Lentils with bacon lardon and poached egg
Originally uploaded by Manne.
Went to see Avenue Q with W the other night. Best Christmas present I have received in a very long time. Thank you so much! If you haven't seen Avenue Q (wikipedia) yet, get a move on. End of March it is over, and you will have missed out on some of the funniest songs ever performed on stage in Soho.
UPDATE: They have since this was originally written extended the show in a different venue. See the Avenue Q web site for times and tickets! Go, go!
It was a late evening show, so we needed something to eat before hand. Decided on Côte on Tavistock Street near Covent Garden since I read several good reviews about them a few months ago. Besides, there is something about the look and feel of a classic French bistro that just makes me feel at home. Côte does not disappoint.
The website: www.cote-restaurants.co.uk
SImple layout, good information, no unecessary clutter or design wanky bells and whistles. I like it, very accesible. Content wise emphasis on their food and wine, and press clippings about how good it is. Unfortunately no online booking, although you can email them.
Being the geek I am I want to book online so I booked through Toptable even though they were not doing any special offers. Oddly enough, the first thing I was presented with when arriving at the restaurant was an offer of pre theatre 2 or 3 course set menu, the last thing I got was a card with the offer of a free bottle of wine next time I come and order a two course meal... Put those online dammit!
The location:
Covent Garden, 17-21 Tavistock Street (map)
The staff:
Well dressed, friendly, chatty, which I like. Bit of confusion when I arrived, the girl in front didn't have my reservation. Not a problem though, I was seated anyway and in a really good spot too. When W arrived it got its explanation, they only had my first name down in the reservations list... What does Toptable send these people with the booking?
The place:
Very much a classic French bistro kind of look. A lot of small tables, suitable for couples doing a lot of deep eye gazing I assume. With the subtle colours and nice lighting this place certainly lends itself well to romance.
The crowd:
It actually did look very much like a theatre buff kind of place. Picking up little snippets of conversation while waiting for W I could hear names of plays and actors banded about.
Thanks to all the nooks and crannies in the place, we were sitting in a corner in a small oddly shaped room, sound levels were buzzy and active but low.
The food:
went straight for the specials menu, which had an interesting pre theatre selection for two or three courses. Decided on lentils with bacon lardon and a poached egg for starters, chargrilled chicken with leek an potato mash and a tomato salsa for main. Yummy, all of it. The poached egg deserves a special mention, it was perfection. A piece of the sun caught in a whispy cloud of egg white.
The gents:
Amazing toilets. Seriously. They smelled so fragrant and lovely you would think you were in a perfume shop.
The coffee: Didn't have any.
The bill:
This is where Cote gets boosted from "quite alright" to "great". Value for money wise, this is the best restaurant meal I have had in a long time. Olives and bread, two bottles of Kasteel Cru, fantastic starter and generous main with a bowl of string beans on the side for about 22 pounds.
The verdict:
I like this place. I like the look of it, the service was quick and friendly, the food is good. For a nice and unpretentious meal before a show I would recommend this place to anyone.
By the way, going back would make the meal even more value for money since they handed out a card with the bill that gives a free bottle of wine with any two main courses.
