Cafe Rouge - St Katharine Docks in Waltham Forest

Great place and great service from Arsenijus. Great way to spend my wife's birthday and super friendly people 😀

Fantastic service by Arsenijus and the rest of the staff. Lovely food and relaxed atmosphere.

Perfect location! Good food, great service.

Very cozy restaurant with great service, and food! ❤️

The Croque Mushroom was good. Really tasty lunch. Glad they had a good lunchtime deal.

It’s just very nice and relaxing place, if you want give your brain a relax moment I suggest you to try here.

Restaurant very peaceful, with the nice view on the docks. The server Arseijus are very kind and very respectful .

Beautiful location, very friendly staff and the fresh pastries were fabulous. Will definitely return ☺️

Food was tasty ,well presented and service was quick , we had a lovely waitress named Nicole who was freindly and polite , would eat here again next time we are in London.

It was a bright morning but beautiful out right on the docks

Excellent service by Shivani and an enjoyable lunch

Popped in for lunch. Lovely food served on what looked like a varied menu - plenty to choose from. Service from Angela was second to none. Keep up the good work!

Waitress Angela was lovely, provided us with an excellent breakfast. Cozy restaurant with a beautiful view. Close to Tower Bridge.

Had a quick bite, was delicious. Our server Shivani was great and kind.

I wasn’t expecting much from Café Rouge, but I was pleasantly surprised. We went for a late dinner when it was really quiet, and the food turned out to be better than I thought it would be, especially after reading some of the reviews. The prices are typical for London, but the quality was decent. The mussels weren’t as fresh as I’d like, but they were good enough, and the portion was generous. The fries that came with them were surprisingly tasty! The fish was okay, but the sauce really stood out—it was so good. The unexpected highlight, though, was the bread. Their baguettes are something else—super crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. No idea how they do it, but it’s fantastic. All in all, I’d go back if I’m in the area.

We went to this place for breakfast and enjoyed an excellent English breakfast! Shivani's attention was excellent 😊 I recommend

Friendly and attentive staff team this morning, opened early to let me in out of the cold. Lovely location!

We have been served by waitress Shivani . Thanks for her outstanding service! Her attentiveness , friendly demeanor and professionalism made our dining experience truly enjoyable. Keep up the excellent work Shivani! Sure will be visiting again …..

Had a wonderful a Sunday lunch at Cafe Rouge. A stones throw away from the Tower of London but a works away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds. The service was attentive and responsive. The food matched anywhere I have dined in Fance. Fell in love with their olives 🫒 Highly recommend for a meal when you want to chat with friends in a relaxed atmosphere

Waiter - Arseijus superb. Anticipated our needs. Gave good advice with respect to the menu. Friendly but professional.

Service was definitely slow, the staff didn’t wanna be there by the looks of it. When we did order it took quite some time for food to be ready, I’m not sure if it’s because of what we ordered? It wasn’t busy when we arrived and ordered, maybe 2-3 tables but they were eating. Soup of the day being French onion soup, not sure what I can say since it’s my first time actually having that, but the soup was quite runny. Then we got the sea bass served with french beans, buttery baby potato’s and bearnaise sauce. I’m sure the sauce was not meant to be this runny, falling off everything, the potato’s was alright, the seabass could do with more seasons, some bones, wasn’t dry atleast! The 2nd main was Duck confit, served with saute potato’s, wilted spinach, morello cherry and thyme jus. “A French classic” stated on the menu, my friend said his dish was okay, nothing to take back on, it could do better on presentation (cleaning of the plate), lots of sauce, the duck was moist? Honestly the best part of the meal for me was the dessert 😅😅 the portion for the price felt a little on the small side. After we finished our meal, we were waiting for our bill, there was a large table of ladies near us, when I put my hand up and tried to call someone’s attention for the bill, a waiter walked past and questioned if I clicked my fingers together and I did not, I actually can’t click my fingers to make any sound.. the waiter was getting mad thinking it was me as he said it was rude then apologised as I showed him it wasn’t me and he apologised.

Wonderful experience. My mother and I went for some afternoon tea and the view was beautiful and the staff were amazing - friendly and attentive. I would highly recommend if you're in the area :)!

A great place to meet up with family. The attention regarding food allergies and sensitivities was much appreciated. The pie and sea bass were particularly delicious. Very friendly and helpful staff.

