Aside from hosting cultural events, the Alliance Francais has also been a beehive for the discerning diners of the city. Many of the you might remember how Café Flo, the iconic French gourmet establishment that has set the standard for fine dining in Karachi where socialites come to see and be seen made its first mark by opening shop at the Alliance Francias. Needless to say any establishment that would come in its place after Flo vacated the Alliance Francais would have large shoes to fill. Meet Cote Rotie, another fine dining establishment that aims to resume where Café Flo left off. A mark of a good restaurant is that it just nourishes all the senses and not just the sense of taste and the verdant leafy surroundings of Cote Rotie did not disappoint. The inner space may be compact but it surely isn’t cramped with adequate seating for all the guests. Thanks to the large windows there is plenty of natural light around early afternoon when I went for the brunch. A casual glance at the menu revealed many enticing options, I chose to start things off with their selection of artisanal breads having high hopes for it since Cote Rotie has its own boulangerie – where breads are baked. And I was in for a treat, there was an assortment of different breads including rye breads, focaccia, olive breads among others, the accompanying balsamic sauce’s tangy taste perfectly complemented with the variety of breads elevating the experience of something as quotidian as tasting bread. Next in line was the French onion soup another French cuisine delicacy. A casual glance at the menu revealed many enticing options. I chose to start things off with their selection of artisanal breads having high hopes for it since Cote Rotie has its own boulangerie — where breads are baked. I was in for a treat; there was an assortment of different breads including rye breads, focaccia, olive breads among others. The accompanying balsamic sauce’s tangy taste perfectly complemented with the variety of breads elevating the experience of something as quotidian as tasting bread Next serving were of the entrees, the creamy tomato and crab fettucine was a welcome change to the usual run of the mill creamy fettuccines we are used to. I ordered a bowl of quinoa tabbouleh alongside the crab fettucine, which was sizable serving and had a tarty taste which was a treat to the senses. The other entre was a Jerk chicken with Peach BBQ sauce, which also didn’t disappoint. The djon mustard along with that paired well with the generous portion of the entree. The mint lemonade and the pomegranate juice were all freshly squeezed and they tasted like a dose of bottled sunshine. To end things dessert came in the form of a Lavender and Wildflower Honey Crème Brulee since I was curious on how do you wed a custard with flowers and came a little impressed. The caramelised layer of sugar and floral essences of lavender gave a floral aftertaste and wasn’t overpowered by the custard that served as the base of the dessert. It is very hard to put a finger on what Cote Rotie is doing wrong since they seem to be doing all the things right from menu selection, taste, ambiance and service quality. Perhaps they could incorporate more menu items to bring their lofty standards of fine dining to more dishes. Aside from that, brunching at Cote Rotie was a privilege and the overall experience there is right there up with other premium establishments such as Pompeii, Café Flo in the city. It might cost a pretty penny but it still is great value of money in the end. And isn’t that what eating out is about? Finding the best bang for the buck. The writer is a freelancer and can be reached at raheel_@outlook.com