River Café (W6)
Ambience
Cuisine
Cuisine
Service
Value for Money
Value for Money
River Cafe Interior 1
River Cafe Interior 2
River Cafe Exterior 1
River Cafe Exterior 2
River Cafe Dish 1
River Cafe Dish 2
River Cafe Dish 3
River Cafe Dish 5
River Cafe Dish 4
advertisment
Related Content
- The Other Side of the River (01/07/2008)
- Boxwood Café (SW1X) (20/02/2007)
- Sotheby's Café (W1A) (31/08/2007)
A long time ago, before Jamie Oliver became Jamie Oliver, he was just another talented young chef who perfected his craft at the River Café under the watchful eyes of Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers.
Jamie has long gone but Rose and Ruth still control (mercifully without any histrionics) a wonderful kitchen in full view of diners that produces simply the best Italian food in Europe outside Italy. And that's not surprising as Rose and Ruth travel regularly to Italy to source, without compromise, the finest ingredients to present to their talented brigade of chefs.
Located alongside a pretty unremarkable stretch of the River Thames in Hammersmith, twenty minutes to the west of the center of the capital, the River Café is never-the-less the perfect location for a summer lunch or dinner. Not the easiest of places to find (but don't worry, your taxi driver will know how to get you there), the River Café was originally conceived as a staff canteen for Lord Rogers' design studios next door (Ruth - Lady Rogers - is his wife). The upside is that once you are through the doors you're confronted with a wonderfully modern room - all cool blues and whites.
The menu changes with the seasons to reflect the policy of serving only fresh 'in season' food, which means there's always new dishes to try. When I visited for lunch recently I ordered Risi e Bisi as a starter - a wet risotto with spring peas, mint, basil and stock - it sounds and is simple but how they prepared it made it so special. My guest had Mozzarella di Bufala with a salad of baby broad beans, Taggiasca olives and mâche which she described as "divine" (and it was!).
For our main course we had Rombo al forno - wood roasted turbot with wild oregano and roasted beetroot and spring carrots and Piccione al forno - roasted spatchcocked Anjou pigeon with Castelluccio lentils slow-cooked in Chianti with pancetta, mint and basil. Both dishes were amazing; with every ingredient subtle and in perfect harmony with each other. Puddings are probably best described as reliable without being outstanding (Pannacotta with Grappa and Caramelized Taroco oranges is far and away the best), and the cheese plate is to-die-for.
The River Café opened in 1987 and the secret of its continuing success is simple. Take the finest ingredients, prepare them with care and respect, encourage talented young chefs to create new and exciting dishes on a regular basis, employ friendly and knowledgeable front-of-house staff and treat every customer as though he or she was a guest in your own home.
Is it cheap? No, it's not. The average meal for two with wine will knock you back around £120. Is it value for money? Absolutely. It comes down to this. If you want to taste the very best of modern Italian food in London there's only one contender - and after nearly twenty years it's still the River Café.
Located alongside a pretty unremarkable stretch of the River Thames in Hammersmith, twenty minutes to the west of the center of the capital, the River Café is never-the-less the perfect location for a summer lunch or dinner. Not the easiest of places to find (but don't worry, your taxi driver will know how to get you there), the River Café was originally conceived as a staff canteen for Lord Rogers' design studios next door (Ruth - Lady Rogers - is his wife). The upside is that once you are through the doors you're confronted with a wonderfully modern room - all cool blues and whites.
The menu changes with the seasons to reflect the policy of serving only fresh 'in season' food, which means there's always new dishes to try. When I visited for lunch recently I ordered Risi e Bisi as a starter - a wet risotto with spring peas, mint, basil and stock - it sounds and is simple but how they prepared it made it so special. My guest had Mozzarella di Bufala with a salad of baby broad beans, Taggiasca olives and mâche which she described as "divine" (and it was!).
For our main course we had Rombo al forno - wood roasted turbot with wild oregano and roasted beetroot and spring carrots and Piccione al forno - roasted spatchcocked Anjou pigeon with Castelluccio lentils slow-cooked in Chianti with pancetta, mint and basil. Both dishes were amazing; with every ingredient subtle and in perfect harmony with each other. Puddings are probably best described as reliable without being outstanding (Pannacotta with Grappa and Caramelized Taroco oranges is far and away the best), and the cheese plate is to-die-for.
The River Café opened in 1987 and the secret of its continuing success is simple. Take the finest ingredients, prepare them with care and respect, encourage talented young chefs to create new and exciting dishes on a regular basis, employ friendly and knowledgeable front-of-house staff and treat every customer as though he or she was a guest in your own home.
Is it cheap? No, it's not. The average meal for two with wine will knock you back around £120. Is it value for money? Absolutely. It comes down to this. If you want to taste the very best of modern Italian food in London there's only one contender - and after nearly twenty years it's still the River Café.
