Cote Brasserie - Watford in Watford

Tasty food, pleasant atmosphere and nice staff who knew how to accommodate food intolerances. I definitely recommend it if you are in Watford.

UPDATED: Being a vegetarian, I ordered a vegetarian dish (mushroom cassoulet) that came with the optional extra of Toulouse pork sausage, which the waiter had not mentioned or asked if I wanted, I contacted Côte to feed this back to them and their Business Integrity Incident Manager, Sophia Blackburn, responded to say the matter would be fully investigated. The response I received said: "From our investigation, I can confirm that no additional Toulouse sausage was included in your dish, and you were not charged for it. Our team is confident that the meal was prepared correctly, and sometimes fable mushrooms, which are used in the mushroom cassoulet, can have a texture that is mistaken for meat." This extremely disappointing and completely inadequate response is nonsense and no less than a lie. Having hoped for an apology and a make-good gesture, this response further tarnishes Côte's "beloved brand" as they called it in their reply. Having eaten meat for the first time in two years due to this mistake, I expected far better service from a chain with the reputation of Côte and want to mention this so other vegetarians aren't given meat they haven't asked for, and don't also have to suffer not being believed when they take the time and energy to feed this back. FINAL UPDATE: Côte have offered a goodwill gesture of a £30 voucher, which I appreciate, while continuing to stick to their line that they did nothing wrong and there was no meat in the meal. Believing one person's word over another's and effectively calling customers liars isn't good practice for any company, but I can't see any way of making further progress so will leave the matter here, and hope that the next meal I eat at Côte doesn't contain any unexpected surprises.

Great food and really attentive service. Thank you.

Very, very poor breakfast. We have been waiting very long time, around 25 mins. Small amount of smashed avocado, 3 poor cherry tomatoes, 2 small slices of bread, we didn’t get mixed micro salad and chili flakes. Toasts for french brakfast came few minutes after dishes. Service were not intresting. Atention! You can’t pay by cash! 3 times better breakfast we had in The Florist very close from Cote.

We have a lovely experience every time we come, today we had a lovely surprise that their first 50 customers got a free steak and chips and it was delicious! Our server Neringa Is always so kind and welcoming and makes the atmosphere amazing. Would recommend to anyone!! The manager Svet is so involved and attentive makes sure everyone has an incredible time. Thank you to all the staff who make us feel so welcome.

Last minute pit stop with children. Easily the best kids 3 course meal we have ever experience. They LOVED it. For a chain, really excellent service, cocktails, food and atmosphere. A very pleasant surprise

We enjoyed our anniversary dinner there. Food was delicious and staff was very attentive, welcoming and genuine

We went Coté this morning for breakfast,we could not fault it. The breakfast was delicious,I had the Gluten Free Coté breakfast which was absolutely delicious. The Mushrooms were delicious,so was the Bacon and the Saussages. The Hash Browns were absolutely delicious,by a long shot they were the nicest quality and flavour of Hash Browns I have ever had. The Toast and Butter was delicious. I had the Green juice and Apple juice which were delicious. The breakfast complete deal was fantastic,it came with a breakfast of your choice,a juice and a hot drink. The Staff were friendly and the service was quick. It had a nice atmosphere,it was very peaceful and quiet. It was airy and the decor was nice. I would recommend you park in Church car park as it is close to the high street and you end up outside of Las Iguanas. Just two doors down to your left is Cote. There is a lovely shopping centre behind Coté and there are loads of entertainment places available nearby. I would highly recommend Coté.

Always a warm welcome from the lovely staff at this restaurant. The food was lovely as always and little valentines decorations on the table made lunch extra special.

Update: 05/feb/2025 Visited again. Still a brilliant place to visit. Service standards and food quality still high as always. Thank you, Camelia, Emilia, Andreea (again :-)) Jock and Jessica. You made my birthday visit an excellent one. :-) _______________________ Despite being short of staff, this restaurant is awesome. Went here again last week. As i knew, i would be returning after my last experience. Now im looking at returning for my birthday next month, which should be nice. Thank you to Ed. Jessica. Neringa. Alwin. Violeta. Lewis and abdul. - previous review. A massive thanks to this restaurant. I came here for a friends wedding meal. The staff are awesome, and the cook is amazing. Due to dietary needs, i never eat steak, but today, i made an exception for the first time in 17 years (yes, seriously!). Kasper made an awesome mean steak with fries, so tasty well cooked (my preference, i can't do medium) and tender. Made my day. Thank you, Kasper. Emilia and Andreea, awesome service. On point. Well organised and we were warm welcomes. Thank you both. Cosy and clean restaurant. Def a new favourite for myself in the future.

