CAFE ROUGE SUMMER MENU

Summer has arrived! 
This time I ventured further south to try out the newly launched Summer Menu at the Parisian-style bistro, Cafe Rouge in Dulwich.
The popular Park Hall Road location boasts a quaint garden area which is perfect for some relaxing al fresco summer dining - it's also shaded so you can still dine outside if the weather happens to take a turn. You just can never tell with the temperamental British weather ...

We started with a couple of Gin Blooms, which comes in a variety of floral and fruity flavours: Elderflower, Grapefruit and Orange, Cucumber and Watermelon, and Green Tea and Lemongrass. For those looking for something a bit more innocent (a.k.a. alcohol-free), they also have arrange of refreshing mocktails.

For starters, I ordered the Panier de Champignons which was sautéed chestnut mushrooms in a cèpe & garlic sauce, served in delicious light and flaky vol-au-vent - a really enjoyable dish if you love mushrooms as much as I do. The Camembert has always been one of my favourites from the main menu, a crunchy breaded outer coating with a warm and ooze-y centre - a cheese lover's dream.

For our mains, we opted for more hearty, meatier options. I do love a schnitzel, and really enjoyed the Pork Schnitzel that was coated in crispy, golden breadcrumbs, served with a refreshing celeriac and cabbage slaw, baby watercress and frites.
  We requested for the 5oz 'Minute' Rump (35 day aged British rump steak) to be cooked medium rare so it was still pink in the middle, which you can choose to have with fries or house salad. You can request for some garlic butter on the side, or add on other sauces such as beef dripping Merlot gravy and Béarnaise.

And finally for dessert, we shared the Raspberry Parfait with sweet white chocolate sauce and salted caramel pistachios, that was highly recommended by the lovely manager - a lovely cooling dessert, that was not too sweet, and ideal for warm summer days.

Alongside their extensive main a la carte menu, Cafe Rouge also currently offer a Summer Set Menu everyday from 12noon onwards, where you can enjoy two courses for a bargain price of £12.95 (with and additional £3.00 to include dessert). 

There are plenty of other tasty seasonal dishes on the menu which you can browse here. 
Or even better - find your closest cafe Rouge by clicking on this link to enjoy some good value, wholesome French food.

The Cheekster, signing out x

The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own.

CAFE ROUGE SPRING MENU

The weather outside may seem quite wet and gloomy, but the fresh new menu at Cafe Rouge is sure to put a spring back into your step. 

I revisited one of my favourite Cafe Rouge branches at Hays Galleria last weekend to try their Spring Menu, when the weather was much more pleasant, to enjoy lunch on their outdoor terrace. 

A combination of French classics with a British twist, the new menu is inspired by this season's flavours and tastes, as well as their Executive Chef Bruno Balle travels across France, from Calais to Corsica. Sourcing the best ingredients and suppliers, the new dishes are a culmination of traditional recipes and techniques, and welcomes families and friends to embrance the French way of life, and enjoy good French food and drink.

The drinks menu consisted of a list of refreshing Gin Blooms, Cocktails and fruity Mocktails - I started with a bubbly Kir Rouge followed by a much more innocent Peach Iced Tea.

For starters, we ordered the Tian of Crab and Avocado which was seasoned nicely with a touch of coriander mayonnaise, and the Mackerel Rillettes, a rich yet light mackerel pate with creme fraiche and horseradish, served with dill-pickled cucumber and chargrilled rye & caraway bread. 

The two mains that followed were just as vibrant and flavourful. I really enjoyed the Lamb Cassoulet, inspired by the traditional Southern French cassoulet originating from the province of Languedoc. The rump of lamb was really tender, and served pink on a rich cassoulet of haricot beans, bacon lardons, spinach, carrots, celery and onions. A hearty and comforting dish that I would be tempted to order again on my next visit.

I love a good tart, and the Tarte de Printemps had a nice, buttery pastry filled with confit shallots, Emmental cheese, goat's cheese, sundried tomatoes, baby watercress, and served with a colourful house salad.

