Knowing you way around London is one thing to do. You can find places to go, things to see, and a good place to eat. And, in London, that is possible on all levels. And one time you want to know where to eat is when you are going to the theatre that evening. Shows alls tart at different times, so you need to know where to have dinner before the show starts. Once place we found this time around was COTE in Coven Garden area which is really on ST. MARTIN'S LANE Not far from Charrington a block away. It is a small restaurant with a French flair. And, being in London, this is a good place for a difference. The day before we saw a line out the door around 630pm. People were trying to get in but it was packed. So the next day we went at 530pm and got ourselves a table. No problem on that. We sat down and within less than an hour the place was packed. It was a good thing as we were going to see a show and needed to be out of COTE by 7pm. Out waiter was great. He presented the menus and provided help as to the special of the evening and even the pre-theatre specials of whether a 2-course or 3-course selection. We had time to think and to consider what options we should pick from the menu. It took a bit but we decided. We also ordered an appetizer Charcuterie board with Savoie ham, truffle saucisson, Coppa ham and pickles with toasted sourdough baguette. This was ideal with a glass of wine to compliment that. We then decided on one 2-course pre-threatre selection which included the Charcuterie board followed by the Poulet Breton Rôti. It is corn-fed marinated roasted half chicken, topped with herbs and served with fries. It was also topped with a special mushroom sauce for additional flavor. A good dish that complimented the other dish we had. We also received an order of Moules Frites. Special rope-grown British mussels in a white wine, shallot and cream sauce served with frites. This alone was a meal itself. These musselts were very fresh and tasty. The sauce perfect. For dessert we decided to convert the 2-course meal to a 3-course meal. For that we ordered the Apple Tarte Tatin. This is a very classic French dessert invented. It was caramelised apples with a puff pastry base, salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. And an espresso of course to complete the meal. Overall, it was a good place to be. The waiter was wonderful and a true gentleman. The prices were perfect. The portions and quality ideal. Service ideal. And the atmosphere was like being in Paris. Tables close together. People talking. Food coming around to all. We also left in time to get to the theatre that night. Merci, Cote. read more

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The food we had at Cote was very sub par. We ordered the 5oz. Minuet steak and fries and the salmon entree. Honestly not very good at all. The steak is very very thin it came out grey with a ton of pepper on it and greasy. The salmon was cold. I hate writing bad reviews but when you spend money hoping to get a good meal it's so disappointing when you don't. read more

Service was ok. Food was awful, and cocktails were boring. When we asked for simple staple cocktails they said they couldn't make them even when all the ingredients were listed on the menu. Just a complete waste of money. read more

Great traditional brasserie convenient to the theatre district. Frequented by locals, which is always a good sign. Nice wine by the glass selections. Very welcoming staff. read more

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While visiting London I stopped in at Cote on St Martins Lane. I ordered the beef bourguignon and creamed spinach. The beef bourguignon was the best I have ever had. The flavors were amazing and the beef was so tender you did not need a knife. The creamed spinach was decent, but the cream could have used a little more flavor, but it was ok. I gave 4 stars because of the spinach and the wait staff was a little overwhelmed. My waiters name is Parth and he had quite a few tables and was doing his best he could. So if I could I would say 4.5 stars. If in London near Trafalgar Square, I highly recommend. read more