We have visited Cote on numerous occasions and have always enjoyed our dining experiences. However, our recent visit on Sunday was disappointing. Upon arrival, we were informed that the steak selection had been significantly reduced, with many of the dishes unavailable. The service was also unprofessional, as the dishes from the first course remained on the table for an extended period without any staff members attempting to remove them. When collected, staff member was chewing food and made it very uncomfortable for us when it happened. That wasn’t a professional approach. Given these experiences, we believe that Cote no longer meets our expectations and would not recommend it to others.

Love the steak tartare one of my favourite. Moules frites and the rib eye steak with the peppercorn sauce is a must. Finally finished off with these beautiful desserts.

It was really nice, the servers were accommodating and the food was delicious. I would definitely come again!

Went early (6pm) on Thursday place was almost empty. Service was good and the food was excellent for a chain.

Always a gorgeous breakfast and lovely helpful staff!

The experience was deeply disappointing. The tables were sticky, setting a poor tone from the start. The food was barely edible, and we only forced it down because we were absolutely starving. The beans were undercooked, and the avocado tasted old, clearly not fresh. The orange juice was neither freshly squeezed nor natural, and the eggs were clearly pre-made, lacking any sense of care or quality. Even the bread was dry and unappealing. Overall, a dismal meal I wouldn’t wish to repeat.

Lovely staff and good food. We had breakfast with a very good French Toast the berries one and coffee which can be highly recommended. Thank you for a beautiful breakfast

Came for brunch with my friends today and was very disappointed with the food. Everyone who ordered a meal with eggs were served them overcooked. When we requested fresh eggs they were only marginally better. The food was also cold. We were keen to not pay service charge but as the staff took so long to organise payment we couldn’t be bothered to request it was removed from the bill. Will not be attending again.

My friend and I had a lovely meal on Christmas eve it was a lovely atmosphere and the food was delicious and the staff were very friendly 10/10

I had lunch with my dad at Cote Brasserie Watford yesterday. The food was delicious, but it took a while to arrive. The service was friendly and the atmosphere was nice.

Can't go wrong. Best French Bistro chain in the market offering good value. Voilà

Great service. Thank you Svet and Mikaela

5 stars. Good food with greatest service. Thxs Svet and Mikaela Second time in this restaurant and never disappointed.

Thank you Svet and Mikaela. For the great time I’ve have.

Went last night with small group of friends for our Christmas get together. The food was excellent. The service was excellent. We spent well over £500, which included a hefty percentage for service and then were told it's not their practice to give a complimentary drink, mint or chocolate at the end of a meal. How churlish and what poor customer service @cote

The staff are always friendly and welcoming. The food was of it's usual amazing standard. Always a pleasure to visit this restaurant

Lovely place with great atmosphere. Food was good and service excellent. A small accident with the pate was quickly and efficiently dealt with. Would definitely go again.

Myself and my brother went for Dinner here The steaks were superb but gave us the wrong steaks and my brother noticed it as soon as he cut it and we informed the waiter who apologised and offered to change it, as it was just the cooking of it rather than the stakes we just swapped them. what was a bit annoying was the attitude of the waitress, it was our first time here we placed our order for the wine which she brought over and when she was away fetching the wine we noticed an offer which included a free bottle of wine. we asked if we could take the offer instead and she said it was already poured and we couldn't do it, we offered to pay the small difference in price and she replied rudely, its not possible and we should have checked before ordering. While she was right there was no need for the attitude We still chose the deal and just brought the bottle of wine home with us. Otherwise it was a nice place to go to and we would go again and hopefully not see the same waitress again

We had dinner for two late on Friday night. We hadn't booked, but as there was space, they accommodated us. We knew what we wanted (Cote de boeuf) so our order was fairly quick. When it arrived, it was cooked perfectly to our taste (probably too red for most, but it was perfect for us). The accompanying truffled sauce was great. We then had a cheese board, which was just right - the selection we had suited us perfectly. Rounding off with a chocolate pudding, coffee and a digestive, we were happy that we had chosen Cote in Watford. The staff were friendly and the service just right.

Came here for a Birthday dinner ... what a mistake! One starter returned, calamari was covered in oil... The butter de Paris is actually a curry butter that tasted disgusting! A horrible meal that turned our evening into an absolute nightmare.

