Celebrating Mothers Day at Côte Brasserie, Farnham

At the weekend we were invited to Côte Brasserie in Farnham for a early Mothers Day treat. We’ve never been to a Côte Brasserie before and were looking forward to trying something new, especially as Farnham is beautiful – with period properties, little boutiques and so much character. Côte Brasserie fits in perfectly!

It’s not surprising that at Sunday lunchtime Côte Brasserie was pretty busy – families and groups of friends all enjoying time together. We had a table waiting for us and loved the buzz that the restaurant had. It’s clearly a really popular option in the town.

Our table was in the window where the children could watch the world go by. We were swiftly brought glasses of pink fizz and table water served in pottery bottles that fit in with the Côte Brasserie decor perfectly. The restaurant was full of rustic charm but still felt opulent and relaxed all at the same time.

The children’s menu was lovely and varied – with the children choosing cod goujons and a croque monsieur, both served with chips. But, there was also the option of sausage and mash, roast chicken or risotto making it one of the most varied children’s meals I’ve seen and with something for every appetite.

The children’s meals were a great size and the children really enjoyed them. It’s not often you get a cheese and ham toastie in a restaurant and LP loved that it was on the menu. The children didn’t have starters but we did have a basket of bread to share and with little tummies that was just what they needed.

Dave and I went all out and had starters as well as our mains. I had the chicken liver parfait which is something I often choose but served with thick slices of toasted brioche and a spiced apple chutney it was the perfect start to my meal. It had a great ratio of pâté to bread which gave it full marks from me – often there isn’t enough bread or too much bread for pâté but this was spot on.

The calamari was Dave’s choice – something I had a little laugh about as he doesn’t like fish at all and yet will happily eat squid. He commented on what a big portion it was, more than he was expecting but beautifully cooked and so full of flavour.

For our mains I chose the roast duck breast which was so well presented – a fan of duck, served with gratin potato and a cherry sauce. I had a side of glazed carrots and it was pretty much my ideal meal. It was cooked perfectly, the cherry complimented the duck so well and the side gave the dish that portion of veg that I have to have with my dinner.

Dave went for the sirloin steak with a béarnaise sauce which was served with chips. He loves a steak and often chooses them when we eat at restaurants but he commented on how well cooked it was – melt in the mouth and the sauce complimented it perfectly.

We both said at this point how full we were but having already seen the desserts on offer we couldn’t pass up the grand finale of our meal. So the children asked for ice cream – which appeared sundae style with a wafer.

Dave chose the Crėme Caramel, a decadent dessert which was rich and creamy and definitely his favourite type of pudding. I chose the praline crêpe which was a bit of a wild card for me – usually I am only happy when crêpes are served with lemon and sugar. But this was something else! Served with chocolate, praline and caramelised bananas it is probably one of the most well put together desserts I have ever seen – and the dollop of Chantilly Crème finished it off beautifully. The flavours worked wonderfully together and it was so rich but just the right amount that it wasn’t sickly – just the perfect end to our meal.

We finished our visit with a coffee and pot of tea which the children finished their ice creams and we all felt so happy at the end of it. The meal was so lovely but so relaxed. The children were happy throughout and the food was so good.

Now I just wish we could visit Côte Brasserie on Mothers Day to try their Mothers Day Brunch. If you’re looking for a lovely Mothers Day treat then check it out – it looks like a great way to start the day.