Côte - Beef bourguignon - French Near Me - London, XGL

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So, I usually save the best for last, but babyyy... Cotê is coming FIRST in line!!! This was the BEST dining experience that I had during my time in London, and one of the BEST dining experiences that I've ever had period!!! I'll be honest; I was actually planning on going to Flat Iron up the street. They had a 2 hour wait and I just wasn't having it. I remembered passing Cotê up on the walk to Flat Iron, so I decided to give them a try. These Yelp reviews really don't do Cotê justice! As much as I love Yelp, TripAdvisor is giving Cotê way more praise. They really deserve above and beyond 5 stars. Despite their inconsistent Yelp reviews, I bit the bullet and walked in. And that ladies and gents, was the best decision that I made! This place is so classy! Eye catching decor, a wonderful ambience, and the FOOD is just something ridiculous. It's hard to believe that this is a French food restaurant chain, but the food is grade A. The SERVICE!!! I'm still in shock. I've experienced not-so great service while out in London, but Cotê just surpasses it ALL! I walked in and felt like I was visiting good friends and family. The entire staff assisted me and every single one of them (including the manager) was so incredibly hospitable. I have to give a special shoutout to Larbi and Natalia. If you know me, you know I'm a wino. Both Larbi and Natalia exposed to me to some of the most delicious French wines! They were literally opening bottles for me just to try. I can tell that they both really enjoy wine. Their interaction between each other was so amazing to watch. Like brother and sister! Larbi is from Spain and Natalia is from Poland, so they both have a different take on wine. I felt like I was in France, tasting wines in French tasting room. I just loved the whole experience. I also really enjoyed learning about both of them and their journeys out to London. Okay, so about this food. I've always professed that I'm not a heavy red meat eater (specifically steak). Recently, I've started to dabble into the steak world more. I guess I just haven't had my steaks cooked the right way, because Cotê just made your girl fall so deeply in LOVE with the steak! JUICY FRIGGIN' GOOSEY! This. Steak. Was. LIFE!!! You know I had to Filet it up while in London! I ordered their filet mignon with garlic butter, potatoes au gratin, and creamed spinach. Hands down one of the best steaks that I've ever had, if not the best!!! I was going to order it medium rare, but Natalia told me that medium rare in London is bloodier than other countries. I took her advice and had it cooked medium, and she didn't let me down. It was cooked PERFECTLY! It was soooo moist and tender. Just full of flavor and so full of life. Every slice that I cut made me sad because I knew that it would be gone soon. I devoured it. Everything. Cleaned my plate in happiness! Everything tasted absolutely delicious!!! Had to seal the deal with dessert. Got their specialty créme caramel and I nearly died. How can something taste so damn GOOD? It was custard-like, but so smooth and creamy. It literally melted in my mouth, just like the steak! I was contemplating moving in after that y'all. Seriously. Sh*t was just TOO damn amazing. Too amazing for words to describe. To top it off, the prices are EXTREMELY reasonable here! This kind of meal along with the wine and dessert would easily cost well over $100 a per person in the states! They have a fabulous two and three course special from 12-7 everyday (ALL day Monday-Thursday!). It's located right next to the theatre, so many people eat here before and after their shows. I didn't partake in the specials, but I honestly didn't need to. What I had was perfect. I really enjoyed myself! This was the perfect last meal in London, and I will always remember it. This review just turned into a novel! Hey, you can't help raving about places that you love! In closing, Cotê is FANTASTIC! You absolutely MUST come here to have the best dining experience in your life!!! read more

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The food and service were - a-ok. Classic brasserie food, well cooked and tasty. Steak and frites and mussels with an amazing chocolate mouse for deserts. 3 glasses for champagne and some gin for the others and we were happy. Service neither friendly or unfriendly. Prices were reasonable $200 for four of us. read more

Great average place for lunch! They have an affordable lunch special menu where you can choose 2 or 3 courses for a set price. I recommend the salmon ratatouille for the main. It was delicious! They have a few other options which include a steak and a fish cake which were both not bad. For starters, we got the calamari, and two types of pates. They are all decent choices. The desserts were okay. The peach cobbler was warm and filling if you like that kind of stuff. Service was fast and it was a nice atmosphere. I would recommend eating here if you don't care too much about your food and want a nice sit down meal. I believe they have a few locations all over the UK! read more

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We stopped by Côte Brasserie at 50-51 St. Martins Lane for afternoon lunch around 2:30pm. The restaurant was full but they cleaned off a table in a few minutes. It was loud with all those people as you may expect. My wife had three items and I opted for two item set menu and both of us had salmon. She took the French onion soup while I had calamari. She had desert. Just noticed I was charged for three items. Oh well. The salmon was perfect and tasty. The soup was full of onions and delicious. The calamari was lightly breaded and tasty. We have been to these restaurants a few times and have enjoyed them. read more

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I really enjoyed their delicious lunch before visiting National Gallery! This restaurant is located on St Martin's lane which is close to National Gallery. On the other side of street there is a theatre so I saw some customers who dressed elegant! The food was really nice and I got full with a wonderful steak! When a waitress brought the plate of stake, I was surprised at the size of it! I was so happy to choose that, though the cod with ratatouille my friend ordered looked nice too! The staff there were great as well! I felt they enjoyed communicating with customers. I want to visit there again soon! read more

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My boyfriend and I were spending a few days in London for our first time. My girlfriend recommended this chain restaurant before we were in London so I knew it was probably good!! We passed this location walking home one night and decided we should try it! Needless to say it was quite delicious. We started with a bottle of red wine and shared a steak carpaccio which was perfect. Then we had the poulet grille which was a chicken in mush and cream sauce- so good!!! We also shared the grilled salmon which was fresh, light and tasty. For dessert we shared the chocolate fondant which was a little chocolate lava cake that had hot sauce in the center and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Overall everything was delicious!!! read more