The major issue with this restaurant is the disabled toilet usage, it seems to be common place for all and sundry to use. In my personal opinion this should be for disabled people only, there is a curtain which is left open all the time, and generally the not disabled people leave the door open which is totally inconsiderate and not nice when you are eating in a restaurant which coincidentally is not cheap by any means. Dear management please resolve this issue , l have been using the restaurant since opening and to be honest l will not be returning until you resolve this issue, and the staff when no manager is present are not very polite.

Lovely family dinner celebrating birthdays. Food and wine were great and friendly service too.

Everything 5 star 10 star! Andreea is a wonderful and thoughtful manager 😁 will Come again!

Regrettably, the quality of the food has taken a noticeable downturn. My partner and I were particularly disappointed when our tea and coffee were served with skimmed milk, leaving our drinks lacking the creaminess we enjoy. However, the real letdown came with the breakfast. The meal was pale, unappetising, and almost completely devoid of flavour—certainly not worth the price we paid. This was especially disheartening, as we’ve had enjoyable meals here in the past. On a positive note, the service remains commendable, but sadly, it isn’t enough to make up for the overall disappointment.

On the Watford side, we ate well, and the staff were particularly attentive to allergies, adapting the dishes to meet everyone's needs. Really attentive service which made the experience even more enjoyable.

Excellent experience. From the welcome to the dishes, including the management of food allergies and the dessert not à la carte but pleasantly provided by the team, we do not regret our choice of restaurant at any time.

Great food, friendly staff, and cosy setting

Thoroughly enjoyed dinner with my mum to celebrate her birthday. Staff were really lovely and their service definitely justified a charge, it added to our evening. They generously treated both of us to a glass of celebratory fizz which was a lovely surprise and made the evening particularly special. Food was great - beef bourguignon here is significantly better than that which I've had in other branches of Cote.

I used to really enjoy cote breakfast but it has gone massively downhill. They only had 2 members of staff on a busy Saturday morning. We ordered some coffee which came after about 20 minutes and was lukewarm and not very nice. The cost cutting on the breakfast is also clear. Food took about an hour to arrive. My poached egg was completely cooked through and had a weird taste. The harissa beans were so dry. Bacon really fatty rashers now instead of what it used to be. Wouldn’t bother with cote at all, go to Cassio lounge next door it’s miles better.

Breakfast was mediocre. I had the Cote breakfast. They forgot to bring the haricot beans. The Moroccan lady who served us was really nice. I score her a 0 in customer service. She hovered around us as if she couldn't wait for us to leave. At one point I had to ask her if there was time limit per visit. The restaurant, by the way, was empty. Mediocre food, terrible service.

Good food. Acceptable prices....I will recommended.

I used to really like this restaurant but it seems to have changed. I went at lunchtime and it was empty apart from one other table. The menu has changed since I last visited, hardly any vegetarian dishes now. I had a butternut squash tarte tatin which was awful. It was a pile of grey/brown slop, nothing discernable in it, on a soggy bit of pastry. I gave it a good go but it was inedible. The side salad was a bowl of lettuce drenched in salad dressing. On the plus side, my husband enjoyed his steak and chips and the staff were nice. I wouldn’t visit again.

Amazing food, and excellent value for money ,also the staff very friendly and helpful ,the variety of the menu very we recommend.

Great food, went with a group of 20. Lovely cocktails and food was delicious - especially the mussels!

Great place food good. Service excellent and staff very friendly. Will definitely be back.

First time here and surprised that it was not very busy. A delightful manager explained that people eat much earlier since COVID. The only reason for the 4 star for atmosphere was the lack of customers in what is a large restaurant. The photos show that we had only starter portions on our dishes and were more than generous and for excellent food. Unlike so many now trying to influence our national tipping level, only 10% was added and very happy to pay! Value for money in this world we now live in.

Always a great time at Cote. The dinner & cocktails were amazing and Andreea was a very welcoming and helpful host. Thoroughly recommend!

Sat 15 - 20 mins no one acknowledged us or took our order. They then sat a table next to us and took their order before ours. Left after that.

Camelia and Meringa provided very good costumer service. Welcoming atmosphere and food was great. We will be back soon.

Fantastic service as always by Andreea Ivan. Always a fabulous welcome without fail. Thank you and looking forward to seeing you again 😊

Lovely food, a little quiet but it was a tuesday. Drinks were great, staff really cool.

Lovely food service and environment. Also do small carafes of wine

Lovely staff and the food was really nice and fresh

Delightful breakfast and gluten free , total win-win :)

Lovely staff and the food was really nice and fresh

Delightful breakfast and gluten free , total win-win :)

The Restaurant was full. Holidays & Watford playing at home. Staffing level was inadequate. Should have been 6 at least serving for the number of customers Just 3. They were not to blame polite & apologetic but an hour wait from starter to main course. Also needs a makeover. Cote are normally good.

