Café Rouge

Delightful Tea and Gluten-Free Choices

Amidst the backdrop of St Katharine Docks, Café Rouge warmly beckons patrons with its quaint charm and stunning waterfront views—a spectacle I found particularly entrancing as the afternoon sun lightly kissed the scene. Seated with a perfect vantage point of the orchestral dance of moored yachts, I allowed Café Rouge to transport me into a world where time seemed a gentle whisper rather than a clamorous shout. The crisp service, orchestrated by the attentive Lale and her knowledgeable counterpart Marisa, lent itself to an afternoon of soothing balms for both heart and palate. As I indulged in a full English breakfast, each bite was a testament to carefully curated French flair melded beautifully with traditional British comfort—fluffy eggs cascading into buttery brief encounters with impossibly fresh pastries.

However, Café Rouge isn't without its character-imposing quirks. While the food bade whimsical tales of yesteryears when culinary bliss seemed an everyday rite, some echoes of better-story-teller times surfaced—moments where my medium steak leaned towards theatrical skepticism, insisting it didn’t share the limelight without a retake request of heat. Yet, Café Rouge recovered gracefully with aplomb traditionally seen in only the finest old-world theatres. A slight delay in receiving the objets d'art structured with vibrant chocolate fondants was brushed aside with fetching charm and ongoing whispered promises of improvement by the ardent Arsenijus, whose performance seemed worthy of repeated encores. In sum, Café Rouge stands as a humble bastion of its legacy: a welcome refuge marshaling delightful flavors cheekily framed within nostalgia—a dockside haven beneath the elegant arch of London itself. — Jasper Griddle