Côte, French restaurant REVIEW Barbican Centre, City of London

City of London restaurant tastes like France

For a reliable French restaurant choice within fifteen minutes’ walk from Liverpool Street Station, Côte Brasserie is an unstuffy option at mid-range price. Within the Barbican Centre complex, this cosy French bistro is ideal for dining somewhere near to Barbican theatre performances or the cinema.

All things French, as you may know, are my passion. Bridging the gap until my next France-fix, French restaurant chain, Côte Brasserie invited me to try their seasonal menu in the run up to Bastille Day on July 14th. The Barbican branch of Côte is the easiest to reach from my home in Walthamstow (sadly the Islington green Côte has closed – during the Covid pandemic – since this review was first published) and quick to reach via the overground Weaver Line then a short walk to the Barbican.

Côte Brasserie interior shot of window table with curved wooden chair, a round bistro table laid for two with glassware, candle, napkins and cutlery; the street outside with people is shown in soft focus. A table lamp with a white shade is lit on the dark wooden window ledge.

France-themed chains are less prevalent in the UK than Italian pizza pasta chains. I can name check two or three French-influenced restaurant chains, none as high profile as their Italian equivalents. The independent French bistro seems rarer still these days. Yet to my surprise, eighty-five branches of Côte span the UK, with restaurants from Glasgow to Exeter. Quite why I’d not been in one until recently is a mystery; perhaps I was under the misapprehension that Côte was expensive. Cote’s signage and interiors are understatedly chic and plausibly French without being clichéd. My husband who walks past the Barbican branch of Côte most weekdays says it’s always very busy.

With a babysitter sorted we popped along. Would a visit to Côte spirit me to France? We each chose a dish from the seasonal specials menu alongside something more traditionally French. Here’s what we ate…

Two flute glasses of sparkling pink rosé wine, Kir Royale style, served on a dark wooden table at Cote Brasserie, Barbican Centre branch in the City of London. A small dish of green and black olives with cocktail sticks lies behind in soft focus.

Opening aperitif of Kir Royale (£4.95) and Piquant Mixed Olives (£3.90)

Cured ham served on top of melon with chopped herbs and olive oil on a white plate, as served at Cote Brasserie, Barbican Centre branch in the City of London

Charentais Melon (hiding) under Savoie Ham (£6.50)

Tuna carpaccio with rocket, tomato, olives and capers and wedge of lemon, as served on a ridged white plate at Côte Brasserie, Barbican Centre branch in the City of London. A brown ceramic water carafe with Côte branding lies behind. Various glassware stands around the plate.

Tuna Carpaccio (£9.50) – generous slices of seared yellowfin tuna served with black olives, capers, rocket and tomatoes.

Medium rare steak, with side serving of green watercress and black pot of French fries styled in a white paper cone, as served on an oval white plate at Côte Brasserie, Barbican Centre branch in the City of London. In soft focus around the dish lies a candle in a tealight holder, a glass of rosé wine and a small dish of Béarnaise sauce. The backdrop is that of a man in a white short-sleeved shirt.

Chargrilled sirloin steak with frites, watercress (£18.50) and a choice of sauce – my husband opted for béarnaise (£1.95).

Overhead view of meal in French restaurant; rump of lamb with mashed potatoes, fennel and gravy, steak frites with Béarnaise sauce and watercress, both served on ridged oval-shaped white plates at Côte Brasserie, Barbican Centre branch in the City of London. Various glasses of water, rosé wine lie around the plates on the candle-lit dark wood table.

My main course above, Rump of Lamb* (£14.95) served on mash with fennel and a black olive and garlic jus

A spoon dipped into a brown Le Creuset branded ramekin filled with milk chocolate mousse; as served at Côte Brasserie, Barbican Centre branch in the City of London. A Côte branded water carafe and glass of rosé wine lie in soft focus behind.

For dessert we tried a traditional chocolate mousse (£4.95) and…

Lemon crème brûlée with mint and raspberry garnish, as served in a small white dessert oven dish with a spoon on a white side plate at Côte Brasserie, Barbican Centre branch in the City of London. A dark brown ramekin and Côte branded water carafe lies in soft focus behind on the dark wood table.

Lemon crème brûlée with raspberries* (£5.95)

Our review of Côte Barbican

Côte equally suits a smart client dinner, cosy date night or a family lunch. More upmarket than Carluccio’s or Cafe Rouge, yet still casual, it has a gentle hum without feeling rowdy. Service is polished without being stuffy. The menu feels like a treat but won’t break the bank. Lighting is soft, feeling intimate. There’s no loud music trying to make you chew faster. You can imagine the French having a relaxed two-hour lunch over a bottle of wine here. For a three-course meal for two with wine allow £80-£100; for a quick lunch you could do it for £15 each for a main with coffee.

Hero dish was the juicy rump of lamb, which with its black olives and roasted garlic, transported me to Provence. I would go back for this dish in a heartbeat. Portions were generous and good value. The house rosé wine, Cuvée Laborie 2016 (£4.95/£17.95), was a perfect partner with the lamb and also fairly priced. Service is more polished than most restaurant chains: servers put your wine in a cooler on a stand, they notice to pour your next glass rather than you doing it yourself. This level of service would be typical in France, so it’s that type of detail that we enjoyed. Côte had an authentic French atmosphere albeit with a British tone. Which is ironic since chain restaurants in France tend to less soignée than Côte Brasserie i.e. Buffalo Grill and Leon de Bruxelles. My husband’s isolated niggle was steak being cooked to “British medium rare” rather than a redder French version.

Vegetarians don’t always fare well in French restaurants, however Côte has a dedicated vegetarian menu with half a dozen vegetarian options. Current choices include green risotto, braised puy lentils or spinach and mushroom crêpes. A demonstrable effort has been made for gluten-free diners, coeliacs have plenty of choices within French cuisine where Italian pizza/pasta might be less satisfactory. For children, Côte offer several main courses serving size appropriate for up to 7 years; these can be paired with a starter or dessert from the main menu to suit older children. Finally, if you are doing business over lunch in a hurry, Côte highlights several “Plats Rapides” around £12 mark, for those too busy to dine with Gallic languor.

As they say in France, “Au Revoir” – meaning “until we see you again” rather than farewell. We will be back to Côte – and I say that with an air kiss past both cheeks.

Meal hosted by Côte Barbican, 57 Whitecross St, City of London, London EC1Y 8AA. Prices July 2017.