We recently stayed overnight at the Sloane Square Hotel in Chelsea (review to come soon). With a five-year-old in tow – exhausted and hyper after his first day visiting London – we needed somewhere affordable and relaxed to eat…and luckily there was an option right next door.
There’s actually a door through from the Sloane Square Hotel that leads directly into the neighbouring Côte Brasserie – and the hotel does offer packages which include an evening meal or a cooked breakfast (if you’re not tempted by the continental option that the hotel offers as standard). We hadn’t booked, but there were plenty of tables free when we arrived for a nice early 5.30pm meal and we were seated instantly.
Côte Brasserie Sloane Square is an attractively designed place: a place that feels relaxed enough to dine there with an overtired child yet glamorous enough to fit in with its high-end neighbours. Tables are spaced a decent distance apart, the staff are smartly dressed and the bar in particular is beautiful.
We were there for the Côte Brasserie prix fixe menu, which we thought seemed like incredible value for money. From Monday to Friday between 12 and 7pm, you can enjoy two courses for £16.95 or three for £20.95, including both Côte classics and some more innovative dishes.
We began with a fougasse to share (£6.50). Slashed as is traditional into a shape that resembles a head of wheat, it wasn’t as crispy as I’d have expected from a genuine fougasse but that could have been down to the liberal quantity of garlic butter that had been poured over the top. With plenty of large flakes of sea salt also sprinkled over before serving, it was absolutely delicious.
For a prix fixe menu, the charcuterie board starter was ok: two thick tranches of toasted sourdough with a pat of salted butter, a meagre bowl of cornichons (sweeter and less zingy than their British counterparts) and thinly sliced Bayonne and Coppa ham. The smoked salmon fishcake, meanwhile, came with a deliciously creamy mustard sauce, and while the outside was lovely and crisp, the filling was a little light on the salmon flavour.
Across the table, a £5 surcharge saw the minute steak on the Côte Brasserie prix fixe menu upgraded to an 8oz ribeye, nicely seared and cooked perfectly medium-rare. It could have done with a little more resting time but the flavour was delicious. Great frites, too.
I enjoyed more of those frites with my main course. The poulet grillé is a classic Côte Brasserie dish: a flattened, chargrilled chicken breast served with a creamy mushroom and thyme sauce. A beautiful main course with incredible flavours.
£16.95 for two courses in the heart of Chelsea is incredible value for money. Each course was served promptly (which may explain the lack of resting time for the steak), the portion sizes were good and the flavours, on the whole, were great. Was it a spectacular meal? Not really. But for a quick family bite at a decent price when you’re surrounded by high-end restaurants, it’s not a bad shout.