Cafe Rouge, Harborne – Restaurant Review

Star Rating: ⭐

Cafe Rouge, Harborne is at the end of Harborne high street, it is in a prime location and it does get a lot of custom. The access to the main front doors of this restaurant is flat although there is a steep incline to the doors, but wheelchair users should be able to get into the restaurant. This restaurant gave me no more than I expected when I saw the disabled toilet facilities it had, it was at the back of the restaurant and was of a standard size, it doesn’t facilitate the needs of many disabled people who may come into the restaurant.

The restaurant has many different sections which make up the place and it has got a lot of tables and chairs in the space to be able to sit a number of customers. But the accessibility is good as it has complete flat flooring around the restaurant, so I was able to get to all points of the restaurants. Depending on the time of the visit and the number of customs in the restaurant at one given time, it can be difficult for wheelchair users to move around the tables to get to our seat. But the space is not too restricted compared to other restaurants I’ve been in.

The tables within the restaurant were other very low height and though I could get under the circular tables better than the rectangular or the square ones, I did struggle and had to strain my back as I leant forward to be able to eat and drink Independently. This is not good, I want my meal to be as relaxed as possible and comfortable while I ate and here, I wasn’t able to at all, it was not enjoyable.

I was surprised by the lack of staff attentiveness on the time of our visit, it was a Sunday afternoon so I assumed the service would be quick and we would be able to enjoy our food and drink. However, the service was slow and half-hearted on the staff’s part. This was disappointing as I had been to this Cafe Rouge in Harborne a number of times before and service here had always been very good. This time however the staff were very attentive and we had to wait over 2 hours for our dinner to arrive, while the atmosphere was pretty much dead compared to how it usually is.

The drinks were okay, we just sipped at them absentmindedly as we waited a long time for our food. The food was very bland and unappetising compared to other food and drinks I have had at this restaurant. I think my steak and fries were the best out of all the dishes me and my family had. But still, it wasn’t how I remembered, the steak was dry and the fries were soggy.

This bad experience might have been a one-off, but this visit to Cafe Rouge, Harborne has definitely left a bad taste in my mouth.