but you can also visit just for coffee or a drink. My local restaurant has a selection of tables outside and on a summers day it is very pleasant to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine with friends in the early evening.

The restaurants tend to have signs on the walls that are written in French, the majority of the furniture is dark wood which can give the restaurant the feel of being smaller than it actually is. However, the restaurants are also normally fairly crowded. The tables are close together and my local restaurant is normally busy most nights.

The breakfast menu consists of a variety of croissants and cooked breakfasts all with a French nature. This menu is available from 9am to 11am. I myself have never tried this menu but I have heard good things about it.

The main menu becomes available at 11am till close. The menu is split into a variety of sections with starters, light dishes, salads, steaks, sandwiches, regional dishes and fish. I have tried a variety of items off the menu and they have all tasted good and have been well prepared. There is a separate desert menu with a selection of tartes, crepes, ice cream and creme brulee.

A children's menu is also available, it contains all the basic items that you would normally find on a children's menu. A prix fixe menu is available fro 11am to 5pm everyday, the contents of this menu change at different times of the year.

I find that Cafe Rouge is no more expensive than the general Italian restaurants that you find on every high street and their portion sizes are about the same as well. If you register on their website they will often send you vouchers.

I like Cafe Rouge even if it is fairly generic by nature. The chicken parfait starter is particularly nice and my other half really likes the baked Camembert. It is true that the majority of food that you find at Cafe Rouge could be found in other restaurants but I haven't found another restaurant that serves Orangina which in my opinion is one of the best things to come out of France. I have never had a bad meal there and I find that it is perfect for when I want a simple meal out. The service is normally good, if a little fast.

Summary: I would recommend this restaurant to anyone