A traditional French salad with tuna, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olives, and green beans, dressed in olive oil and herbs.
Soup • French • Coffee • Burgers
"A very bad experience. The starter on the mixed menu wasn't avalible which I can understand but should have been seen as for warning. I got a mocktini as usually they are quite nice at other places however at this restaurant they were almost completely soda. My steak was not edable. I swallowed one bite with difficulty and had to spit out the other two attempts into a napkin. I did not attempt the others. The chips were quite obviously frozen and very much like the ones from a supermarket. When my plate was taken no comment and question was made at the rather dismal state of my plate. I will say this, the mango sorbet was delicious. It was only during my desert I was able to comment on the steak frites and while I was given a small discount on that I plate, I felt that either the whole price of the dishl should have been comped or a new one should have been offered. At this point I was rather done with the restaurant and wanted to leave only to see the service charge of 3.90 and an additional charge of tap water (that I hadn't even asked for). Definatley would not reccomend as while the staff themselves were nice enough, the food was truly terrible."
Cafés • Seafood • Mexican • Asiatic
"We made a reservation for a family brunch and were satisfied with the variety on the menu although we were disappointed that pancakes were not available. The staff greeted us warmly and provided good service. There were not many options specifically for children. Luckily, our kids were well-behaved, but it would have been nice to have some distractions for them while we waited for our food. The wait staff were accommodating and willing to adjust the menu to our preferences."
Beer • Wine • Steak • French
"I have been going to this branch for many many years and have even written some great reviews for them over the years. However, this time after my last 3 visits I have to say it has NEVER BEEN THIS BAD! We went Boxing Day with our family who didn't want to go there in the first place. They were understaffed (only 1 waitress), despite other managers etc. being present at the same time and who could have helped her but chose to just ignore our complaints. Firstly we ordered and after a few of the starters had already arrived, the waitress came and told us they didn't have fish fingers for the children, if we knew this in advance we probably would have gone somewhere else. She then said they had run out of the fish cakes too. She seemed a little confused so we went and spoke to other staff (after 10mins) they then claimed they do have the fish cakes but still no fish fingers, then asked if I want to change back to the fish cakes or still want the alternative I ordered as I was told they didn't have fish cakes. I had to shout across the restaurant as no one bothered to come back to the table yes the fish cakes. When the order finally arrived, I received the alternative order and NO fish cakes. The waitress saw and apologised and took the burger back to the kitchen, they then sent out 1 fishcake on a small plate with boiled potatoes and some green beans (which is not how it was served a week prior) it looked awful and very un appetising so I asked to have the alternative which they had just taken to the kitchen. It came and it was burnt. All in all it took an hour for the food to arrive, which was mostly wrong and we had lots of items missing and burnt food. During all of this the waitress kept apologising profoundly while all the men (manager and kitchen staff kept staring over at us and seemed to have a go at her everytime she went to the back of the restaurant) When the bill finally arrived it was all wrong and at this point I totally lost it. One of the staff sitting at the back then got into a verbal argument with my husband while he was doing a stock check. I asked his name but the waitress refused to give this. I have never experienced anything like this and hope Cafe Rouge realises their staff DO NOT WANT TO WORK ON BOXING DAY! and gave the worst food with the worst service"
Pizza • Pasta • Coffee • Italian
"We were a group of 12 and this was one of the few places that could accommodate us and reserved our table as well. Staff were very polite, professional, well mannered and not pushy in trying to get us to order more than we needed. Food was made quickly, presented well, was hot and tasted delicious too. The lighting is a bit dim, but sufficient for the atmosphere I believe. Staff were also considerate and ensured all sauces, plates, cutlery etc were on the table before the food and they got a few extra plates for us as we had said that we would be sharing some of the dishes. Overall really impressed. Also, the toilet was clean and well maintained. I really loved the table as it looked like it was made from the truck of a tree! Keep up the good work."
Cafés • French • Seafood • Fast Food
"eating was not as good as I would have hoped. the crab starter was bland and would have hit from the uptake of some brown cocks. the bouillabaisse was not as good as we at the caffe rouge. the content was ok, but the taste was missing. the last cure was good. it is a shame that no typical English beer is on stock, as many are available (i.e. tanglefoot from dachs, abbot aus green könig and london pride von fullers. and have an extended durability). the service was very good and the staff helpful. I have a personal dislike against paper napkins."
