Café Rouge - St Katharine Docks — Restaurant in London

We’ve lived in St Katharine Docks for years and somehow never tried Café Rouge. Last Saturday we finally gave it a go, and honestly, I wish we hadn’t.

First impressions weren’t too bad. The décor’s fine, and the manager — in a very loud pink shirt — was front of house, booming out welcomes like a cruise director. A bit over the top, but harmless enough.

Then the cracks showed. The staff all looked like they’d been recruited that afternoon — no consistency in dress (some in coats, some half in uniform, some just casual) and no real system. Two different people asked us for our order. Then, before our food had even appeared, another young lad swooped in and started clearing the table as if we’d already finished. We’d only just had our drinks. I almost admired the efficiency, if only it hadn’t been completely the wrong moment.

So far it was leaning towards “muddled but forgivable.” But then came the point of no return. The same young lad made another slip, and instead of guiding him quietly, the pink-shirted manager chose to give him a full dressing down in front of everyone. It wasn’t just a sharp word — it was loud, harsh, and deeply embarrassing. The poor lad looked crushed, the diners looked awkward, and the only one who seemed to think it was appropriate was the man doing the shouting.

I don’t mind young staff, I don’t mind mistakes, and I don’t even mind a bit of chaos on a busy night — that can all be trained. What I can’t stomach is public humiliation masquerading as management. If you need to correct your staff, do it off the floor, not as part of the evening’s “entertainment.”

After that, everything else was a write-off. The food was forgettable, the wine was thin, and the atmosphere flat — especially for a Saturday night in one of London’s most scenic spots. Instead of a brasserie buzz, we got second-hand embarrassment and a roomful of people trying not to watch a manager bully his own team.

One star — because Google won’t let me give zero. On first glance it looked promising: nice décor, good buzz, and a loud, pink-shirted manager at the door giving it the big...

This restaurant has a spectacular breath-taking scene of St. Katharine Docks with many lovely boats. Thanks to the magnificent weather and the natural sunlight streaming in, the atmosphere of this restaurant is exceptionally romantic, relaxing, and beautiful—making it a true tourist attraction. However, I noticed that the restaurant is understaffed. Despite having only two employees—one female and one male staff member—they worked seamlessly together, never rushing and maintaining excellent teamwork. At one point, I thought they might have forgotten my cappuccino, but they didn’t. Instead, they politely checked if I still wanted it, which I appreciated.

This restaurant transported me back to my days in Paris. It’s hard to believe it only has a 3.9 rating! The food was delicious and served warm. I would recommend being prepared for a leisurely dining experience, as each dish takes about 30 minutes to prepare. This slower pace reflects the essence of the Slow Food Movement, a hallmark of French dining culture. If you’re looking to spend just an hour on a meal, this might not be the right place for you. Instead, plan for at least 1.5 hours to fully enjoy the experience. For example, I arrived at 2:00 PM, received my food at 2:30 PM, finished eating by 2:41 PM, and am now writing this review at 3:00 PM. I plan to leave around 3:30 PM. The ambiance here makes time feel like it’s passing slowly, reminiscent of the relaxed vibe I experienced in France.

Overall, I believe this restaurant is slightly underrated. To be fair, I’m giving it a well-deserved 5-star review in hopes of helping others...

Ate here on Saturday 18th May, off the set menu - limited choice, but reasonable value, for location. Food was okay, fine enough, but nothing to write home about. Service was very poor throughout. Shown to our table fine, attitude was a little brusque from front of house. The young waitresses were generally friendly, but had no training /experience in restaurant trade seemingly, leaning in front and over food, telling us to pass food along, handing over cutlery after several requests and holding eating part as passed over. Waited over 20 minutes for our drinks when ready on the bar - no staff in restaurant for this time, then all came back in together. Incorrect orders - were corrected. Service automatically added to bill, said we would not pay this, but that the food was fine. Manager / front of house came to see what was wrong - passed on this information and said she would have words with the staff who had served us and that she hadn't served us, and that it was so busy - incorrect on all counts - not full, or that busy for a tourist destination and she had indeed been exactly the same as those she had blamed. She did apologise, but did not offer anything - though we had paid by that point.

It was a shame - have eaten in other Café Rouge around the country and enjoyed - With a hit more effort and training this could be a much better place. Food generally fine, but a little more effort / finesse, again could make this much better. There are plenty of other places to eat in this location and think they will be getting Café...