Review: Cafe Rouge Brighton Marina

Living only minutes away from Brighton Marina makes it the perfect place to just pop out for a quick bite to eat, a stroll along the seafront or to catch a movie. One of our favourite restaurants in the Marina is Cafe Rouge, and as we eat there quite often I was excited to be invited to pop down and see their brand new look after their recent refurbishment and try a few new items on the menu.

I had a random day off with Vee mid-week, so we treated ourselves to a lunch out, a catch-up and some people-watching on the boardwalk.

The restaurant itself is looking great after the major renovations, I have to say the last time I went it was looking a little tired, but local designer Linda Turner has done a fabulous job bringing an old favourite back to life. Instead of a large flat space, the inside of the restaurant has been sectioned into cozier, more intimate areas, with a mixture of soft black leather bench seating, both marble and wooden tables and pendant lighting. Keeping the classic French bistro theme, the walls are lined with monochrome imagery of chic Parisians and a black, gold and rouge theme throughout, however she has also added a nautical twist with portholes and a reclaimed nautical wall for a touch of the sea too.

We started with the Fougasse à l’ail – artisan garlic bread with warm garlic butter. Firstly, I just loved the presentation of the bread in the gorgeous wooden basket (hello, Instagram). The bread was freshly baked and still warm and utterly delicious. There was the perfect amount to share between two, although we could have done with a little more garlic butter as we fought after the last few drops!

For main courses, I opted for a vegetarian option and tried the Goats Cheese and Beetroot Tarte, which was served with a fresh house salad. This had a delicious flavour and crumbly topping, however I found the contents a little sloppy for my liking, I’m not sure if I would order it again if I’m honest but that’s my personal opinion. Vee went for her favourite, Steak Frites which she has every time without fail at Cafe Rouge and it never disappoints. On a previous visit I tried the Salmon and Haddock Fishcakes and have to say I wish I’d ordered this time as they are really tasty.

Stuffed from our starters and main courses, we only had a little room for pudding so opted for the Trio De Desserts to share – this consists of a miniture tarte tatin, tarte au citron and fondant aux chocolats. Just the perfect size after a really filling meal and a great way to sample a selection of different desserts too! All of the desserts are delicious, but my ultimate favourite has to be the Tarte Au Citron as I love that lemony tang (also handy for me as Vee doesn’t like lemon flavours, so I scoffed most of that….and most of the other ones too…. oops!).

All in all, we enjoyed our lunch at Cafe Rouge. I wouldn’t say the food is the highest quality in the world, but for the price and bearing in mind it’s a chain, its excellent value and has something for everybody. The new layout of the restaurant is much more elegant, comfortable and the sections make it feel more intimate than before. Cafe Rouge isn’t just ideal for lunch, but all times of day – they even have a pretty extensive breakfast menu that looked great. I can’t wait to go back when the weather is slightly warmer and sit on the terrace at the front and enjoy some sunshine with a glass of wine or two with my food.

Cafe Rouge is located on the boardwalk at Brighton Marina. There is free parking nearby and you can book online or call 01273 622423 to reserve your table.

 

Thank you to the team at Cafe Rouge for having us –  See you again soon!

 

I was kindly invited for a meal at Cafe Rouge in return of this review,
however all thoughts and opinions are my own.