HOT MEALS: Cote opens in Bath - Review

The latest addition to Bath’s restaurant scene opened its doors to the public for the first time last night.

Since the sudden closure of the Moon and Sixpence in March, the reopening of the Milsom Street premises as French restaurant Cote, has been hotly anticipated.

I went along to see if it had been worth the wait.

First impressions were very good.

Cote in Bath is bright and airy

The structure had changed very little. The upstairs was bright and airy, and seemed a little lighter than before.

I was pleased to see that the outside area had been kept, as it was always one of my favourite places in Bath for an al fresco drink.

Sadly there’s no option to just go for a drink, but if summer ever arrives it will be a lovely location for a sunny lunch.

Downstairs the atmosphere is perhaps a little more cosy and intimate – better for the winter months I think. And there’s an open plan kitchen which I always like.

We were immediately greeted by smiling staff who showed us to a table which made the most of the last of the day’s almost sunshine through the full length windows.

Unfortunately it in the line of fire from an air conditioning unit which was blasting out cold air, but when we mentioned it to the waitress she immediately offered to turn it off or let us have another table, so absolutely no complaints there.

We began the meal with my favourite of all drinks – a Kir Royal – which at £3.95 was very reasonably priced.

Kir Royal at Cote

We were also brought a carafe of filtered water without having to ask, a nice touch which is always appreciated.

Pissaladiere with rebochon

There’s a good selection of nibbles on the menu – we opted for the Pissaladiere, a traditional flatbread from Nice, topped with reblochon and thyme.

I’m a massive fan of Nice and its cuisine anyway and it didn’t disappoint.

The caramelised onions were soft and sweet but without crossing into marmalade territory, and the nuttiness of the cheese was perfectly complemented by the thyme.

There was a nice range of starters on offer, including several fish and vegetarian options, ranging from £4.50 to £7.95.

Steak tartare at Cote

I started with a steak tartare (£6.75). The meat was tender and had been mixed with shallots, capers, cornichons, egg yolk and cognac. It was very tasty, but my only criticism would be that it had been slightly over seasoned, but that’s a personal preference and in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the dish.

Smoked salmon

My partner’s smoked salmon (£6.25) came on a large plate – definite value for money. The crème fraiche drizzled over the fish cut through the richness beautifully and the capers were a good addition.

I selected my main course of veal cutlet (£13.25) off the specials menu, along with accompaniments of gratin potatoes (£2.95) and French green beans (£2.95).

The staff were knowledgeable about the products, and were able to tell me that the veal was raised at the same place as their steaks, in the Peak District.

Steak hache a cheval

It was encouraging to see that even though it may not have been “local” they were using British products. Not only does it cut down on the air miles but I could be assured that it had been ethically produced. I am still not sure however why the chicken has to come from Brittany. Apparently it is an area renowned for its poultry, but as I didn’t try any I couldn’t say if it was in any way superior to our home-grown produce!

The veal was moist and tender, and the accompanying sauce rich and buttery. The green beans were perfectly cooked, retaining a bit of crunch, and the gratin potatoes were divine. The sauce was the perfect balance of cheese, cream and garlic and every mouthful felt delightfully decadent.

My partner selected the steak hache a cheval (£9.75) which was basically a posh burger, without the bun. It was well cooked, with the meat remaining moist and the seasoning was spot on, elevating it above a ‘normal’ burger.

The selection of main courses was good, although the vegetarian options mostly appeared on the ‘light mains’ section so if you’re a hungry veggie you might be out of luck.

I was a little disappointed that the French classic Moules did not make an appearance. There were plenty of fish items, but as a dish which is, I think, synonymous with France, I would have like to see it there, perhaps in place of the seafood linguine, which, while it looked absolutely delicious, is less authentic I think.

The Cote speciality - creme caramel

The dessert menu was full of tempting treats. I chose the Cote speciality of Crème Caramel £4.50). It was infinitely superior to the lifeless versions found on supermarket shelves. It was smooth and creamy, almost like a crème brulee without the crunchy top, but at the same time light. The perfect end to the meal.

My partner chose iced berries with white chocolate sauce (£4.50). The cool, sharp berries coated in the warm white chocolate sauce were just delicious with the bursts of sharpness from the juice of the berries softened and almost cuddled by the creamy sauce.