Came for breakfast and nothing stood out to me. Eggs were good, felt the bread was over toasted and sausages over cooked. Juice was okay. Nothing great but nothing bad. The cost is good for the quality.

Excellent service. Loved the food. Highly recommended.

Lovely view of the St Katherine’s Dock marina. Very central location and always tables available. Great service and food was good too. We had the beef bourguignon and a sirloin steak. The beef was really nice and the steak cooked perfectly. What more can you ask for?

Ordered 2 x burgers with chicken + fries As well as 2 x Caesar salad….the most boring food, the chicken dry, fries worse than from McDonald's. Caesar salad was dry and full of ends from the lettuce stick. Asked for extra dressing to eat it. We do not regret not to eat the food and simply left the place without paying. Been there - never again.

Lovely warm welcome from Manager n staff, breakfast was delicious 😋

We really enjoyed our Christmas Eve dinner - excellent service, very friendly, attentive and welcoming. The food was also really good!

We had a lovely experience when we visited on Christmas eve. Highly recommend

Excellent food and service. Will be back!

It’s not still 11:30 and they told us they don’t want to serve us a breakfast and nothing else because they aren’t serving people, but they are not serving spanish people. So racists.

Beef bourginon was lovely, the pie was great but the mash and beans were stone cold. Didn't take our meals away but brought extra mash when we had then eaten most of the rest of our meal. Lovely location.

I was very impressed by your chefs who made a wonderful truffle mayo with beef pattie and bacon with slaw on the side and chips . It was delicious both hot and cold definitely coming back for another 5/5 Knowing your artistic background CR your presentation all over the place is to die for and memory's of my fashion career comes flooding back thank uou for a fantastic day out so cozy in there I love it 💐❤️ music too everything!!!!

Mein Mann und ich kommen jeden Monat nach London und besuchen immer das St. Katharina Docks Cafe Rouge.Mein Mann und ich möchten uns von ganzem Herzen bei Lale Saka für den sehr guten Service bedanken. Wir fühlen uns immer sehr wohl dort! Im Januar sind wir wieder in London und werden euch wieder besuchen. Wir freuen uns darauf.

I booked a table for a group of 10 people as part of a group trip, and I was the team leader. The positive aspect of this visit was the location, as we had an evening appointment at the Tower of London. I chose Café Rouge because of the great experience I previously had at the St. Paul’s branch, and especially because they allowed me to book for 10 people without requiring a pre-order or deposit, which was really appreciated. Unfortunately, the customer service was quite cringe-worthy. From the moment we arrived, the experience felt unwelcoming. A blonde lady, who was incredibly rude, greeted us with, "HOW MANY OF YOU?" in a very anxious tone, without even saying hello. Once I mentioned the reservation, she calmed down a bit. Our server was nicer but clearly stressed out, and it showed in her rushed and unclear communication. I live in London and understand English perfectly, but I genuinely struggled to catch what she was saying. She would come to the table, talk very quickly, and leave just as fast, making it a challenge to order drinks. The lighting in the restaurant was also far too dim. We couldn’t even read the menu properly and had to use our phone flashlights to see it. One specific incident stood out: we asked for a bottle of water, and her response was that she needed to check how many drinks she had added to the bill (which made no sense). Later, we mentioned that a Coke and sparkling water were missing, and while the food arrived, those drinks were still nowhere to be seen. She repeatedly told us the Coke was on its way, but I couldn't help wondering why she couldn’t just go to the bar and grab it. To make matters worse, once our food arrived, the same blonde lady started hovering around our table, staring at us while we ate. It felt intrusive and disrespectful and CRINGE. In the end, we laughed it off as a group, but honestly, I would not book here again or bring another group. I understand the challenges with staffing post-Brexit, but when customers choose to dine at your establishment, a basic level of professionalism and respect should be expected. Given the poor experience, I would have absolutely removed THE SERVICE CHARGE if it hadn’t been included by default. The level of service we received did not justify this extra cost. Finally, I tried to leave this feedback on their website, but there seems to be an error preventing me from submitting the review. It makes me wonder if they intentionally block negative reviews.

Food was presented well and tasted lovely.

