Henley has been waiting a while for Côte Brasserie to open it’s doors and now it’s finally here we caught up with General Manger David Wilkins to find out a bit more about how a man from Solihull winds up in South Oxfordshire, his thoughts on Henley and what to expect from Côte Brasserie going forward.

The restaurant is buzzing as we’re shown to a table in the Garden Room. The first thing that strikes us about David when he joins us and we start chatting is how happy is to be here, not just at Côte but in Henley itself. He loves the town.

It is obvious that David loves the hospitality and food industry having spent 10 years at Wagamama, opened their Edinburgh branch as GM and helped launch Purezza vegan pizzeria in Manchester.

In 2019 David went travelling. He was in South America for four weeks where he adored the food and culture and then headed to Barcelona where David then met his husband Carlos. He stayed for a year and he says to be honest if the pandemic hadn’t happened he would still be there. And who could blame him? He had a job offer to manage a restaurant in the Spanish capital then coronavirus hit and they both headed back to the UK where they got married.

A friend of his contacted him saying that Côte was opening in Henley and they were looking for a GM. David came to Henley and that was that. He fell in love with the town and is now a fully fledged town centre resident.

He said that he loved the location of the restaurant, the building itself and also that it was an exciting stage for Côte with the new contemporary yet elegant French-inspired interior design alongside a new menu. Plus their rather lovely secret hideaway Laurent-Perrier Garden which has a dedicated Champagne bar.

David said that they want the venue to be an all occasion destination whether popping in for coffee and cake (he wants to put more cakes on the menu), lunch with friends or a full on celebration, that everyone is welcome and hopes that Côte has a positive impact on the town. He also says that having a varied menu is really important and that tasty vegan options are an absolute and hopes that at some point they can bring on more plant based dishes.

When asked what his favourite dishes are on the Côte menu he says that he just loves the classics of the Poulet Grille (chargrilled chicken breast with a wild mushroom, thyme and crème fraiche sauce served with gratin potato) and the Chocolate Fondant, though being half German if he wasn’t eating in Côte he would be plumping for hearty German dishes, oh and cake, and of course any kind of tapas from his time spent in Spain.

Since they have been open he says they have been super busy, and it’s easy to see why whilst sat in the lovely airy garden room, with eager and attentive staff flitting around serving all ages and diners coming and going during lunch. It’s a perfect place to eat, snuggle away in a booth or watch the world go by in one of the fabulous window seats.

We recommend booking in advance, though there is some availability for walk-ins. Oh and if you want to bring your pooch, they’re not allowed in the dining room but are more than welcome to dine with you in Laurent-Perrier Garden. How Henley!

For more information about Côte Henley or if you want to book a table visit Henley on Thames – Côte Restaurants (cote.co.uk)