Côte Ealing

I kind of have a love hate relationship with the Cote chain of restaurants. I really like French style cooking and the Cote menu has an extensive choice of French inspired dishes. The service at the Ealing branch of Cote has always been excellent. Welcoming, warm and friendly. The food arrives in ample time, and I have never felt rushed. The waiting staff are attentive, but not intrusive. What’s not to like? However, though the food is good, it isn’t excellent, and so I always have to temper my expectations. I like the food, but I wouldn’t say I love the food. I am not entirely sure what they could do to make things better, but I am confident that they could. However as a chain, I suspect they are constrained by the system cooking processes they use to ensure consistency across the different restaurants across the country. So the dish you order in Ealing is identical to the same dish if it was ordered in Bristol. I always think if they had a local chef, they could improve and enhance the food. Having said that, finding myself in Ealing on a somewhat warm evening, the cool air-conditioned branch of Cote was quite appealing. The fixed price menu looking tempting as well. I was given a lovely warm welcome and I was allowed to choose where to sit, which was nice, as I was able to choose a slightly bigger table even though I was eating alone. I may have eaten outside, but it was still rather warm outside, and to be honest the pavement is rather busy and there is a constant stream of traffic running by. Looking over the menu, I was tempted by quite a few things, but in the end, for my starter I chose the Salade au Bacon, bacon lardons tossed in a creamy anchovy dressing with endive and gem lettuce salad, cherry tomatoes, panisse chickpea croutons and crispy capers, topped with a poached egg. The combination of tastes and textures worked. The runny yolk of the poached egg added to the richness of the salad. I was intrigued by the panisse chickpea croutons, they were crunchy, different, I think normal croutons would have worked just as well. This was a lovely rustic looking salad, and despite my earlier thoughts on dishes, I did think this looked great. It was also delicious. This is the kind of dish that I hope they serve at Cote and this time they delivered. I thought it was fantastic. For my main course I went with the Steak Frites, and upgraded to the sirloin steak, which was described as topped with garlic butter and served with herbs and frites. After a fantastic starter, this was a little disappointing. I think they forgot the garlic butter, and not having the menu to hand, I didn’t think to check with the waiting staff. The plate was a simple affair, I don’t know it looked rather plain. I am not sure what they could do though to make it better. I had asked for the steak to be cooked medium-rare, and it was. It was tender, but lacked seasoning. I generally avoid adding extra salt to my food, but this time the steak needed it. The frites were good, nice and crispy. I don’t think the herbs added anything. I would have maybe added a small rocket salad, or even some green beans instead. I think that would have improved both the look of the dish, and the overall eating experience. Generally, I only order a starter and a main course, and avoid having a pudding. However, this time the fixed price menu had a cheese plate on offer, a selection of three French cheeses with a fig chutney & sourdough baguette. You could choose from the following cheeses, Comte, Pont l’Eveque, Roquefort, Delice de Bourgogne, Chevre Buchette. Now I am a sucker for a cheese course, so of course I said yes. I chose the Comte, Pont l’Eveque, and the Delice de Bourgogne. I liked the fact that the cheese plate came with bread, however this was toasted sourdough baguette, which though nice, wasn’t quite what I wanted with my cheese. Overall I did enjoy my food at Cote, the service was excellent, and I had a lovely dining experience. It wasn’t perfect, but it was nice, and with the fixed price menu, I thought it was value for money.

We come to Cote frequently and the quality of the food and the one from the staff go hand in hand - always great. Paulo and Sofiane always make sure that we are looked after and they add that human touch - so precious - taking their time to chat to us or simple kind gestures, something not so granted in modern society.

I ordered the vegetarian brunch plate. This was the first time I was trying vegan sausage as I have always been very sceptical about the taste and texture but I must say it was perfect both flavour and portion. Althought everything was not salted enough forexample the potatoes, mashed avacado and even the mushrooms, but after adding some salt and pepper it was good. I thoroughly enjoyed my order along with Decaf English breakfast tea ! Service was very good, very responsive, kind and helpful. A nice Saturday brunch w my girls .

I love this restaurant, the Manager Paulo is so personable, professional and attentive. The food is lovely, I was there for breakfast, however I usually come in for dinner which is perfect as well. It is a relaxing atmosphere. Thank you to all at Cote Ealing. Not to mention the great service by Mirko on this particular visit.

A true gem in our local area. Perfect place for my date with my partner for dinner. Lovely French brasserie with plenty of wine choices, menu selections, and great value for money. Great vibes and atmosphere. The lovely Lauriane, a French girl, served us. She's polite, caring and attentive throughout our dining experience. Thank you!

This chain French restaurant is located on High Street in Hammersmith, just a 10-15 mins walk from the underground station. The atmosphere is excellent, with beautiful decor, and the staff are very polite and welcoming. We ordered a variety of dishes, including the house wine, French Onion Soup, Cheese Souffle, Calamari, Beef Cheek Bourguignon, and Confit Duck a l'Orange. All the dishes were quite good. For dessert, we tried the Chocolate Praline Tart and Madeleine, both of which were delicious. Overall, we look forward to returning to try more of the menu.

It didn't feel like just any lunch, treated like a special guest, incredible food for amazing value (even Gluten Free, which is no small feat!) - dedicated menu, and special care to ensure a stress free meal

Tasty, appetising and affordable. Very good service on time and excellent communication. Highly recommend.