Coq d'Argent — Restaurant in London

NEW YEARS EVE 2025 - Disappointing.

This is the third time we have chosen to spend New Years Eve at Coq d’Argent. The previous two occasions (2021 and 2023) have been lovely - hence us returning for a third year. This year unfortunately was disappointing, and not to the usual standard we have experienced previously, or you would expect from a high quality London restaurant, and for the price that you pay.

The whole evening either felt rushed - or very slow. Service was below par. The waiter for our table kept saying how busy it was. It did feel at times chaotic due to the number of people that had been ‘packed in’. Our table was at 830pm. There were a number of things I picked up on that I want to highlight in this review; The difference in attention to detail and quality of ‘small touches’ wasn’t there this year. For example, previous years have had table decorations (I have photos on my phone from previous years), and the menus were previously printed on good quality card/ booklets and left on the table for the duration of the evening. This also allowed diners to take them home as momento’s - which we have previously done. This year, the tables were bare, save for tablecloth and cutlery, and the menus were on A4 paper, that were clearly being passed around to each table given the state of them, and weren’t left with us so we didn’t know what course coming next or what is was Champagne; given it was NYE, we weren’t offered champagne at any point during the evening and had to ‘chase’ a waiter down as we neared midnight to get a class so that me and my husband could toast in the New Year. Previous years we have been offered champagne on arrival, then throughout the evening, and then we always offered/ made sure we had a glass as we approached midnight. Service; we had to ask for a wine list, and by the time our order was taken, our first course was being served. We didn’t have wine to enjoy with the food until the second course was served. We were also mistakenly given two of the same course - which allowed a slight time delay for the wine to finally arrive, however is not a good reflection on the service Food; most courses were served at best, tepidly warm, or cold. It felt like some had been waiting on the pass for a while to be served to diners. The bread that was served at the beginning of the meal was hard, and difficult to eat, and only a small amount of butter was given to us, so 2 thirds of the bread we had to eat dry (it was also difficult to get the attention of the service staff to talk about these issues as they were so busy) Other disappointments; we were rushed to pay before midnight and almost missed the New Year as we weren’t allowed to leave our table until we had paid. I understand that there were issues last year with people not paying, but it added unneeded stress and didn’t make for a nice feeling going into the New Year. We weren’t given our final course - Petit Fours - and had to ask for them at the end of the night, by which time they too had been left out and we clearly were given what was left and not the full selection of what had been given to other diners Fireworks; normally a fantastic display of fireworks from Coq d’Argent, but due to the amount of people, the terrace was full and you couldn’t actually see them. Bill; we were overcharged on an item on the bill and had to get it corrected before being able to pay.

Overall, a disappointing way to spend NYEve. Which is a shame because this is our third time here, after having spent two lovely New Years Eves with you previously. Given the amount of money the evening cost and what we spent - from the fixed price set menu, and then wine, champagne and other items, the cost was not justified for the service and level of experience we had. I hope you can get back to your usual standard next year, however we unfortunately won’t be joining you given our experience this...

Coq D’Argent is a french brasserie / restaurant in Bank, right in the heart of the city. It is at the top of 1 Poultry, the office and retail building which just looks like it has a walkway, cutting through the high concrete structure. However, head up in the lift and it’s like you have been transported elsewhere.

Coq D’Argent has just launched the ‘Le Grand Déjeuner Weekend’ menu. A set menu with the option to go for two courses (£38pp) or three courses (£43pp). They are offering it for half price for the whole of March 2019 if you quote “hot dinners” when booking!

It might be a set menu, however there are plenty of options. There are 12 starters, with one additional sharing option, which we thought was a lot. There are a couple of vegetarian options and a vegan option too, and they appear to cater for most dietary requirements.

All the starters looked divine, and so we set off with two courses in mind. The Saumon fumé, consisting of London oak smoked salmon, condiments and melba toast, was a beautiful light starter. The salmon was some of the best we have had, and paired with the thin, crisp melba toast was a fantastic choice. We loved that the lemon came in a little bag, to avoid any pulp too.

The Jarret de Cochon, a braised ham hock in pea and mint foam, with chestnut mushrooms, shallots, new potato crisp and comté cheese was our winning starter. It was rich and fantastic in flavour. A little like a fancier version of a pea and ham soup, yet lots more sophisticated. The ham hock was delicate and super tasty, the new potato crispy adding something different to a crouton.