Côte - Grilled Salmon and Poulet Grille (chicken in a mushroom and cream sauce). - French Near Me - London, XGL

Our 1st night and we came across Cote. Its a chain location. Cute, quiet, romantic restaurant. Got some wine by the glass. Got the steak Frites , its a very thin steak with shoestring fries. Service is good, so are the portions and prices are decent. read more

Great service! Great food! Great atmosphere! A great highlight of this restaurant is the dim light, the French style wall lamps are very posh. Now, the food. I ordered the entrecote, it took quite a long time to come to my table, but when it did come, it was great! The service was very nice and careful! Loved them! The atmosphere was very nice for a chain restaurant! (Maybe that it was French had something to do with it.) Highly recommended place! You can have a great Pre- Theater lunch at Cote also! read more

Ok, so people who have have read my reviews on the Côte chain know that I absolutely love their food and definitely rate this place....so I'll keep this review short. This was the first time at this venue (I always wanted to visit this branch, but always seemed to be packed with tourists on the weekend) and it was lovely. On a Monday evening, there is definitely a chilled out vibe and it wasn't too busy. I personally recommend booking because you never know how busy it will be (plus I got an awesome, cosy booth!! Bonus!). We had great service, a lovely waiter and excellent food. I took a couple of friends there for the first time and they loved it. I would definitely recommend Côte! read more

Côte - Roasted sea bass and gratin potatoes - French Near Me - London, XGL

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Lovely evening with good food. Pity about the mouse that made an appearance over dessert. Waiter alerted. Apparently manager told. Zero response. . . Epic fail!! read more

Do yourself a favor and eat anywhere else but here. I'm not a fan of writing negative reviews, but Côte clearly deserves it. Terrible service, which the food couldn't make up for. While some people would like to sit down for two hours for dinner, however I had no intentions of doing so when I walked in. It took 15 minutes just to get our drink order in, and another 15 before we could put in our food order. an hour later our food arrives, and the bill didn't come for another half an hour after we asked for it. Never again at this location or any of their other locations. read more

Great service, lively and good atmosphere, delicious food. Pre-theatre lunched here. No complaints, all good. Would definitely recommend s visit. read more

This is a nice spot! I got the scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. It took a bit of time but that's because we were in a hurry. The dish was delicious and the service was standard and friendly. I'd come back for sure! read more

Côte - Nice little spot! - French Near Me - London, XGL

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I've enjoyed meals at several Cote locations around London, so I thought it would be a delicious yet laid back meal for my mom to meet my boyfriend's mother for the first time. I was so wrong!! -The hostess was adamant about sitting us by the door. We had made a reservation and the restaurant was not even half full (at 7:30pm) but he gave us a really hard time about changing tables. -My mom ordered the french onion soup. After waiting for 15 minutes, our waiter came over to tell us that actually they had ran out of the french onion soup. Miraculously, another waiter appeared with a bowl of the french onion soup. Unfortunately, the soup was really water down. My mom thought they "found" the bowl of french onion soup by splitting a proper portion into two. -My fish was cold -We had to ask three times for parmesan cheese for my boyfriend's mother's pasta. -Had to ask for the check 3 times. In conclusion, too much hassle for what I thought would be a reliable meal. Try to the one in Notting Hill or Islington, instead! read more

Every dish is decadent!! Had their French onion soup!! Prawns!! Bread is fresh. Great wine selection!! Awesome staff!!! Entrees are delicious!! Give it a spin!! Stumbled on it by accident and love it!! Creme brûlée is amazing!! read more

The food is familiar, fantastic, and beautiful. Something worthy to remember and enjoy. Just terrific. Diaego the server made the experience superb! This is a bright gem in a sea of sameness read more

I've been here twice, both times for breakfast and I had the full English breakfast. A bit strange going to a French place for an English breakfast, but I was with a group so they chose where to go. It was ok, there were no beans and once they mis-heard me and didn't take off the mushrooms, but otherwise it was all well done and tasty enough. I still prefer a good greasy spoon though. Don't take my review to say anything for their dinner service though. read more

