Eat & Drink
Originally published on Wednesday, 18th May 2011
The Riding House Café
Central's new regular foodie escape rides in to the brunch rescue
43-51 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 7PQ - 020 7927 0840
Location
While we were scratching our heads wondering how Chutney & Lager, the ‘Indian tapas’ (ahem) restaurant that previously occupied this light-filled Noho site, failed to take hold (despite having the greatest name, like, evah!), The Riding House Café has quickly established itself as the place for post-Top Shop martinis. This all-day brasserie’s arrival marks a first move across the river for the guys behind style-savvy SE1 venues, The Garrison and Village East.
Vibe
It’s like the Wolseley’s had a wobble and got itself a Soho House makeover. Bromance is in the air over breakfast and lunch as young media types establish the RHC as their new canteen. A more flamboyant cocktail crowd arrives as the shops shut. Reservations are only available for the Dining Room, so a lively ‘walk-in’ vibe permeates the bar, lounge and ‘Dining Hall’ with its communal table.
Flavours
The ‘full and proper breakfast’ and eggs hussard (a Schiller’s Liquor Bar brunch standard – basically eggs benny with bordelaise sauce) suggest you can breakfast like a king at RHC – though there are juices and mueslis for those that start their day more gingerly. An alluring menu of colourful ‘small plates’ such as our asparagus and parmesan, chermoula poussin and veal and pork meatball go down very nicely the rest of the day though there are bigger plates – fish and chips, burgers and steaks – too. So good are the chorizo hash browns, they’re on all day.
Décor
The distressed brickwork, the white metro tiles, the tasselled ‘granny’ lampshades are very familiar design details but it wouldn’t be fair to say there’s nothing here we haven’t seen elsewhere before. The display copies of ‘Horse and Hound’ and the pre-scuffed retro-futurist customised Dyson Airblade, in particular, are new ones on us.
Upshot
At last, an off-Oxford Street venue that’s in-tune with what we want and when we want it. Pre-shopping, post-shopping and, above all, on Sundays, we will be there.