Iced berries with white chocolate sauce

The wine selection was good – all French of course – with bottles starting from £14.50.

The menu is wide enough to have something to suit every palette and budget, and they also do great lunch and early evening deals.

The food is excellent value for the size and quality, and the staff were all friendly and knowledgeable which made for a great evening.

I would certainly recommend the new Bath branch of Cote to anyone.

HOT MEALS: Giraffe in Bath - Review

There can be a snobbish-ness about restaurant chains, and about any kind of shop chain in general.

But the reality is that we need them. When a big name brand comes to a town or city, others will follow.

When they come, visitors will also come, and so is created a thriving social scene, and then smaller, independent outlets can flourish.

Bath is a prime example of this. Pay a visit to the artisan Walcot Street, or venture off the beaten track to the smaller side streets, there are plenty of quirky little shops and restaurants to tickle your fancy.

But stick to the main drag, and you will find the well-known big names.

The new shopping development, Southgate, which replaced an unspeakably ugly throw-back from the 70s, has predominantly been filled with well-known High Street brands like Debenhams, Boots and River Island, although there is still provision for smaller businesses to rub shoulders with the big boys.

But while the retail side of the development may be flourishing, the social side has taken a little longer to build up steam.

However, tomorrow restaurant chain Giraffe, opens up the doors of its newest branch in Southgate.

I went along on last night for a sneak preview, and I have to say I was impressed by what I found.

Yes, it might be a chain, but it doesn’t mean that there is no attention to detail or that it lacks any character.

Quite the opposite in fact. While most branches of Giraffe are catering for the family market, this one had a distinctly more grown-up feel.

Walking through the door the first thing you notice is the enormous light fitting hanging from the ceiling created from different coloured wires.

The slightly industrial theme to the décor continues with exposed pipes running over head, but it is softened by retro touches in the wallpaper and wall decorations.

The new Giraffe in Bath

The menu is large, but without being overwhelmingly so, catering for just about every taste and the range of cocktails is far from ordinary.

My partner and I started with a bruschetta sharing plate, which at just over £5 for 2 of us was great value.

The little triangles of focaccia bread were soft and light and just the perfect thickness to carry the toppings without making them taste doughy. Drenched with garlic butter, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and pesto oil, they were oozing with flavour and half packed an extra little punch of flavour with the addition of a artichoke, black olive and red pepper salsa.

Bruschetta sharing plate

The mains did not disappoint either. I ordered the Chilli Beef Enchilada which was packed with flavour, and the pumpkin seeds sprinkled in the salsa gave it some added texture.

The accompanying avocado salad with a tequila and lime dressing was far superior to the average side salad.

Chilli Beef Enchilada

My partner’s Parmesan Chicken Schnitzel “Kiev” was equally good. Instead of having the garlic butter inside the chicken, the flattened and breaded breast was instead drenched in it, avoiding any of the disappointment so often associated with chicken kievs when instead of oozing out deliciously you discover that all the garlicky filling had escaped.

It also meant that the chicken was perfectly moist, and the herb butter mash was an ideal accompaniment and more imaginative than bog-standard chips.

Parmesan Chicken Schnitzel "Kiev"

The mains were delivered with an impressively large condiment basket. It was slightly too big to comfortably sit on our table for two but staff were eagle eyed enough to remove it as soon as we had finished, but without us having to ask.

We finished with a Rocky Road Ice Cream Sundae which was easily big enough for two to share.

With a chocolate brownie, chunky choc and vanilla ice cream, marshmallows and hot chocolate sauce all packed into one glass it was a dessert-lover’s dream come true, with each gooey, chocolatey mouthful seemingly more delicious than the last.

Rocky Road Ice Cream Sundae

The service throughout was excellent with all the staff attentive, but not annoying.

They were very friendly and despite it being their first day were knowledgeable and well-informed about the menu.

Although it wasn’t completely perfect, our drinks almost got delivered to the table next door, it in no way spoiled the experience, and everyone was so smiley and friendly that any small mistakes were, just that – small, and instantly forgiveable. I’ve had far worse service at places that really should no better, and I’m sure that any little glitches will be ironed out in a matter of days.

So yes, Giraffe may be a chain restaurant, but that should not be a reason to dismiss it.

It’s fun, friendly and the food is delicious. What more can you ask for?