On a recent trip back to my old university town I was dining alone and did not want to look too sad and pathetic. Chain restaurants are not normally my thing but Cafe Rouge is rather different in its style: the decor is usually pleasant, food reliable, and I wanted to eat something healthy which ruled out pub food or the Eraina, the Greek taverna of my youth which I would normally have headed for.
Cafe Rouge is opposite St John's College and next to the Baron of Beef pub, which has been completely destroyed by refurbishers. I can't remember what used to stand on the site where CR now is but it was possibly a woollens shop.
Anyway, I looked at the menu and noted the two-course specials for less than a tenner and also the fact that many of the courses came with frites, which of course I wasn't indulging in. To be honest, it's the set menus which make Cafe Rouge a good deal. Steak, chips, stalwart starters like chicken liver pate and onion soup plus duck confit can all be had for bargain prices . They won't set the world alight, but they are reliable. And the same applies to the Cafe Rouge fishcakes, which I absolutely love and is what I SHOULD have ordered.
Instead, I ordered grilled seabass with green beans, salsa and mash. It cost around £12.00 and should have gone marvellously with the chilled sauvignon blanc I'd previously ordered. What a disappointment.
The fish was straight out of the freezer ( in fairness Cambridge is a long way from the sea) and did not taste of much at all. The salsa was bland and uninteresting , the food was also a bit lukewarm. It was OK, just about.
Why oh why had I not gone for the cheap nd cheerful specials......because of my extravagance on the main course, I forwent the cheese and biscuits ( which I'd normally go for) and went straight for the bill.
Everyone else was tucking in with gusto to big plates of steak, chicken and chips, etc and having a great time. I had basically ordered the" wrong thing " and broken my own rule of only ordering fish when by the coast.
With different menu choices, and a dining companion, Cafe Rouge in Cambridge would have been fine. It is done out in bistro style, on two levels, with a garden out the back, and clearly a favourite with students and academics.But don't expect top-class French cuisine