And finally for dessert, we decided on the Torte au Chocolat that was highly recommended by the lovely manager - a French chocolate torte that was really rich and indulgent, with a smooth, gooey texture in the centre. The strawberry & black pepper sorbet that we had was also intriguing and perfect for a sunny day.

Alongside their extensive main a la carte menu, Cafe Rouge also currently offer a Spring Set Menu everyday from 12noon onwards, where you can enjoy two courses for a bargain price of £12.95 (with and additional £3.00 to include dessert). 

You can have a further browse of their tantalizing menu here, and find your closest cafe Rouge by clicking on this link.

The Cheekster, signing out x

The meal was complimentary, but views remain my own. 

CAFE MONICO + BIRDCAGE AFTERNOON TEA AT PARK LANE HOTEL

Just less than a week before the wedding (the best friend's - not mine!), and it looks like I have failed in resisting the temptation to indulge in more good food over the weekend. 

First up is Cafe Monico, located on bustling Shaftesbury Avenue, inspired by the original Cafe Monico, established in 1877, and serves French-Italian dishes in a traditional brasserie setting.

We were seated on the upper floor where natural light flowed in through the windows, on a table which overlooked the bar downstairs. Our friendly waiter arrived with a basket of warm, crusty baguette with butter. He recommended The Cafe Monico Cobbler as an aperitif, which came served in a silver cup and straw, topped with a slice of peach and a bite-sized flapjack - someone must have known that I was hungry and peckish (!)

My starter of grilled octopus was nicely cooked and well-marinated, served on a chilled salad of potatoes. The steak tartare look appetizing with a bright egg yolk on top, and had a nice texture, although we both found it a bit too spicy - I generally like spicy food, but prefer to add my own marinade to my steak tartare.

I had the lamb chops as my main, which although did not look quite as pink, was actually really tender, served with chickpeas and two flavourful merguez sausages. I would have preferred the dish to be slightly less 'wet', but overall the flavours were nice.

The skin on the sea bass was quite crisp and lightly seasoned, served on a bed of black cabbage and a squeeze of lemon to add a citrus-y zest.

The highlight of the meal for me was most definitely the Paris Brest, one of my favourite French desserts, with a light choux pastry filled with rich indulgent praline cream - so worth the calories.

The Crêpe soufflé Grand Marnier was also delicious. I would recommend to save space for dessert- one of my life rules that I strictly live by...

A great location for theatre-goers or those looking for a casual lunch/dinner, after-work drinks...

And after yet another break from afternoon tea, we celebrated Sarah's birthday at The Palm Court at Sheraton London Park Lane, where they serve the Birdcage Afternoon Tea. The beautiful lounge which features original Art Deco offers a glimpse into the magic and history of the roaring 20's.

There are 27 tea blends, from which I chose the Elderflower Darjeeling.
As the name suggests, three-tiered trays in the shape of birdcages were placed before us, displaying a selection of delicate finger sandwiches, buttery plain and sultana scones, and a variety of fine pastries.
From the savoury selection, I particularly liked the mini dill and seaweed scone topped with Severn & Wye smoked salmon and caper cream, and the confied chicken curried mayonnaise on basil bread. 
The scones were served with clotted cream and some interesting homemade preserves, such as the rhubarb and ginger jam.
 The cakes and pastries were really pretty and delicate, and not overly sweet, which I liked.

And to celebrate Sarah's special day, they also brought out a birthday cake for Sarah which was really sweet of them.

Overall we had a lovely and relaxing experience, and there was also a harpist playing music in the background, which always adds a nice touch.   

I will be flying off to Canada in a few days, and will most probably continue posting whilst I'm away - hopefully about something exciting (food and wedding-related!), and not about something unfortunate, like losing my luggage at the airport (!) 
It's okay, I've got travel insurance, just in case...

The Cheekster, signing out x