Cards on the table, I’m a big fan of Côte. Although I’m not a regular frequenter of chain restaurants per se, it has always been the best of the bunch as far as I’m concerned - along with Pizza Express.
The light and airy Quakers Friars Côte isn’t, perhaps, as ‘classic brasserie’ as its darker, more atmospheric sibling in Clifton Village and it’s more popular during the day than in the evening when the area is quiet. With its outdoor tables and views of the Apple shop and Harvey Nichols across the piazza, it’s a popular haunt for shoppers.
Its location also means that it has a more transient clientele than Clifton, which attracts a lot of locals and an older crowd generally. At 6.30pm on Saturday, most of our fellow diners in Quakers Friars were either people lugging around shopping bags or young couples grabbing a quick bite before hitting the bars and clubs.
