cote.co.uk Avis 

We arrived at Cote Windsor for a coffee at about 10.30. Asking if we could sit outside, 'have you booked' was the reply, we had not! We were taken downstairs and sat at a table in full sun, fine if it wasn't 33°. There were probably 8 other empty tables all in the shade. Another table was being served their breakfast by two members of staff. We tried to attract their attention so we could order and ask if we could change our table to a shaded one. No response after 15 minutes, so we left. We could have died of heat stroke and they wouldn't have noticed!!
We had a family meal at this Brasserie two months ago. Equally appalling greeting. Nothing changes. The replies are just AI generated I assume. The only thing going for this business is the river location. Walk down the quiet road into Eton, and go to an independent café or restaurant instead.
Having read some of the other reviews, I would expect the name over the door to be changing very soon.

I am aware the Cote has undergone a rescue and is under new leadership and there has been a change to the menu. I went with friends to the Canterbury Cote for brunch and was disappointed to see that there was no croissants, toast or fruit and yoghurt options. I opted for avocado on toast with harissa, eggs and fries. I asked for no harissa. When my dish came I was shocked at how small it was and unappealing it looked- the 2 slices of toast were very small and there was very little avocado on it. It was garnished with rocket - but really looked like it was missing even half a cherry tomato on top. Can the kitchen not see that it looked unattractive? When it arrived it didnt have eggs with it and we had to then order a side of eggs. For some reason they could not do us poached eggs which were on the menu and so we opted for some scrambled egg which when they came looked very very pale as though they had been made from a mix rather than fresh eggs. The fries I didn't need and they were not that good. What really disappointed me was the price of this meal: £15.95 for the avocado on toast and and extra £1 for the egg. I felt that value for money was poor and that I have really been overcharged. I will not be returning to Cote anytime soon.

Such a shame our Father’s Day was ruined at the Henley on Thames branch initially by poor customer service.
The unwillingness to even try to accommodate our request to not be sat next to the loo was so disappointing and as a first time customer definitely sealed my decision, right there and then to not return.
Table 43 is the one to avoid folks….
My Dad ended up having to get up 4 times to let through the customers next to us to use the disabled loo and not only that, he was door monitor, having to close it for them after they vacated thus enabling us to eat without smelling the loo.
I could have weathered the small portions and overcooked food across the board but the loo scenario was too much to bear.
Needlessly to say, we shalln’t be returning. This is a prime example of why we should be supporting local restaurants and not chains.

The perfect solo dining experience – thoughtful and welcoming!

I used to live in Brighton and was a regular at Côte Brasserie, but during this recent trip back for a hospital appointment, I was dining alone. Eating by yourself can sometimes feel a bit awkward, but the young lady who welcomed me upon arrival made me feel instantly at ease. She was incredibly friendly, completely genuine, and not at all patronizing.

She found the absolute perfect table for a single diner: tucked into a corner right by the bar. It was quiet and relaxing, but not isolated, which was exactly what I needed. The entire team was wonderfully friendly throughout the evening, the food was excellent and great value as always, and I received a lovely goodbye when leaving. Thank you for a truly memorable experience and a wonderful, stress-free evening.

I have tried all the restaurants in Reading and everytime I wish I went to Cote. We have been there for years and we found that the staff has always been absolutely lovely. We even had our Wedding Anniversary (40 people) and the service was top, the food superb.

I had lunch here with a friend, the food was disgusting. It was served in scorching hot cast iron pans. I burned myself. Never ever again.

Went to the Reading branch on Valentine’s Day. Got there at 4:30pm when it weren’t too busy.

Ordered the Côte de beouf which took well over an hour to come. Fries and sauce didn’t come with it which took a further 15 minutes. Fries weren’t properly cooked, looked awful.

Asked for a glass of wine which took 20 minutes and asking 3 times where it was for it to come.

Asked for more fries and to be cooked properly which never came.

Bill came to £122, when the majority of it never came. Was too tired of messing around in there and just wanted to go. Ended up getting some fast food straight after due to still being hungry.

Incredibly poor experience. I understand it was Valentine’s Day and they may blame that but this was a joke of an experience.

Fabulous offer of 3 courses for £19 & a glass of Fizz included, The Bishops Stortford restaurant was packed, great ambiance, staff very friendly, and all 3 courses were delicious, highly recommended. Although offer ended 6th Feb 😢

I had the misfortune to go to Cote Brasserie on the 22nd January for a meal with friends. 7 in all.

The service was a disgrace and having asked about five times where our food was and being smirked at with no answer, I went to the desk to find out what was happening. The lady there who I assume was in charge was very rude and suggested that if we had ordered sandwiches, we would have been served quicker. I did remind her that she was in the hospitality business.

