Our Beginnings

1984

Where It All Started

Karen Jones and Roger Myers met as Hospitality students The two often discussed running a restaurant together, and being flatmates gave them years ample time to experiment with different dishes together. Their shared loved of French cuisine formed a tradition of post-exams bistro dining. With hard work, strong time management and valuable help from the Student Enterprise Centre, Karen and Roger went on to graduate with First Class degrees and a solid business plan.

1987

Dream to Reality

The summer post-graduation was spent on a culinary tour of France. The experience sent Karen and Roger's mission to recreate authentic French food and wine in a relaxed bistro-style setting.

1989

Launch

Our first restaurant opened in Richmond, London.

1996

Café Rouge Mentioned in a Bestseller

In 1996, Café Rouge became a regular hangout for Bridget and her friends in 'Bridget Jones's Diary', the novel by Helen Fielding that helped to make us a household name.

2002

Joining Tragus Group

Café Rouge is sold by Whitbread, becoming part of Tragus Group. Later on in 2015, Tragus became Casual Dining Group, consisting of Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia, Belgo, Las Iguanas, La Tasca & more.

2012

Award Winner

Café Rouge wins the Mediterranean Casual Dining category at London's prestigious MIDAS Awards.

2015

A New Look

Over two thirds of Café Rouge bistros were given a refurbishment in 2015, with classic and authentic interiors to complement our delicious food and wine. Our London flagship site opposite St. Paul’s Cathedral was given new life with a £500,000 refurbishment featuring a beautiful mural, specially commissioned for the 182-cover restaurant inside the magnificent Condor House.

2017

Sharing Our Expertise

We started partnering with Ducasse Education to offer our Chefs the best in award-winning development and education. With our iconic brand and 30 year heritage, it's no surprise that when it comes to career opportunities and developing our teams – we know what we're doing!

2018

A Busy Year For Café Rouge

We were privileged to have some of the seafood on our menu officially certified with the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) Blue Fish label, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to sustainability and preserving the condition of the planet. Did you know? All of our mussels, hake and cod are fully traceable all the way back to MSC certified sustainable fisheries.
We also launched our twist on Afternoon Tea in 2018… Perfect for catch-ups with friends, birthday celebrations, or for those "just because" occasions! You'll enjoy 3 tasty tiers of treats including delectable cakes, chocolate mousse, fruit scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, plus decadent slices of our famous Croque Monsieur. All for just £12.50 per person - ooh la la! We also introduced a Kids' version for mini guests too.

2019

Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence

We celebrated our 30th birthday and we loved celebrating it with the people that matter the most - our amazing guests! We served up plenty of celebratory treats all year-round, and we particularly loved hearing your "30 Reasons to Love Café Rouge" in June! Taste Card crowned us their Restaurant of the Month for June in commemoration of the occasion. The celebrations continued in August with our "1989" menu which offered a variety of Rouge favourites at 1989-inspired prices.

2020

Adapting to the Unexpected

Not leaving the sofa? We'll take care of dinner… Enjoy oozy gooey Croques, juicy Burgers and crispy chicken crunchies PLUS so much more with Stack + Grill! View the menu and order on Deliveroo NOW or find your nearest Café Rouge for Click and Collect. All our restaurants are temporarily closed following the latest government guidelines, we're excited to be reunited when we can.

2021

Coming Soon

A selected number of our sites in England will be open from the 12th April for outside dining only. From the 17th May, inside dining will be allowed again. Bookings are open now for all sites from their relevant opening dates. We are currently awaiting clarification on the situation in Wales, and will update on here asap.