At Cote, the name of the game is crowd-pleasers, and the Solihull site is no exception. This French brasserie chain has done well to keep consistent while spreading all over the UK and remains a great place for a relaxed breakfast, lunch or dinner. Here, the interiors are stylish with a glamorous Parisian feel, while at the same time remaining a laid-back space. Out front, there’s a heated terrace perfect for a cocktail in the sun or even a full alfresco meal, while inside has a welcoming buzz and great atmosphere.
In our books, garlic bread is almost always a must and Cote’s tear and share fougasse is a great start to the meal. Alternatively, diners can snack on olives or a warm baguette with butter instead. For groups, the Cote sharing board is great as it covers all the bases: baked camembert, truffle saucisson sec, coppa, olives, cornichons, honey, tomatoes and rosemary crackers. Elsewhere there are more favourites like calamari, French onion soup and a crispy confit duck salad with oranges, watercress and beans topped with a yoghurt dressing.
Those looking to splash out can enjoy a surprisingly affordable whole lobster with dill butter, hollandaise and frites. Seafood here is a specialty, so if the lobster doesn’t take your fancy, try the monkfish Normande, fish Parmentier or classic moules frites. Meatier options include a confit pork belly, beef cheek bourguignon and poulet Breton, each with pleasingly paired vegetables.
Steak-lovers can indulge here too, with a fillet, ribeye or minute steak with various forms of potato. The star of the show, however, is the sharing ribeye. This 22-ounce sharing cut is dry-aged in Himalayan rock salt, before being grilled and served with truffle hollandaise, frites and a choice of two sides. You can also choose from the list of staple steak sauces, such as bearnaise, wild mushroom, peppercorn, Roquefort butter or garlic butter.