The riding house cafe

Lunch and dinner. Breakfast menu. Sunday lunch.

Jan Posted by Metro Girl. I have often heard of friends meeting there for work lunches or weekend brunches. Recently, I finally booked a Saturday brunch served pm with a friend and was fortunately to book a slot a few days before. The RHC is an all-day brasserie split into two dining rooms. Huge windows let in lots of light, with the sleek leather and bright tilework giving a very New York feel.

The riding house cafe

In amongst the glamorous set of Soho after-work media types typical of a Tuesday evening, you might encounter some more unusual dining companions; a stuffed squirrel, a blue plastic Smurf or a pigeon frozen mid-flight, a light bulb clutched in its beak like an olive branch. A little pretentious perhaps, but somehow the overall effect is on-trend and very enticing; you definitely want to eat in this restaurant. So what about the food? Does it stand up to the quirky, contemporary design or is this restaurant a matter of style over substance? Atlantic prawns with lemon and mayo were cool, creamy and fresh, sea bass ceviche light and bright with a kick of chilli, while salt cod fritters packed a weightier fishy punch, beautifully battered in bite-sized nuggets. For pudding I opted for the chocolate praline semifreddo which arrived in puddle of raspberry sauce and scattered with fresh fruit. The chocolate sponge base not advertised on the menu was slightly dry but the overall taste was still chocolatey and good. Other options include a button-busting hot fudge sundae decorated with macaroons, and spiced gingerbread with grilled figs and caramel ice cream which is definitely on my list to try next time. The wine list is reasonably priced with options by the glass, carafe and bottle, making it easy to match the various different dishes and flavours on offer. Chocolate praline semifreddo with raspberry sauce. For me, one of the joys of small plate dining is that you get the chance to eat in a way you might not otherwise do at home.

Or perhaps kids are quicker on the uptake than adults, they can more quickly sense my picky self inside.

I was warned that lunch with a 2 year old can be an enlightening experience. They do not make for the most engaging of dining companions. She was much more interested in licking her pencils, throwing them on the floor and then trying to see how much of her head she could fit into the now empty pencil holder i. Although, perhaps fortunately for me, she refuses to speak to me. So my attempts to engage were thoroughly and completely ignored. Or perhaps kids are quicker on the uptake than adults, they can more quickly sense my picky self inside. Perhaps they are more sensitive to non verbal signals and can sense my general disinterest with some people, unless they are a source of food providing things to eat rather than being someone to eat.

Dishes and drinks for all occasions, and all times of day. We're always on the look out for the right person to join the team to reach out! Our outdoor terrace can seat up to 50 guests. Book your table or just walk in anytime. Monday to Saturday 5 - 7 pm Join us for a changing selection of barrel-aged classics, house aperitivi, guest wines and beers, to help you start your evening in style, alongside delicious skewers and small plates. Our Dining Hall can accommodate up to 80 guests seated across large trestle tables. When more than a couple of friends tag along for dinner, we can seat you around our Sharing Table, which accommodates up to 18 guests all together in the main restaurant.

The riding house cafe

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. For decades it mouldered, unloved by all but a few architecture nerds. Its designers have resisted the temptation to lean into the brutalist setting: instead, manor-house-style wood panelling and comfy leather-padded chairs sit below the exposed metal pipes on the ceiling. Weirdly, it works. Send help!

Golden territory seafood

The icon that started it all. Do I need a reservation for a tuesday early lunch noon? The cooking is good, too: not flashy or risky, but sound and focused on known crowd-pleasers. Becks Blue is perfect! The service is friendly and attentive with no hint of arrogance, well at least when we arrived before peak time after Jan As I've said before, eating out is like a mild, benign form of adultery towards your own cooking, and small plates are part of that. Your email address will not be published. Moving on from a disgusting aside, the pancakes were really not that bad. Although such fears may have also been fed by the sermon I had heard earlier that morning. Dinner Mon - Sat - View Menu. Who can be bothered to make eight dishes for two people, or 16 for four? We're always looking for talented people to join our team. Photograph: Katherine Rose for the Guardian.

Whether you are looking for somewhere to host a business meeting, family occasion or memorable event, let our events team find the perfect space for your gathering. Dine under the moon, in a room that is guaranteed to give your guests the wow factor. This space can host up to twelve guests around a large table with a centrepiece lazy susan, perfect for sharing our Feast Menu, and sliding doors to separate you from the hubbub of the restaurant.

Posted on 17 Jan , in Grub and tagged brunch , cocktails , Fitzrovia , foodie. Photograph: Katherine Rose for the Guardian. Share this: Facebook X. Until I mixed it up and then it looked suspiciously like food which my smaller companion might eat. We were shown to a small table at the back of the restaurant. Squid with paprika, chilli, chorizo and olives was the punchiest dish; veal meatballs with lentils was subtle but comforting: either would have been a very successful big plate. It would be great, as the small plate fashion rolls inexorably on, if everywhere that joins the bandwagon does so as professionally as the Riding House Cafe. Have so far tasted the ceviche, little chorizo dish, chateau-briand, sea trout and the ginger cake. The pancakes were just a tiny bit overcooked so a little bit crispier than I would have liked, but generally tasted fairly good. Sadly, it tasted like that too. But this venue is a welcome escape from the clutches of horrible Oxford Street and its inevitable pedestrian rage and warfare.