Went for lunch on a Saturday. Place seemed to be in meltdown. From entering to first course arriving was over 1 hour 10 mins. When the food came it was cold and overcooked.

The manager was rude to us. Food and atmosphere was alright, cleanliness to be improved. Been to other Côte branches and this one we will definitely not re visit

The food was OK but nothing special. We started with some olives but were surprised at the very small serving. I had mussels as a main course and they were quite well cooked in a pleasant sauce. There were a lot of them. They came with some chips, which were not proper chips but scrawny things (which I was then charged for!). Bread woud have been expected but none was provided. My partner ordered from the Pris Fixe menu. It is a limited menu: she ordered chicken but was subsequently told there was none available. Reluctantly she chose the minute steak. It was not good, very thin and rather tasteless. Prior to that she had the chacutierie board. That was OK although, again, the bread was a problem, the portion that came with it was very meagre. The price of drinks was outrageous. Almost £12 for 250ml of wine -- and not particularly good wine at that. All in all, a very expensive meal for mediocre food and extortionately overpriced wine. Poor value for money. Won't be going back.

Food here is amazing, delicious and I loved it. Service was really good and staff were friendly too. I loved the salad bowl items. It perfectly done and filling as well. Had elderflower drinks and beer for drinks. Would like to go again. Much appreciated.

took half an hour just to get an avocado toast with poached eggs and it was cold when it was finally served. waiting for the bill took another 10 minutes

We had breakfast here, the food was good but the price compared to with the portion they offer you in other places it is a bit high..the place was nice

First time coming here, Really bad food really bad atmosphere, I will never come back

Quality of food and originality of the menu were outstanding.

Great food great atmosphere very clean & the food I could not fault would highly recommend very clean staff were very helpful a nice place to test & refuel

Stopped in for a bite to eat very clean & well set out food was fabulous & very filling staff were very courteous & made you feel welcome easy access for wheelchairs & a very good selection of food & meals the service was outstanding would go again & recommend

Our anniversary dinner at Côte was amazing, the food & drinks were great, the staff were kind, hospitable and so attentive. Kindly give us some Prosecco to celebrate our anniversary! I will definitely be returning soon & recommend to anyone!!!

Great food and customer service realy enjoyed my experience here.

Wonderful food shame we had the place to ourselves. Expensive but great for a treat

Wow what a disappointment. Sticky tables. Food that we had to eat only because we were already starving. Beans are under cooked, avocado is old substitute, orange juice is not fresh or squeezed or natural. Egges are pre made, bread is sad. The waitress was nice…but the level of disgust we had on our face should have been enough for her to understand we are super not pleased. But didn’t want to make a fuss as we did eat what we had served. But really I feel like we desecrated our bodies just because we were so hungry. (P.S our daughter waited for an hour for a French Toast). Of course we did not receive any compensation. Only after we commented something was adjusted on the bill… But really, somebody needs to rethink this place. For sure not deserve 4 stars

Excellent attention, good food, wine and details. I will return there for sure.

Always delicious food! Have had several dishes over the years and it never disappints. Thank you!

I had a great time here. The breakfast was delicious, and the staff was friendly. I will definitely be coming back!

Food was delicious, drinks were delicious and service was excellent. Thank you to all at Cote.

Waste of money. Walking in and seeing how few people were there on a Saturday night at 7:45 should have been the warning to run. Ordered ratatouille and the haricot beans were ad hard as bullets. Nothing special. When plates were left uneaten there was no enquiry about why.

If you are fortunate enough to have Neringa or Suet take your order you are in for a treat. There knowledge of the food and drinks menu is exceptional! Always smiling they ensure that everyone has a great time and exceptional food.

Excellent fish and steak frites but unfortunately overcooked sirloin. Otherwise an enjoyable meal, and a good option if you are looking for something a little nicer in what feels like a run-down area.

Came on Sunday 16 June. Service was very slow.

Nice pub. Nice atmosphere. Would return if I'm in the area.

After an interminable wait for a tuna nicoise (how long can it take to overcook tuna?), I wasn't given the bill just asked to tap only to discover service had already been added. A bit to dissembling frankly. I wasn't expecting quite such an authentically Parisieene experience. Ok? yes, over priced? yes, A franchise which is only acceptable if the franchisee makes it work. This one should be ashamed of herself.

