I know what you are thinking. “Why is this basic bitch telling me about another chain restaurant?”. Well, I don’t know if you have seen this news kicking about anywhere, but there is currently a pandemic. Rather than getting invited to reviews or going to restaurants I want to try off of my own back, I’ve been trying to just blog when I can and also because I’ve had so much free time during the lockdown I have also been trying to beef up my recipe section a bit too. So when Trace (that’s my Mum) and I decided to go to Windsor for a day because I’d been before and it was lovely, I thought I might as well review my Cafe Rouge experience while we were there for something to eat.

First and foremost, they had their Covid-19 procedure down to a fine art. Unlike when I went to Prezzo, Lakeside a couple of weeks back, they actually took our names for track and trace. They also had a one way system and all of the hygiene stuff like hand gel and that. Very safe and very clean!

What’s on the menu at Cafe Rouge?

In case you couldn’t tell form the, you know, French, in the name, Cafe Rouge is actually French cuisine. Now that I have helped you to make the earth-shattering discovery, shall we all see what sort of food “French” food is? I lived in France for six months when I was 20 and a few years after I probably still couldn’t tell you what food was “French” even if it had come served with a string of onions wearing a beret. All of the standard French fayre is on the menu at Cafe Rouge, apart from snails and frogs legs, and can I just say on that, good. You’ll find things like Moules and Poulet Breton, but when we visited it was breakfast time. I like the breakfast menu at Cafe Rouge more than any other menu’s because it contains one of the foods I have been in a long-term love affair with forever: a Croque Monsieur. Yes, I’m aware it is just a fancy toasted sandwich, but honestly, food that it simple and effective always comes up top for me. I will admit, my toasted sandwiches at home are pretty professional (thanks to this bad boy), but having them in a French restaurant is still a level up!

What’s the food like at Cafe Rouge?

No matter how professional your sandwich toaster at home is, you CANNOT beat a Croque Monsieur. In Cafe Rouge they make their Croque Monsieur’s with bechmel sauce which is a literal dream on a plate. Let’s be honest as well, would you ever know in your life what a Croque Madame is without it being on their menu (it’s a Croque Monsieur with a fried egg).  Again to reiterate, I just love food that is simple, and effective. I think the word you’d use for a lot of food in Cafe Rouge is “hearty”. You also get fries with a Croque Monsier which switfly takes it from “snack” to “main meal” status. I’ve actually eaten breakfast in a few Cafe Rogue’s in my time and the omlettes are a winner as well. I’d also recommend their coffee, it’s beautiful.

What is the atmosphere like at Cafe Rouge?

The atmosphere at the Cafe Rouge in Windsor was very laid back. We were there on a week day as we both had annual leave, so it wasn’t busy at all. But I was seeing a guy once who lived near a Cafe Rogue and we used to go Sunday mornings, which again was very calm and chilled. I think the vibe in any Cafe Rouge is just like that anyway. It’s one of my favourite chain restaurants specifically for this. Any other French restaurant is so pretentious, I feel self-conscious just walking through the door, but Cafe Rouge is a great place to have a relaxing “day out” breakfast.

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