Côte Brasserie: 5 reasons why I love you

I was lucky enough to be asked by Côte Brasserie if I’d like to head down to one of their 96 restaurants across the UK and enjoy a 3-course meal, to celebrate Coeliac Awareness Week… ERM YESS!!!!! I’m actually a regular there already and this review will tell you why you should be too!

The invite was actually for 4 people – so naturally, being the 27 year old grown up that I am, I took my parents…

My meal: (all gluten, dairy free)

• For the table: we shared olives to start. Even those came with an allergy flag!
• Starter: shared Prawns Gratinee and Seared Scallops with Mum. Both were perfect – if I HAD to pick one, it would be the scallops. They melted.
• Main: Breton Fish Stew with gluten free bread (pretty sure it was Genius – my fav). Packed with mussels, clams, squid, seabass and prawns. We had loads of veg to share too – all made without butter for me!
• Dessert: Sorbet – sadly they haven’t got a dairy free dessert YET but their sorbet genuinely is above par so don’t miss out! The good news is that if can tolerate dairy, the gluten free dessert list is a treat!!! Mum picked their signature Creme Caramel off the gluten free menu and she said it was divine.

Can we all just take a moment to appreciate (1) Mum stealing some of dads dinner before shes even started her own and (2) Dads hands in the dessert pic…clearly insanely eager to get stuck into his dessert but waiting as patiently as humanly possible for me to say “go”

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5 Reasons Why I Love Côte Brasserie:

(1) They cater fantastically for gluten & dairy free.

• The menu is huge!! You have the choice of the Main Menu, Prestige Menu (which is a 2/3 course set menu deal) or the Early Evening Menu (which isn’t specifically adapted for gf, so the waitress kindly marked it for me!). Honestly, I think I have more choice at here, than anywhere I’ve ever been.
• Mum said the fact I had so much choice made it a nicer dining experience for the rest of them too.
• *Dairy free isn’t specifically written on the menu but plenty of the dishes can be adapted so I just picked whatever I wanted of the gluten free menu and the chefs let me know if it was possible!*

(2) …and for coeliacs.

• I’m putting this one separately because, whilst some places offer a fantastic gluten free menu, it doesn’t always mean coeliacs have lots of choice (chips might be cooked in the same fryer as the gluten-containing stuff, they might not use separate utensils etc etc). However, you are in safe hands here. They are accredited by Coeliac UK so you know its going to be good.
• They go to the extra mile by putting gluten free flags in everything you can eat. I MEAN LOOK HOW MANY FLAGS ARE IN THE TOP PIC!!! I really really love this – even when I’ve told the waiter 50 million times that I’m coeliac, I still get nervous when the food is put in front of me. Their little flags gave me an extra layer of reassurance that is invaluable!

…and for the non-gluten free.

• My parents don’t have any dietary requirements… they’re about as “normal” as it comes (when it comes to food anyway haha). And they still LOVED the food. They’d 100% go back without me, although I’d be angry!!
• I love this point. I hate going somewhere that wouldn’t be my friends/families choice, just because it caters for me. I want it to be somewhere for everyone and we’ve found that in Cote!

The setting and the staff.

• It doesn’t feel like a chain. Even though all of their restaurants have the same vibe, same menu, same tables etc… you get proper service and a proper restaurant feel. Difficult to explain but you’ll know exactly what I mean if and when you go!
• The staff training with coeliac disease must be fantastic because the service I had received at every store has been faultless and nothing has felt like too much to ask.
• The consistency across the chain is also something I really appreciate as a coeliac as I feel safe!

The wine list.

• Strange one but we actually loved the wine list so I had to include it here! They group their wines into headings to describe them, e.g. “intense and oaked” or “light and fruity” so if you’re not really sure what you’re looking at (like me!), then you’re more likely to pick a winner.

This meal was gifted by Cote Brasserie but all the views are completely my own. I only agree to writing reviews for restaurants or products if I can be completely honest with what I thought and if its a brand I have total faith in!!

Thank you!

Jess x