This is not the first time visiting the restaurant, and have always returned due to the great food, lovely atmosphere, and above all the attentiveness and friendliness of the team, especially the servers. We were served by a lovely gentleman with an amazing beard, Vet Boykinov, who was friendly, professional and attentive, without being overbearing. An absolutely great experience.

Wow, Just amazing food and amazing staff, Give them a pay rise, Thank you so much, See you very soon!!!

Called in for breakfast today and was met by lovely friendly staff. Seated in a booth with my friends and the place looked clean and comfortable. Only 2 waitresses on so a slight delay but it didn’t detract from the experience. I enjoyed my Cote breakfast and the produce was quality and very tasty. Beautiful poached eggs. Excellent service throughout and I would recommend Cote Brassiere.

Nice calming atmosphere. The staff were lovely and checked up on me and my partner. They were also knowledgeable about the food. Extra bonus for returning belongings we left!!! I had the lamp rump spring special for my main and it was delicious!! Starters were lovely too. Would total recommend for a nice relaxing evening

Very impressed with the complete service as a whole with a large party to accommodate. Thank you to the staff at Watford for providing the birthday girl with a special treat!

Visited for a midweek lunch with my wife. Faultless service, pleasant relaxing atmosphere only to be spoilt by substandard food. Ordered a ribeye steak cooked rare with herby salad and fries. Steak arrived medium-well with a 'herby salad' which literally consisted of a bunch of flat leaf parsley and three thin slices of red onion on top of them. Might pop back for a coffee from time to time but the quality of the food has really put us off.

The food was great the team very attentive knowledgeable and polite the atmosphere was beautiful we stayed outside because the weather was beautiful and there was live music coming from somewhere it was lovely definitely coming back and recommending to everyone.

Very friendly staff who upon overhearing that we had dropped in for a bite to eat on my birthday, whilst on our way to an evening out, Surprised me with a Birthday cake. The service is always of the highest quality and the Menu and drinks choice is second to none. I would and have recommended this Cote branch to family and friends.

Food was good but service was slower than I had hoped, even though inside it was very quiet and there weren't many customers in.

Experienced a lovely flavoursome dinner. The food was enjoyed by all and James was a great waiter. Will definitely come again in the near future.

Nice food especially the baked camembert 😋 The service is very professional and nice and we want to thank particularly the commis waiter Owolabi Ayouba Okoro, he was helpful, smiling and gave us very good advices and all in French! Great experience for us French, to come to a French brasserie in England and hear French spoken. Thank you very much 😊

Very friendly staff, food was fine. Only I ordered a medium steak, but it was well done. Otherwise good

Cote Restaurant is a cozy spot nestled in the heart of the city, with warm lighting and rustic decor that sets the perfect ambiance for a delightful dining experience. From the moment we walked in, the manager (Edgaras) greeted us with a warm smile and ensured that we were seated comfortably. Throughout our meal, the waiter ( Svet) and the Manager (Edgaras ) were attentive and friendly, offering helpful suggestions and making sure our glasses were never empty. As for the food, it was absolutely fantastic! Each dish was expertly prepared with fresh, high-quality ingredients, and the flavors were simply divine. And let's not forget about dessert – the creme caramel was the perfect sweet ending to a memorable meal. Overall, Cote Restaurant exceeded my expectations in every way. The combination of delicious food, impeccable service, and charming ambiance makes it a must-visit for anyone looking for an unforgettable dining experience."

Delicious food when it arrived. Great choice of main menu dishes and especially the fixed price menu. We were a bit rushed for the theatre, so food was slow coming out but the waiter was so very lovely. Very patient with a very large group.

Had a lovely meal. Restaurant was full and the food was delicious. Neringa deserves a huge shout for helping with the order and great service. Keep it up 👏

Great meal, great food, great wine recommendation by our waitress, great asparagus in breadcrumbs starter, great onion soup, great rib eye steak, great moules, great apple tarte tatin, great coffee. Overall it was great.

First time I visited at the Cote and my experience is excellent 💯,Food was so delicious and also service was so quick, specially staff was very kind and helpful, the ambience was very amazing feels like heaven,I personally recommend this restaurant specially watford. Thank you so much for everything.

Nice to have Cote in Watford. A reliable choice. Fair price. Waiting staff are particularly good in this branch.

The staff were good but the food was slow to come out and what I would call small portions, it doesn’t need to be huge for brunch but the smoked salmon on seeded bread was tiny. Food was distinctly average, I’d go somewhere else next time. As another reviewer stated the halls to the toilets are incredibly slippery. Safety hazard