The mains menu was just as extensive with 12 options, and two additional sharing dishes to choose from. Again, they appeared to cater for all, and even though we had meat eaters dining, we were very tempted by the vegetarian options – they all sounded delicious!

The Haut Bar won us over though. A seared fillet of stone bass, with devon white crab risotto, avruga caviar and crab essence was one beautiful dish. The fish was meaty yet fantastically tender and flaky, with a fab crisp, grilled top. The risotto was chunky, not creamy, and gave the dish a fresher, lighter feel. The caviar was a nice finishing touch, and not just for presentation.

We also couldn’t resist the urge to try the Rabbit. The Cuisse de Lapin, consisting of braised french rabbit leg, bourguignonne garnish, mustard sauce and new potatoes was another incredible dish. The rabbit almost fell off the bone, it was superbly tender and pink inside. It had a rich, deep flavour, which was emphasised by the bourguignonne. The vegetables were perfectly a la dente, and the new potatoes beautiful. If you are a meat eater, you will love this.

As dishes are a little on the lighter side, three courses is actually more manageable than you would expect. We perused and debated over the 13 dessert options, which includes a cheese board, three vegan options and numerous creative dishes.

The Tarte au Citron, a more classic choice, looked absolutely stunning as it arrived. The baked lemon tart was finished with a soft meringe, and served with buckwheat and raspberry sorbet. The tart was full of citrus flavour, tangy and tart. The pastry was really buttery, and the raspberry sorbet bold in flavour, and a delicious refreshing alternative to creamier classic pairings.

One fancy, modern and sophisticated spot, with a stunning restaurant area, and amazing garden which opens for those enjoying drinks in the warmer months. The service is friendly and attentive, the food is outstanding and the wine pairings add that extra touch. Dishes are a little on the smaller side, and we do think at full price it is a little pricey. However, for a special occasion it’s worth splashing out at this gorgeous...

Edit in reply to the response below

On pricing. I stand by £30 not being terrible value for money, but also not being great. Brigadiers is a 5 minute walk away with a cheaper and (in my opinion) better set menu. I also did not really enjoy my starter (the Veloute), although the Tarte Tatin was really tasty, the risotto fine. Hence why I think my description was fair. I would say your restaurant does not cater to vegetarians/vegans. If you look at the set menu, no options were labelled as vegan for starters, mains or deserts. Two of your options which were labelled as vegetarian, the veloute and the risotto were actually NOT vegetarian, because they contained cheeses made with rennet. I had to explicitly ask if these cheese were vegetarian versions and found out they weren't, yet the options on the menu were labelled as vegetarian? I find that extremely disappointing - many vegetarians would assume a restaurant was providing the correct information and would not check. I also genuinely think the waiter I interacted with was annoyed that I was a vegetarian and eating in this restaurant - it's very very rare to feel so unwelcome.

I found the response from the restaurant disappointing here. As I said, I wouldn't go back.

Original Review

The food was not terribly priced (set lunch menu) and fine. My big issues were: The lack of vegetarian options. I guess this is to be expected in a French restaurant, but this is also central London and it did make it feel like the restaurant was stuck in the past. With so many great places to go nearby with great vegan and vegetarian options at a similar price point, I can't help but feel this restaurant is struggling to keep up. The atmosphere. It feels stuffy and old fashioned. To some this might feel classy and sophisticated, but I found the decor (excluding the very cool architecture of the restaurant) dated. A rude waiter who seemed actively annoyed when I asked about vegetarian options on the menu and who also told me that as a vegetarian, I couldn't eat any cheese because no cheeses were vegetarian. I appreciated the two cheeses they had on the menu (parmesan and Roquefort) are not, but clearly many cheeses are suitable for vegetarians. We had quite a confusing discussion where I found him very patronising and rude. I didn't feel he tried to find solutions for the lack of vegetarian options either, except that I should just take out cheese from all of the dishes. God forbid how he would have dealt with a vegan!

I wouldn't come back here, but if you are a meat eater and like things to feel a bit more old fashioned, this is probably a firm favourite of yours...