Restaurant Reviews and Food Musings

Restaurant

Chateau Napoleon
Coombe Lane
Croydon

Phone:- 0208 686 1244

Overview

Eva and I spent a very pleasant evening at The Chateau last night.

The Chateau is based in a former country house, and offers high quality continental cuisine in a resplendent oak panelled room; set against the background of Coombe Wood Gardens.

Ambience

The Chateau, in addition to the main dining room, has a separate bar with ample seating and private dining rooms. As it is set in a former country house the rooms are decorated with oak panelling, red velvet seating and a cosy inglenook fireplace in the bar.

Diners are offered their menus in the bar from where the orders are taken. This ensures that you are only taken to your table in the dining room when all is ready.

The restaurant was packed, and you are advised to book.

Menu

The restaurant offers a set menu, a la carte and specials listed on a blackboard. The dishes include lobster with linguine, lobster thermidor, duck breast, smoked salmon with crab and quails eggs and a fully stocked dessert trolley.

Service

We started our evening sitting in the bar, sipping a couple of Kir Royales, whilst perusing the menus.

The service both in the bar, and dining room was friendly. However, as the dining room was full, and there was a private party, the staff were a little overstretched. As such, we were left to our own devices to pour the wine. Additionally, we had a to request a finger bowl (which should have been offered automatically) for Eva’s prawn starter, and parmesan cheese for my starter (which again should have been offered automatically).

Food

I started with the linguine with lobster. This consisted of a very generous portion of linguine in a rich creamy sauce, interspersed with chunks of lobster. I would venture to suggest that the lobster was a little rubber like in consistency.

As a main course I had fillet of steak in a red wine sauce. This was a beautifully tender fillet cooked rare, as requested, in a rich tasty red wine and mushroom sauce.

Eva started with the king prawns, in a hot butter and garlic sauce, which were spicy and succulent.

Her main course was the lamb en croute, tender and flavoursome; although the pastry was a little bland.

The main courses came with a generous medley of vegetables and roast potatoes.

Eva finished her meal with a tangy refreshing summer pudding.

We adjourned to the bar for Irish coffees and brandy.

The overall meal, which included a bottle of Chablis, four Kir Royales, several brandies and Irish coffees (I lost count!), came to £132 including 10% service; maybe a little pricey.

Overall Opinion

We like this place; but would suggest they need to attend to the small, but annoying, idiosyncrasies with respect to the finishing touches such as finger bowls etc.