Really enjoyable visit, compared to our last one, when our table was filthy and customers were leaving before their order was taken due to long wait. This time shown to a table and our order was taken in a reasonable amount of time, Food arrived again in an acceptable amount of time and was absolutely delicious, Great service, food and prices. Fully recommend this place

My sister, my friend and I booked the afternoon tea. We had a lovely time. Croque monsieurs were tasty, the same as the scones. The rest of the pastries were mediocre. Shivani was absolutely lovely, very attentive, and nice, and she definitely added to the enjoyable time we had there.

Good. Solid. Great location. Set menu is good value. 7oz steak was good. Apple tart desert very good. Service was great.

Excellent location, good food and service

I’m sorry but the chicken was completely tasteless. The most boring meal in a long time. no salad accompanied the meal. Tasteless. Staff did nothing wrong. It was just sad :(

Great location and the usual food

Located in a small port between Tower Bridge and London Tower, is this French-style cafe. The service is fast and friendly and the food is lovingly prepared. It is very pleasant to have a drink watching the boats docked in this mini port. Ideal to take a break between monuments.

Vine por el té de la tarde. No esperaba mucho ya que el lugar no es el más inteligente, pero el té de la tarde era muy agradable. El servicio fue excelente con un camarero muy atento. Trataron con el hecho de que mi esposa no come queso. Una excelente selección.

I recently visited Café Rouge and had an overall enjoyable experience, although there were a few elements that could be improved. I ordered their burger, and while it was delicious, it felt like it missed a few essentials. The burger would have greatly benefited from some fresh vegetables – a slice of tomato or a crisp lettuce leaf would have added that extra layer of freshness and balance. Additionally, although the menu promised a hint of truffle, it was barely detectable in the dish, which was a bit disappointing as I was looking forward to that distinctive truffle flavor. That said, the core of the burger was excellent. The meat patty was flavorful, juicy, and cooked to perfection, which made up for some of the missing components. The bun was soft yet held everything together well, adding to the enjoyment. The service at Café Rouge was top-notch, with attentive and friendly staff making the experience welcoming from start to finish. The ambiance was charming and added a cozy, French-inspired feel, and the location was perfect – easy to reach and set in a vibrant area. Overall, Café Rouge has a lot going for it, but with a few small tweaks to the burger, it could really hit the mark for those craving a truly complete burger experience.

We used to love going to Café Rouge but on our last two visits it was not to the standards to what it used to be. We have ordered drinks and mussels to share but the mussels were overcooked that there were like rubber. We have mentioned it to the manager when he came to our table, but he didn't say anything which I have found it very odd, and when we have been presented with the full payment I complain again as I don't mind paying for good food, but to get mussels overcooked is a no no. When the young charming lady came over for payment and asked us how it was we have told her and she has gone to the gentleman and told him , which only then we had a reduction in our bill. As a hospitality manager myself the whole experience from management level it was complete unacceptable, that a customer complains and you get dismissed, and it takes a team member to raise it again it shows how the manager hasn't got a clue bout customer service. I wouldn't be returning there again.

Incredible food in a lovely spot! The goat cheese tart was AMAZING and Shivani took excellent care of us! We had an incredible lunch here-- atmosphere, food, and service were all lovely!

Lovely little diner on the docks, you can see the tower bridge and docks from this spot :) Had the steak sandwich and it was INCREDIBLE, done just the way I like it. My partner had the goat cheese and tomato basil tart and finished the whole thing (rare for her) Shout out to Shivani for the lovely service and menu suggestions as well as the speedy service!

Lovely meal at this Restaurant. Friendly staff... Good value. Would recommend.

Terrible service awful food. Would not come back. Enforced service charge for terrible service argued with me when I explained I wasn't paying a service charge for terrible service

We had a lovely breakfast. The chef was kind to make an omelet exactly to my son's liking even though that was not on the menu.

What happened in 1 year...? I had very good memories of this restaurant during my previous stay in London…. Clearly the quality has declined, and the service is non-existent. Fortunately the location remains!

Looks nice and inviting from the outside. Restaurant decor is tired. I ordered a steak and salad which was quite a simple dish but the salad was stale and the meat was tough. My son enjoyed his pasta dish. It’s not the cleanest and there was cutlery on the floor under our seating. Overall very average if not below. Staff were friendly.

