Following a £250,000 investment and renovation the Birmingham restaurant has reopened as a Rouge, the second in the company’s portfolio and the first in the Midlands.
Located on the upper level of the Bullring shopping centre, the 143-cover, 3,758sq ft site has been renovated to have a more modern French feel than its predecessor.
Head chef Graham Phillips will serve a new menu created by executive chef Bruno Balle that includes French classics such as escargot and as well as vegan-friendly dishes such as the cauliflower steak and jackfruit tagine.
“Having traded as Café Rouge since the grand opening of the Bullring in 2003, we’re delighted to be commencing a new chapter as we re-open the doors to our newest Rouge restaurant in Birmingham this week,” says Steve Worrall, chief operating officer at Rouge.
Plans for the Café Rouge brand were revealed last year with the trail of its new brand identity at its Haywards Heath restaurant. At the time it said it would be looking to convert a select number of sites to the new format in an attempt to 'improve ambience and create a more modern, and relaxing dining experience' at the brand, which was founded in 1989.
Big Table Group, which also owns the Bella Italia and Las Iguanas brands, also recently revamped another site in its stable. The group has converted its Bella Italia restaurant in Soho into an Amalfi Ristorante, a more premium version of its Center Parcs Woburn Forest restaurant Amalfi.
The new Argyll Street restaurant is seeking to ‘reignite a passion for Italian classics’ with a menu that includes sourdough pizzas, fresh pasta and a range of carpaccios, it says.