We should've paid attention to the Yelp reviews of this restaurant. My mother and I ordered french onion soup for starters and they came out cold (while it's usually served scolding). I then ordered a duck with potatoes gratin and again my duck was cold and not well made and the potatoes tasted as if they had been recooked (worst potatoes I've had). My mother had a chicken which was also served cold. Service wasn't bad but the food was so bland and unenjoyable that we will never return to this place. read more

Very good restorant for money! Enjoy good dinner!yes it's French ! Service could be better--a little slow but it's happened a lot in London .will recommended if you are not super fancy!! read more

Worst service we've had in London. Waited forever to order. Then we literally had to go get someone to give us the check. Food was mediocre and bland. We came here because it was close to where we are staying. Should have checked Yelp before we went. Plenty of other similar establishments that were better rated. I only leave comments if the establishment is either exceptionally good or horrendously bad. This is definitely the latter. read more

We were walking from Westminster to the British Museum and searching for lunch when we came upon Cote. The place was quite busy, and it was easy to see why when we had finished our lunch. The two/three course set menu had a great range of options, and our meals were delicious. The waitress was new, and challenged to answer a couple of questions, but she found a manager who could help out. This is a great option for good food in a busy part of London -- bookmarking for future visits. read more

Good food. Good service. Cozy place. The only disadvantage is a bar selection.

I was walking around St. Martins in the Field at about 1:45pm and realised I was very hungry. The look of this Brasserie was contemporary and there were a lot of guests already eating, so I went in. I was greeted and seated promptly. However, after I reviewed the menu and made my decision, I had to flag down a waiter as no one came by my table for the better part of 10 minutes! The waiter was friendly and efficient, but I am not sure if their table assignments were clear. He took my order - a bowl of soup, an omelette and a glass of Rose. I then heard the two businessmen at the table next to me flag down the hostess and ask if they could please pay, they had apparently been waiting to pay for a while. Foreshadowing? Indeed. After 28 minutes when my waiter walked by another table he asked if I had received my soup? No. He apologised and delivered it at 35 minutes after my order and offered free bread and olives. Needless to say, I was now starving and ate everything in about 5 minutes. My omelette was then delivered at 48 minutes after my original order or almost 10 minutes after I finished my soup. Both of my simple food dishes were good and the wine was very good. But why does it take more than 1/2 an hour for soup? The dining room was busy, but the larger tables were already eating when I placed my order. I don't know if this was a screw up by the kitchen or by my waiter, but the excessive delays significantly tarnished an otherwise nice meal. read more

My wife and I went to SML Cote restaurant on Saturday 13th Feb as we were celebrating a very special occasion as well as our 34th Valentine's day together. Darius greeted us with a brilliant smile and welcoming warmth as he recognised us from the day before when we went to make a reservation (even though , he must have seen 100s of people in between). Although we arrived early , that was not a problem as he reassuringly showed us to our reserved table by the window. He then allocated Rosa , our waitress , who was such a bubbly, cheerful , chatty, attentive and pleasant lady. She looked after us throughout the duration of the time we were there, paying attention to detail and ensuring we were happy with our orders. Even though the restaurant was packed and buzzing with activity, both Darius and Rosa found snippets of time to come and chat and joke with us . We felt so privileged by their interaction and undivided attention, something very rare but precious....to us. Our 3 course meal was absolutely perfect , in terms of quality , quantity and value for money. The ambience was great, the service was impeccable and the whole team did a fabulous job and words are not enough to praise them. The icing on the cake was when we were about to leave , when we were presented with a bouquet of flowers and an anniversary card. We were pleasantly surprised and we cannot thank you enough. Many many thanks and Darius , Rosa and the team , you are all epic for going that extra mile. We will be singing your praises for a very long time and goes without saying that we will be highly recommend our family and friends who are planning a trip to London. Well done and keep up the good work. Darius , thanks for the treats, which we very much appreciated. read more

We were searching for a place to eat breakfast on Boxing Day when we came upon this location. The selection on the breakfast menu posted outside is what drew us in. Once we entered we were greeted and seated quickly. The food was amazing. It was the best breakfast we've had in London. I don't think I've ever had eggs Benedict made so well. But that's actually the least of how great this place is. I have never, ever seen service like this. I made a small request for some honey for my tea. They didn't have any. They could have just told me they didn't have any and left it at that. Instead, they sent someone to go purchase some nearby, but the location he/she went to was closed. That person could have given up, but instead ran to another location that was open and bought the honey. They did all of this in the time it takes most other restaurants to simply serve food. I was amazed. I can't wait to eat at CÔTE again. read more