Had a nice walk and chanced upon this restaurant for a light pit stop. Delicious food

Very old-established, beautiful café. Delicious cake. Nice and attentive service. Clean toilets

Very lovely breakfast experience here. Arsenijus was our server and he was very kind and had great recommendations. The food is great and very fairly priced. We recommend!

The food was decent but THE SERVICE was absolutely UNACCEPTABLE. They kept forgetting everything - from cleaning the table to what we ordered to second round of tea. And worse, each they forgot and we reminded them, the staff said "it takes time". Getting ketchup takes time too?

Quiet night, not the greatest atmosphere nor the warmest welcome. Only two staff visible and only one actually doing the work. Food was quick and nice enough, but no idea how random Italian chains like this are still in business. One couple were there for date night. I felt very sorry for them!

We stopped here for breakfast while waiting for our room to be ready at our hotel. It was a lovely setting by the docks. We had a full English breakfast which was very tasty. The prices were reasonable and the service was very good.

Service was very fast & friendly. Our child loved the sausages & mash, and we had a delicious vegetarian Wellington. Pretty quiet on a week day

I used to love the food at Cafe Rouge but I was disappointed this time. The French Onion Soup tasted like Bovril and artificial flavouring. The chicken dish with leeks, mushrooms and mash was served in what looked like a desert bowl and there was an overwhelming taste of tinned artificially flavoured mushrooms with pieces of rather flavourless and dry chicken. I would have been ashamed to produce this dish for a weekday evening meal using leftovers so to be presented with it as part of an evening out was a disappointment. On the plus side the young lady who served us was lovely and very attentive. The toilet facilities were spotless too. The restaurant was mostly empty and rather cold. Overall I think the franchise has lost its USP and I doubt I will be back anytime soon. Such a shame. I found myself wishing Gordon Ramsey could take them in hand!

Great service, food was good only downside was the steak wasn't pink and was charged for sweet potato fries which we didn't get. Didn't realise so didn't request refund

Nice place, great atmosphere, kind staff, amazing food.

Leek and potato soup and Beef Bourguignon are the best!

The location was promising with views and the waitress was nice but the food just took it all down… steak was fully cooked and thin, the fries were almost burned, and the salad which came together with was just few rocket leaves with no dressing. Excuse my french but what a hell was that??? When bill arrived I was shocked to pay £67 for 1 worst ever steak; 1 camembert with baguette, 1 beer and 1 glass of gin tonic. Are you serious?? Shame to be called ‘french’ kitchen as it is nothing a like. Would never come back as it is a rip off and poor food quality. Save your time&money and thank me later folks!

Beautiful Cafe tucked away at St Katherine Dock. Great breakfast and service were first class. A must go to Cafe with an awesome view.

Had a lovely meal after a long and tiring day. Wonderful location, sat looking out over the docks. Tremendous, attentive service - Marisa took great care of us and was amazing with our tired and cranky 6 year old. The food was great to boot!

Was a quiet day but was made to feel welcome staff were lovely

Gross food, rude staff, take your business else where

Our waitress Shivani deserves real credit for the service we received from her. She remembered all our orders with a smile and made our dining experience exceptional Well done Shivani

The tea is very rich and very complete. The attention is fine. A little slow, but everything is very delicious. Good atmosphere next to the old St. Katharine docks. Recommended to spend a quiet and relaxed moment having a drink next to the moored boats.

Breakfast was a little disappointing - porage very dry a toast overly crisp.

Nulla di eccezionale, gelato messo un poco ovunque a caso, la torta di mele decente, sicuramente da elogiare il personale invece che è gentilissimo

Nothing exceptional, ice cream placed randomly everywhere, the apple pie decent, certainly praiseworthy of the staff who are very kind

20 minutes d’attente pour 2 chocolats chauds et un cappuccino tiède…le service est déplorable et en plus le restaurant n’était pas très rempli

Very fast service and delicious food in a cozy French themed cafe overlooking the docks, I'm vegan and the lentil wellington was very good and not too heavy either!

Good and apparently well-prepared food. I had the Beef Bourguignon which was very good, but after a few bites I bit into something hard and sharp. It was a white chip of something, and when I pointed it out to the staff, I was told first that it was the shell of a pumpkin seed and then that it was a chip from a meat bone. I expected an apology or a reduction in the price, but I didn't get that, as sharp splinters of bone are apparently to be expected here.

