Informal and quite intimate, the Café Rouge experience will almost always be nice, although it lacks the authenticity of an independent French restaurant.

The Venue
Every detail at Café Rouge is meant to inspire images of an unsophisticated, relaxing French bistro, embracing the vintage feel of the posters, the art nouveau designs on the wine menus, the train-style metal railings above the padded benches - a fixture in authentic and historical Parisian bistros - and the dark wood used for the bent-wood chairs and the floor. With a bit of imagination and a blind eye to the contemporary mix-and-match glass lampshades and cute wall drawings, you could imagine yourself in France.

Other details complement this well structured space: padded booths in burgundy velvet, a big wine counter, some straw armchairs, large windows towards the busy Tottenham Court Road intersection, a patio –unfortunately too trafficked and polluted to be truly enjoyable – and dim lighting, very well suited to the vintage atmosphere.

The Atmosphere
The atmosphere is partly responsible for your imaginary trip to a quiet corner of France. The staff are just as you would imagine, deferent, very polite and just a tad formal. French songs play quietly in the background and the intimate lighting would appeal to couples. However, the feeling of a pre-fabricated, manufactured atmosphere is one that no chain restaurant can escape. Cafe Rouge isn’t the ideal destination for tete-a-tete dinners. In fact, families and groups seem to be the largest portion of the customers: they are attracted by a fairly large venue, a known menu and the guaranteed positive experience.

The Food
The menu is rich in French favourites like croque monsieur, soup a l’oignon, Quiche Lorraine and more. However, less known dishes are given ample space and the menu works well to expand your culinary horizons where France is concerned. From the casse-croutes (breads and dishes to share, £2.20 - £10.50), the Provencal fougasse (£5.95) is made with French bread not too dissimilar from the consistency and crunchy crust of a baguette. It comes with aioli, another Southern French favourite. Within the starters (£5.50 - £6.95), the fritots de Camembert (£5.75) are a guilty pleasure. Deep fried cheese isn’t exactly healthy but the crispy outside and melting inside is a small slice of paradise for cheese lovers.

The house specialty mains (£10.50 - £13.95) include classics like the confit de canard (crispy duck confit) and boeuf bourguignon as well as several dishes fairly unknown to the general public. The fruits de mer Dieppoise (£13.95) is a mix of salmon, mussels and dory bathed in cream and white wine together with vegetables. The flavour is smooth, every mouthful exciting thanks to the strong seafood and the added zing given by the wine. The legumes Breton (£10.50), instead, are a much toned down version suitable for vegetarians. Herb mash is matched with vegetables cooked in herb cream thinned by white wine. Rather delicate, this recipe has the advantage of making vegetables richly comforting. Light dishes (£7.75 - £10.25), classic grilled meats (£10.25 - £16.75) and salads (£8 - £10.50) are also available.

The French desserts (£4.95 - £7.25) are exactly what you would expect, sweet, rich and terribly indulgent. The tarte tatin (£4.95), served cold, shows off the flavour of French caramel, although it cannot win in competition with the pave de chocolat (£5.25), a warm chocolate and walnut brownie topped with chocolate ganache and a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The Drink
It’s no surprise that all the wines are French. there are about a dozen whites (£13.95 - £26) and as many reds (£13.95 - £23). A few are available by the glass, fairly priced at £3.55 to £4.25 for a small one and £5 to £6 for a large one. Champagne is also available. Take your pick between De Castelnau, Perrier Jouet and Moutard Rose (£32.90 - £42.90). Other options include beer and cider (£3.25 - £3.60) like Leffe, Hoegaarden, Kronenbourg, Cidre Breton, soft drinks (£2.10 - £3.35) and classic French aperitifs, definitely worth trying if you have never tasted the sweet delights of Ricard or Kir (£2.95 - £4.20).

The Last Word
Cafe Rouge maintains a fine balance of cosy surroundings with comforting food. Although you might wish the atmosphere was less standard, for a good dinner without haute expectations, this place is ideal and very centrally located.

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