The best place for a mixed Peterborough group is not necessarily the restaurant with the longest menu.

It is the one that lets everyone order something they actually want, without making the person watching their budget or checking allergens feel like the difficult one.

Three city-centre venues stand out for different reasons: Katana on Broadway, Bijou on Bridge Street and Côte Brasserie on Church Street.

They are not interchangeable, and that is useful.

The right choice depends on the sort of outing you are trying to organise.

Here is the short version.

Pick Katana when the group wants the widest spread of pan-Asian flavours and prices.

Choose Bijou when the occasion is more about sharing, grazing or afternoon tea.

Go for Côte when a set-price French brasserie meal will make the bill easier to predict.

Katana: best when everyone wants something different Katana, at 44 Broadway, gives a group plenty of room to split off in different directions.

The menu includes meat and seafood alongside vegan dishes, with gluten-free options marked on the menu.

There are also noticeable price differences.

A vegan donburi is listed from £14, tofu curry at £17 and other vegan dishes at £18, while some meat and seafood choices reach £30.

That gives a group a better chance of eating in the same place without pretending everyone has the same budget.

It also suits a plan where people are not quite sure what they fancy.

 One person can go for a bowl, another can choose curry, and someone else can order meat or seafood.

Katana says walk-ins are accepted, although booking still makes sense for a larger group or a popular evening.

 The small print is the same one you should take seriously anywhere: menu markings are a starting point, not a substitute for a conversation with staff.

Katana’s menu includes allergy advice, so speak to the team before ordering if an allergy or intolerance is involved.

Bijou: best for a sociable, slightly more occasion-like plan Bijou, at 51 Bridge Street, works differently.

Its menus cover pizza, small plates, lunch, evening food and afternoon tea, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options listed by the venue.

That range makes it a natural fit for a group that cannot agree on one type of meal.

Pizza can keep things familiar, small plates can turn dinner into a sharing plan, and afternoon tea gives the outing a clear shape rather than leaving everyone to negotiate the menu from scratch.

The current afternoon tea is £25 per person, with a £10-per-person alcoholic upgrade.

The menu allows guests to select from sandwich, savoury and sweet items, including vegan and gluten-free choices.

It is easy to imagine this working for a birthday, a catch-up or a daytime get-together where not everyone wants a full evening meal.

There is a firm caution in Bijou’s own information, though. Its small kitchen cannot guarantee that food is completely allergen-free.

For a serious allergy, contact the venue before booking and explain exactly what is needed.

A vegan or gluten-free choice is not automatically safe for someone with an allergy.

Côte: best when the group wants a clear spend Côte Brasserie, at 4 Church Street, is the neatest option for a group that wants a recognisable sit-down meal and a bill that is easier to work out in advance.

Its weekday prix fixe menu is currently £19.95 for two courses or £23.95 for three.

The menu includes meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan dishes, with gluten-free indicators.

That gives diners some choice without sending the whole table into separate price brackets.

This is the one to suggest when the group includes people who like a proper starter-and-main occasion, but do not want the cost to drift upwards through several rounds of decisions.

It is less about everyone ordering wildly different food and more about giving different diets and appetites a clear route through the same menu.

So, where should you book?

For the most varied tastes and budgets, start with Katana.

For a relaxed sharing meal or afternoon tea, look at Bijou.

For a more predictable weekday spend, Côte’s prix fixe menu is the obvious place to begin.

Before you confirm anything, check the current menu and ask about allergies directly.

Prices, dishes and arrangements can change, and dietary labels do not remove the need for a proper conversation with the venue.

The useful part of planning a group meal is accepting that “somewhere everyone can eat” and “somewhere everyone will enjoy” are not always the same thing.

In Peterborough, these three venues give you different ways to solve the problem.

If your group has another local favourite that handles mixed tastes especially well, send us the name and what made it work.