Dee Sargeant
January has a habit of turning the country into a nation of saints and accountants: fewer treats, more spreadsheets, and the sort of weather that makes even your kettle look tired. Enter Côte Brasserie, lobbing a bit of edible cheer into the gloom with The Happiest Menu, billed as its biggest and most generous January offer to date.
Running weekdays only from 5–31 January, The Happiest Menu offers guests two courses for £15 or three courses for £19, which is the kind of arithmetic that actually improves your mood. It also represents a sizeable saving against Côte’s usual top set-menu prices of £23.50 for two courses and £27.50 for three—the sort of comparison that makes you feel you’ve achieved something without needing to download a fitness app.
There is a catch, but it’s the civilised kind: the New Year offer is available exclusively via the Côte app and redeemable only in brasserie. In other words, you can’t simply wander in and flash a hopeful smile. You’ll need to book a table, download the app, and do it properly—like an adult, but with better food.
Same dishes, happier prices
Côte is pitching this as comfort with a conscience: “The Happiest Menu centres on a simple promise, the same quality, same craft, same recipes, just happier prices.” And the logic is hard to argue with. The deal is rooted in the belief that great food can lift spirits, particularly during the grey days of January, when budgets are tight and motivation can be low.
What makes the offer more than a quick discount stunt is the way it leans into familiarity. While the name is new, the menu itself remains reassuringly familiar. Every dish featured on The Happiest Menu comes from Côte’s long-standing Set Menu, which has been a cornerstone of the brand since it first opened in 2007.
For nearly two decades, the Set Menu, previously known as the prestige menu, pre-theatre menu and prix fixe, has been about making French dining accessible, consistent and joyful. That’s not a small thing in a dining landscape where “accessible” sometimes means a chair you can’t move and a menu you need a magnifying glass to decode.
The classics are doing the heavy lifting
The Happiest Menu includes dishes that have remained on the menu since day one, tapping into a sense of nostalgia and comfort—and that tradition has been continued with Steve Allen, Gordon Ramsay’s former executive chef, overseeing all Côte menus.
Top of the list is Côte’s French Onion Soup, prepared to the same original recipe used since 2007, with caramelised onions slow-cooked for hours and topped with Comté sourdough rarebit. This is the sort of bowl that makes you forget the sun sets at 4 pm and your inbox is staging a coup.
Then there’s the much-loved Steak Frites, made using steak from Côte’s in-house butchery, served with garlic butter and free-flow frites, an iconic dish that has become synonymous with the brand. Free-flow chips, in January, feels almost rebellious—like wearing bright socks to a board meeting.
For the cheese contingent, there’s Fromage from France, with cheeses still sourced directly from French markets and respected fromageries, reflecting Côte’s long-standing commitment to provenance and authenticity. It’s a reminder that “set menu” doesn’t have to mean “set your expectations low.”
Not everyone’s here for beef and bread (and that’s fine)
Alongside these classics, The Happiest Menu offers a broad selection of dishes, including lighter options and vegan and vegetarian choices, ensuring the menu caters to a wide range of tastes, dietary preferences and January intentions. If your New Year plan is “be good most of the time,” this is built for you too.
And that’s the clever bit: January is often associated with restriction, resolutions and reset culture, but Côte is taking a different approach focusing instead on generosity, familiarity and shared enjoyment. It’s not trying to turn you into a new person. It’s just offering a good lunch at a price that doesn’t feel like a dare.
A weekday excuse to leave the house
The Happiest Menu is an invitation to reconnect over food, whether that’s a relaxed weekday lunch, an early evening dinner or a spontaneous midweek treat. It’s also, practically speaking, a reason to stop eating the same three “quick meals” you’ve been rotating since the second week of December.
To redeem the offer, guests are required to book a table, download the Côte app and redeem in-brasserie. Full details and menu options are available online.
FAQ
Is the Côte Brasserie Happiest Menu available every day?
No. It runs weekdays only from 5–31 January.
How much does the Happiest Menu cost?
£15 for two courses or £19 for three courses.
Do I need the Côte app to get the offer?
Yes. The offer is available exclusively via the Côte app and redeemable only in brasserie.
Is it the same as the regular set menu?
The dishes come from Côte’s long-standing Set Menu, with familiar favourites included.
