The café takes its inspiration from the diners of Manhattan's Lower East Side and offers all-day dining, from breakfasts laden with juices and pancakes, through lunch and dinner, with small plates, puddings and cocktails to keep you going in between.
One section of the restaurant has a handful of tables surrounded by smart red leather seats, with wooden walls adorned with stuffed squirrels whose job is to hold up the lights. The other section features a long bar with turquoise chairs, a long canteen-style table (for those without reservations) and some comfy lounge seats, again decorated in a fetching shade of turquoise.
We had a cocktail in the lounge area (my Ramos gin fizz was very tasty, as was S's raspberry and elderflower Collins) before proceeding to our table in the main restaurant.
As part of my ongoing quest to find the world's best burger, I had to order the cheeseburger, which came perfectly medium rare, with flavoursome cheddar and yummy chips. Fortunately, the RHC caters for people like me by allowing us to order our usual cheeseburger as a main course but also inviting us to order a selection of more interesting small plates to start. We tried the pork belly, veal and pork sausage and the prawns — the prawns in particular were very good value.
On the subject of newly discovered dining delights, we also visited St Ali, in Clerkenwell, for brunch yesterday. Their coffee, roasted in house, was very good and I ordered the vive le pain main course — very eggy French toast with very good sweet-cure bacon, walnuts and syrup — which was so big even I couldn't manage to finish it. This is another place to which I will definitely be returning in the near future.
Riding House Café. 43-51 Great Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7PQ (Tube: Oxford Circus).
As part of my ongoing quest to find the world's best burger, I had to order the cheeseburger, which came perfectly medium rare, with flavoursome cheddar and yummy chips. Fortunately, the RHC caters for people like me by allowing us to order our usual cheeseburger as a main course but also inviting us to order a selection of more interesting small plates to start. We tried the pork belly, veal and pork sausage and the prawns — the prawns in particular were very good value.
I didn't really have room for pudding but the chocolate and praline semifreddo was too tempting to miss and came with a tart, raspberry coulis, which contrasted perfectly. The food was great, as was the ambiance and the service was also very good, so I'll definitely be returning soon.
On the subject of newly discovered dining delights, we also visited St Ali, in Clerkenwell, for brunch yesterday. Their coffee, roasted in house, was very good and I ordered the vive le pain main course — very eggy French toast with very good sweet-cure bacon, walnuts and syrup — which was so big even I couldn't manage to finish it. This is another place to which I will definitely be returning in the near future.
Riding House Café. 43-51 Great Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7PQ (Tube: Oxford Circus).
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