Wine • Steak • French • Coffee
"My wife and I had a very nice lunch on Saturday, but I was not served what I ordered. The menu had changed recently and I was not advised of this when I ordered. I ordered a sharing platter which consisted of a selection of cold meats, rillettes, bread and a baked camembert with caramelised onions. This was still on the menu in the restaurant and also on the Cafe Rouge web site on the Internet. What I was served was six sausages, garlic bread, hummus and a baked camembert. It was nice but I do not think it was worth the same price as the selection of cold meats etc. I think the staff should have said the menu had changed when I ordered and I would have ordered something different. As usual the service was first class and all the staff very helpful and friendly."
Cafe • Steak • Coffee • French
"I took my mother here for lunch as a pick me up after a terrible morning.Firstly we were ignored at the door so sat down and waited to be approached.The waiter was very short with us as if we were inconveniencing them by wanting to order.We got the Chicken Baguette as it used to be a favourite of ours when we used to come here occasionally. When it arrived the chips were cold and there was hardly any chicken in the baguette. I have never complained in a restaurant before but given their rude demeanour and now insulting portion for a hefty £12 you would expect at to have more than a crusty roll dumped on your table.The waiter was outraged that we dared to ask for the chips to be hot and the baguette to be full and got even ruder. The manager came over and was then equally condescending as if we were trying to get a free meal! It was such a horrible experience that we paid and left as quickly as possible. The manager didn’t want a bad review so she scribbled out on our receipt that we could come back for a free dish next time but after that we would never go back. They clearly invest their time in their regulars who given its Hampstead location are good tippers. Such a shame after going here for so many years.My sister did however return a few weeks ago with the voucher I had as I didn’t want to go back and she said that the service was fine and had no problems. She was lucky to get a friendly waitress and a smooth visit."
Steak • French • Coffee • Spanish
"Service was very slow, only two people serving (one of them remained behind bar). Eventually got drinks order took after 10 minutes then another 10 minutes for delivery to table. Waitress was not writing down orders so forgetting things. Not sure why they do that, customers want orders written down!! When asked if I wanted my minute steak cooked pink or well done I asked for pink. Didn't realise pink meant RAW! Would have asked for medium had I had known, but wasn’t given the option. Didn't say anything as waitress was clearly overwhelmed as it was. Steak was supposed to come with rocket but was only given 4 or 5 leaves as a pathetic garnish at best. Picture attached. Whole restaurant felt rundown and in desperate need of a makeover, feels like Cafe Rouge is on its last legs, going downhill very fast, disappointing and sad. I’ll be very surprised if it’s still open this time next year."
"Shown to a table promptly, it was not set with any cutlery, serviettes etc. waitress wiped half of the table only. Ordered food and the starter of calamari arrived which was so small it was laughable. We Both ordered sirloin steaks and unfortunately my partners was 30% gristle. We highlighted this to the server who replied with ‘oh sorry about that’ . Asked for the bill and service was added and nothing taken off for the inedible steak. The restaurant is looking tired, dirty and need of an urgent refurb. The toilets weren’t great either. Overall a dreadful experience. I guess they get a lot of business due to its location right next to St Paul’s."
Cafés • Seafood • Mexican • Fast Food
"We were served efficiently despite it being very busy. I told our waiter we had to catch a train and he was very polite, friendly and efficient. When the toilet roll had run out in the toilets as soon as we mentioned it it was sorted. Portions on the slightly small side I felt and I had to ask for more veg for the children but other than than was a nice experience."
Tea • Cafés • French • Coffee
"I am extremely dissatisfied with the dining experience at Café Rouge, particularly the very poor service we received. The staff rushed us, cleared plates when members of the party were still eating, failed to bring water despite numerous requests, placed the bill infront of us without having asked for it , provided us with dirty glasses, provided overcooked steak (medium steak was cooled well done!! and poured wine without asking if we would like to taste , all of which were very embarassing when we were on a business lunch with a client . I would like it brought to the attention of the st katherines dock branch that their service levels are very poor and we will not be returning due to this"
Cafés • Kebab • Mexican • Seafood
"This is honestly my favourite restaurant as it caters so well for gluten free. I have tried almost everything on the menu at this point and have been so pleasantly surprised with how well they are able to substitute the normal ingredients for the gluten free alternatives (for example would definitely recommend the gluten free halloumi with breadcrumbs . This and toppled by the fact that the staff are so lovely and attentive. Great restaurant couldn’t recommend enough. :"
Cafe • Steak • Pizza • Pasta
"Great place to go for a beautiful meal, this essence of it is French so it specializes in French food. They do; great lunches, great dinners, and great drinks. So if you are after a great Friday night drink with friends or a romantic meal then this is the place for you. Although they have that greatness about them there aren't many members of staff so if it's a bit busy you will be waiting about 40 minutes for your meal or less of you are having something small. But it's great place so I highly recommend it to all kinds if people."