Anyway the food then arrived and was literally thrown at us as in dumped in front of us by the server. The actual food was very mediocre.

We asked for the bill and took the service charge off which angered the server even more.

Luckily, our group enjoyed ourselves but this wasn't down to the restaurant experience. If it had been just myself and my husband we would have walked out.

We have visited Cote many times and this will be the last.

I did email head office but haven't had a reply.

During my lunch visit today, at Côte Brasserie Reading and the experience was extremely disappointing, mainly due to the unprofessional service.

The ordering process was poorly handled, and both the waiting staff and the manager demonstrated a lack of professionalism. Instead of listening to our concerns, the manager responded by saying that “everyone has a different point of view” and even told us to go ahead and complain, stating that it would be “no problem”.

This attitude was shocking and unacceptable in a customer-facing role. Rather than resolving the issue or showing any willingness to improve the situation, we were dismissed in a very careless manner.

I found the overall service attitude to be extremely poor, and it has left me with a very negative impression of this restaurant. I would expect much better customer service from a well-known brand like Côte Brasserie.

This level of service is far below what I would expect and does not reflect the standards a restaurant like this should uphold.

Oh dear. A very lacklustre performance at Cote Henley on a quiet Wednesday evening. Hard to mess up steak frites but it was a thin bit of beef (though tender), no seasoning to speak of and a pool of nondescript melted butter on top. Chips equally tasteless save for a slight tang of old cooking oil. My dining companion's chicken dish was cooked but could have been a lot warmer. But we were hungry so ate up and went asap. Nice ice cream. Difficult to feel hard done by at £21.50 for two courses, but somehow this managed it. Cote can be good - this time, this place it just wasn't.

We went to Cote for the last time. We gave it another chance after a poor experience recently but again tonight the quality of food was so poor. The sirloin steak was such a cheap cut, it was dry and tasteless. The starters average. The wine quality poor. We’ve been going to Côte for years but no more now. Better food in Wetherspoons.

very poor service for a sunday only 3 waiting on the tables very limited menu different to monday to friday menu.
having been coming here for many years and now that the regular staff have been dismissed the service is very poor infact they forgot my coffee and went down to front counter and asked why? the response there was a blockage in the in the machine 5 mins later it arrived.
Was told under new management and will get better. So many poor reviews wnt be back unless a good gesture is made.
Many restaurants in Clifton and its a shame this very or was popular restaurant is going to suffer

Although Cote served my daughter food from the gluten-free menu, she left the restaurant and within 2.5 hours she had all the telltale signs of gluten poisoning and spent the night vomiting.

We hadn’t realised it, but the Coeliac UK accreditation doesn’t mean much when they are, in part, funded by restaurants like Cote, and especially when they allow the restaurant itself to conduct their own internal “investigation”.

Coeliacs, please beware.

Used to enjoy and feel confident eating at Cote restaurants, but having been gluten poisoned they are DEFINITELY NOT a safe place for Coeliacs.

Tellingly, I have tried adding warning comments to a couple of their Instagram posts, which Cote immediately delete. Super frustrating, as I think other Coeliacs should be able to make a fully informed decision when deciding where to eat, and the potential risks involved.

Also, I hadn’t realised this, but the Coeliac UK accreditation doesn’t offer a guarantee that you won’t be glutened. There is a lack of transparency as Coeliac UK is, in part, funded by restaurants like Cote. This is a major conflict of interest, especially when Coeliac UK allows the restaurant itself to conduct their own internal “investigation” which unsurprisingly reveals no evidence of wrongdoing.

Coeliac Tip: I highly recommend taking activated charcoal when eating out - it certainly doesn’t stop you being glutened, but for me, it helps.

Called Customer Services with a query. Could not praise Dave Spencer highly enough with his friendly efficient and helpful manner in helping me. He is a credit to your company.

Food excellent, Manageress welcoming and always busy making sure her guests were enjoying their experience.
Obviously had the respect of her staff but not in a subservient way.
All in all, a happy environment to be in.

Simple question. Do the kitchens at Cote Brasserie locations actually create the dishes on the menu ?? Or are they prepared and portioned off site and then finally prepped and presented at the location ??? Obviously it means you know exactly what you’ll get - no matter where. Not a problem, they’re in good company, (even The Ivy I understand do this).
But I had a burger at Cote recently - probably the worst burger I’ve ever eaten. Texture and taste were of a sausage factory - dry, solid, tasteless.
I usually have the steak & frites - maybe I should stick to that

Couldn’t fault Cote at home .
It’s wrapped really well all cooking instructions very self explanatory, with delicious results and plenty of it .
Perfect and delicious .

Good value food, good quality steak and frites and super friendly service at St Martins Lane, London branch. The waiter who took care of us could not do enough - despite the fact we were taking advantage of the Butchers' Week steak offer. Many thanks!