Delicious, affordable food. Would definitely recommend :)

We experienced excellent service when we visited last Thursday. We have a nut allergic person in our family so we have to careful when eating out, however, both the waiting staff and kitchen staff were very accommodating which allowed us to have a lovely meal.

Shivani was attentive and welcoming. When quizzed on the menu her knowledge was great.

Good choice of menus and dishes including gluten free options listed on menu.

We went for the afternoon tea. It was delicious, and the staff were great when we asked for refills. Would definitely recommend and would definitely go again.

Great place with a fun atmosphere. Service was wonderful as well as the food. Shivani was the best!

The waiter is rude and inconsiderate

Is very good coffee for breakfast, I is beautiful place and very good location.

This was embarrassing.I invited my friends for a drink to this restaurant.When I had to use toilet there was no toilet paper and all toilets look very dirty .I told the barman to let someone know but he didn’t do anything and when I when again I had to take from some tissues from the table.It is such a shame for very popular place in heart of London provided very poor experience.

Slow paced, relaxed cafe. So much so, I watched families leave because they didn't get service fast enough! Haha delicious food and friendly staff.

Calamari buoni, Schiacciatine insomma. Vino rosee buono, servizio ok come anche prezzo, abbiamo pranzato fuori, bella atmosfera

Had breakfast, good value and choice, worth a visit

Was turned away for dining at 3.30pm as "short staffed".

Lale was just fantastic! She recommend me lunch dishes and the food was delicious. Amazing service by her

Service today by LALE was extremely good!!! She was simply amazing from the beginning till the end. Big smile and menu knowledge! Highly recommended;))))))

We live in Germany,we come to London very often .My husband and I had dinner at your restaurant last night.it was a very nice dinner for us, thank you very much for the beautiful hospitality and kindness of Mrs. Lale. There is a restaurant that we will always visit when we come to London and we recommend it to everyone, thank you very much again to Mrs. Lale and all the staff.

Was met by what I assume is the owner who was not pleased to see a family of 5 entering her restaurant. She said she could set us up on a table for 5 although they only had 4 seat tables. But I was left henging by our table after she threw the menus down on the table in front of us. Needless to say we got up (the other 4 who were seated anyway) and left, never going back there....

Meant to open at 9am and didn’t open until 9:30, we went elsewhere, will go to Côte from now on. I wonder they are all closing, so poor.

Awesome place for afternoon tea and drinks. Some open airing dining right on the docks but plenty of inside seating.

I was given a voucher by Cafe Rouge management to compensate for the poor service on a previous visit. Things went down hill the moment I arrived at the St Katherine's Dock branch. I was greeted by a gentleman, but he immediately then turned his attention to talk to someone else in mid-conversation with me. I decided, on this occasion to disregard his disrespect. We were waited on by a young lady who was very pleasant and engaging. When our order arrived, my dining partner's dish was missing the blueberries, but this was quickly rectified. My fries eggs were over-fried with unpleasant burnt and crispy edges. See picture. Making a booking for Cafe Rouge at St Catherine's Dock was a total nightmare. When I wanted to book a breakfast for two, the website only allowed breakfast bookings for a group of 15+ (see pic). When I phoned the restaurant, they directed me to a robot that couldn't understand the word "breakfast". Overall, Cafe Rouge has been a disappointment. It used to be a large but charming and well-run chain of bijou restaurants all over the UK. But sadly, they have allowed their standards to slip, the quality of the food and service have declined, and there's now only a small handful of branches left in the country. I've had my last visit to Cafe Rouge, and this is my sad epitaph to what was once a great cafe I used to look forward to visiting.

It has a nice neighbourhood facing the St Kathrine's dock; however, service is very poor. We went there on a not-busy afternoon and it took about 10 minutes for staff to take our order and we only wanted coffee and cake and it took about 15 minutes to bring the order and had to wave multiple times for them to notice us and bring the bill. Inside atmosphere was so dull and not pleasant experience overall.

Had an traditional afternoon tea. The waitress was very nice and got me a decaf tea since it was already a bit late in the afternoon. The sandwiches were warm and crispy. Really like the one with mushroom with truffle taste. The cakes could be a bit warmer, but it's also acceptable since there are a lot of things on the tray. Something is going to get cold anyways. Overall probably not the best afternoon tea option in London, but for the affordable price I was quite satisfied.