"Great food, tasty, NOT overly spiced like some place I 've been to that use hot spice to cover poor quality ingredients, I had the meat moussaka and it was very home cooked tasting, perfectly seasoned, the bulgar wheat and rice was beautifully soft and tasty (a touch oily) but delicious. With GOOD portion sizes (for the average person, if you 're a porker then can 't speak for you) not stingy like some places! The bread served with the meal was crispy and soft on the inside really nice with the two sauces it was served with, the salad was tangy and wonderfully seasoned. Some serious sour dressing at the bottom oosh lovely ! The staff were friendly and one particular waitress was wonderfully accommodating, polite and I felt she excelled at her role, I didn 't feel she was being fake 'nice '. Environment was clean well.laid out and nicely separated from the smokey BBQ kitchen area where the delicious food was cooked. Clean toilet! No smell, no **** on the floor, very good! Will visit again. Saturday evening 6PM March 9th 2024."
Cafés • French • Seafood • European
"The service was outstanding, and the food was incredibly delicious. Even though the restaurant was busy, they promptly found us a table. When there was a delay in our meal preparation due to another customer with celiac disease requiring a thorough cleaning between dishes, we hardly noticed it. Our server came over to inform us about the situation and assured us that our food would be ready soon. I didn’t expect such a high level of friendliness and professionalism in a restaurant located in an outlet park, but our experience far exceeded our expectations."
Cafés • Kebab • Pizza • Asiatic
"Not happy with food or service table was booked online but they couldn't find it when we arrived. However there was plenty of room so not a problem. Two of us had food that was almost cold, within the space of 5 minutes 3 different waiters came across and asked if all was okay. Asked for Horse radish sauce and they didn't seem to know what it was I think they went to the kitchen to find out as it eventually appeared. We should have complained then, however, we were going to the theatre so on a timetable, we had already waited quite considerable time for the meal, considering there were only 14 covers in the restaurant at the time! Not we will not be going back."
Pizza • French • Coffee • British
"We arrived slightly early so we were there bang on our hour slot. Very friendly staff on arrival and we were taken straight to our seat. After settling in we ordered about 10mins from being seated. 2 other tables around us sat in and around the same time.We ordered our food and drinks and then waited to see all the cats.The majority of the cats were all in the lobby to the toilet and loads of kids then block the entrance making this area very congested.Our real issue was it took 55 minutes for our drinks and food to come out (2 other tables had the same) and one of the cakes was still missing.We were very worried we would be asked to leave only having an hour a slot.Then . . . . Food came out we eat and within 5 mins of finishing we were asked to pay up and leave.59 quid later for 2 , meal deal and an extra drink , very disappointed"
Wine • Cafés • French • Coffee
"Booked here for New Year’s Eve as it’s the only place that didn’t do a rip off set menu. Pleasantly surprised. Food was very good in a very authentic French bistro atmosphere. It’s the sort of chain I’d probably normally not bother with but actually the ambiance was lovely, the service fantastic and no pressure to order any more or any less than what you actually want! They laid on Christmas crackers and a sweet buffet for the kids which was a really nice touch. Group of 7 of us with two children, parents and grandparents for dinner, no pressure to leave our table and just generally relaxed and perfect for every age group. Really changed my perceptions of the cafe rouge chain and I’m ashamed at my previous snobbery. Give it a go for any occasion you won’t regret it."
Wine • French • Coffee • Casual
"Generally I love Cafe rouge and we went in to celebrate adopting our children. We had somewhere to go onto and had left an hour and a half for food. The restaurant was really empty but service was so slow that our children did not have time for dessert before we had to leave (this was part of their menu). I oredered the four cheese pancakes. They were obviously pre made and had been microwaved/ baked to within an inch of their lives. They came in a little pot and were both dry and stodgy at the same time. They also came with a tiny tiny salad in a little bowl. No dog cam let ask if we were ok or if our food was ok and overall it was really really disappointing."
Beer • Wine • Cafés • French
"We used to frequent this restaurant often because of the great food and kid-friendly atmosphere, with quick and friendly staff making it a good value. However, our recent experience on Mother's Day was disappointing. When my wife arrived slightly before me, the manager watched her struggle with a pram and did not offer to help. Additionally, half of the menu items were already sold out by noon. When the food did arrive, my wife's medium steak was overcooked and solid. The server did not address her concerns, and the service was slow overall. We were also overcharged, which I thankfully noticed before paying. It is disappointing to see the decline in the quality of the restaurant, likely due to a change in management. Our experience left us feeling ripped off and put a damper on our special occasion. Unfortunately, we do not plan to return to this restaurant."