Cafe Rouge St Kathryn Docks
I’m at a training course for the next couple of days. It’s right in the centre of London by Tower Bridge. The views are fantastic but it also gives the me the opportunity to try some of the food-places that are around the dock.
Where is Cafe Rouge?
Cafe Rouge is at St Kathryn Docks in London. It is the only dock in the City of London and it is where lots of people keep their boats. An added bonus of location is it is where the Royal Family keep the Gloriana – the boat The Queen traveled down the Thames in for her jubilee.
It looks very impressive all decked out in gold and a great contrast to the many other white cruisers that are stored at the dock.
Outside Cafe Rouge St Kathryn Docks
Its a perfect location – next to a marina by Tower Bridge. It does have outside seating and the sun, although it is cold outside, it bathing the restaurant in light, this lunchtime.
As part of a chain it has a similar feel to the rest of the Cafe Rouge I have visited,
Inside the Cafe Rouge St Kathryn Docks
Once again, being a chain restaurant, the interior is pretty standard for a Cafe Rouge – very french. It likes to give the impression of a French Bistro but if you’ve been to France in the last couple of decades, there aren’t many places actually like this anymore.
It has a mixture of bench seating and individual tables. This restaurant also has some high tables but I didn’t fancy eating at one of these so grabbed a table with a comfy bench.
The Menu
It’s french. Very french. And I must say that it does its french food quite adequately. I’ve had much worse french food in London (and I’ve also had much better). As it is a chain restaurant you can see the menu online and you’ll spot some classics.
French onion soup, beef bourguignon, mussels (moules), various croques (monsieur or Madame) and obviously steak frites. They have also recently added various different burgers.
My Food
As I only had 45 minutes for lunch I grabbed a main course only, skipping the starters. If I had more time I would have had the french onion soup as I do love it!
The Mains Event
I had a 50% off any main course voucher so I felt like someone with no money worries ordering my lunch! 😀 This could be a saving of up-to nearly £10 so wasn’t to be sniffed at.
I went for the sirloin steak. Of course I did. You’d been a fool not to. You look like a king ordering the most expensive thing on the menu. “Why yes,” you reply to the waiter, “Today I feel like having the sirloin steak. Like I do every day, for a feast like a king! … and I’ve got a voucher.” Seeing as I wasn’t paying full price for the steak I added a side portion of broccoli even though I’d be paying FULL PRICE for it.
I did decline an additional sauce for the steak, I’m not Jeffrey Bezos!
The food all arrived quickly. Nothing I ordered was complex and seeing as I enjoy my sirloin steaks rare, the meat didn’t need a long cook. It all looked great and my decision not to splash out on extra sauce was a good one as the butter it came with could be poured from a little saucepan over the steak.
I didn’t realise that the steak would come with a watercress salad. If I had I probably wouldn’t have ordered the broccoli. There was nothing wrong with the broccoli however I could have saved myself a couple of quid by enjoying the small salad that came with the steak as my veg.
Drink
As well as asking for a carafe of water, I asked for a Passion Fruitini. I was treating myself! It was suitably refreshing and made a quick lunch during training a bit more enjoyable. Would have been nice to have had a glass of wine with it though!
Cost of Lunch at Cafe Rouge St Kathryn Docks
With a tip, it came to about £20. A £10 saving brought the cost down and if I’d have not had the half-price main then it would have cost me £30. I’m not sure I’d be happy paying £30 for a single course of lunch, by myself but just under £20 didn’t feel too unreasonable – especially as I’d feasted like someone who ordered sirloin steak for lunch, but only because it was half price.
The Reverend’s Final Thought
Its always great to eat out on a voucher and this one was pretty good – half price mains. Overall, £20 for lunch is still an extravagance for me dining on my own, while ‘working’. I wouldn’t do it every day, voucher or not! Cafe Rouge is a chain restaurant and so the quality and offerings should be the same whether you are in central London or your local town. There are other, cheaper lunch options, even at Cafe Rouge – the often do a fixed price lunch menu of 3 courses for about £15 – but these menus don’t include sirloin steak.
I must say that if you are in London and visiting The Tower of London or Tower Bridge, I can certainly recommend the Cafe Rouge at St Kathryn Docks. On a sunny day there will be few more enjoyable places to sit and eat, and certainly not at this price point.
You can also read about my review of Cafe Rouge that is down the road by London Bridge station.