Cafe Rouge

Gavin353

Not as good as other branches 5th September 2009

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After enjoying fantastic service and food at The Cafe Rouge at Center Parcs Longleat, we were very disappointed by the poor service and below standard quality of food at the Southgate branch. We were asked if we were ready to order after sitting down for 20 mins even though we had not been given any menus & then waited for over an hour for our food (at 3pm & not at all busy) and when the food eventually came the Beef Bourguignon was tougher & dryer than i have had before and rather bland, the potato dauphinoise was not at all creamy also i am sure cheddar was used. The pasta arrived luke warm when we told the waitress she asked if we wanted a fresh one, 2 minutes later, as we were sitting by the kitchen, i heard a familiar ding and hey presto the pasta emerged from the kitchen hot 'fresh' from the microwave!!!!
The banana dessert arrived bruised and black, we asked the waitress to replace them, this was replaced but with no apology.
The staff were more interested in chatting around the bar rather than attending to the job in hand...
All in all and over £60.00 lighter we will not be returning to this branch of Cafe Rouge which is a real shame as we live nearby.

jennufcboss

Cafe Rouge - a typical chain restaurant? 14th August 2007

2 found this helpful

In agreement to Sami the other reviewer, I am not a fan of chain restaurants at all. But also in agreement with Sami, I think the food at Cafe Rouge is far better than normally expected of a chain restaurant, and perhaps the French passion of good cooking is still evident in some of the dishes on offer here.
Portions appear to have got smaller over the last few years, which is slightly disappointing for a gannet like me, but the quality has not diminished. My personal favourite dish at Cafe Rouge has to be the French Onion Soup, which is extremely flavoursome and presented in the traditional way.
It does get crowded, so it's worth booking a table or arriving early, but this adds to the lively atmosphere.

Sami at 15/08/07

Definitely in agreement. Do you live in Southgate?

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Sami

9th May 2007

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I feel guilty for reviewing this place because it's a chain and as a general rule I much prefer eating and hanging out at independent places, but this particular location of Cafe Rouge is an exception. It could be that there's a real lack of places to have a drink in Southgate that aren't full of hoodies/drunk teen-agers etc, but I really like coming here with a newspaper in hand on Sunday afternoons or whenever I have a few hours to spare.

The food is standard Cafe Rouge fare and the portions can be on the small side if you order a salad (even a salad as an entree); however, if you go in with the expectations that Cafe Rouge is a chain, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Even my regular eating partner, who is French, loves it there.

The chain's branding team has done a fabulous job at creating an atmosphere of francophilia in the restaurant. It's the atmosphere that I come for and the ability to order a citron pressé (traditional homestyle French lemonade) and quietly read the newspaper while enjoying the chatter of the people around me.

Granted, I'd much rather prefer an authentic French brasserie/bistro - but I'll take what I can get... I'm not living in South Kensington!

Like everything in this area, if it's popular it's generally packed (since there's not much of a selection) and as it is primarily a residential area, a lot of mothers and babies and young families come to eat here.

The staff is professional, well-trained, and generally quite lovely. Overall I really like this place!