Côte brings in former Gordon Ramsay Group chef to overhaul menus

Restaurant group Côte launched a new menu designed by Steve Allen, former head chef at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s, as part of a wider overhaul of the brand.

The casual dining chain will also roll-out a redesign of its restaurants with ‘contemporary and elegant French-inspired’ interiors.

Allen joined Côte as executive chef at the end of last year. His menu includes updates on long-standing dishes, new items such as French Toast Américaine and a wider range of vegan and vegetarian options.

The group’s signature Côte de Boeuf will now be aged for 30 days in a Himalayan rock salt ageing room and served with truffle hollandaise sauce, prepared daily from scratch, alongside two sides.

New dishes include Monkfish Normande, inspired by stews served in northern France, which combines pan-fried Cornish monkfish with mussels in a one-pot dish.

Côte has also introduced more 'indulgent' breakfast options such as Espresso Martini Crepes, brushed with coffee syrup and topped with coffee crème fraiche.

Allen worked at Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s for ten years until 2011. He has also cooked in Malaysia and prior to joining Côte was development and training chef at Rare Restaurants.

He said: “We’ve looked at our classics and thought about ways to offer regular guests an elevated take on their favourites."

The overhaul comes after Côte was bought out of administration for £55m in September 2020 after being badly hit by the pandemic, with former Wagamama chief executive Jane Holbrook appointed to lead its growth strategy.

Speaking about the planned overhaul of the chain, Holbrook said: “It’s also time for us to evolve the look and feel in our restaurants, so, backed by our incredibly supportive owners, Partners Group, we are embarking on an ambitious programme to refresh all our restaurants.”

Côte is the latest casual dining brand set for a revamp post-lockdown. Café Rouge has launched two sites under its trial Rouge concept with a new design and menu while Frankie & Benny’s has refurbished selected sites and shortened their name to just Frankie’s.

Côte was founded in 2007 and opened its first restaurant in London’s Wimbledon.