the riding house cafe

the riding house cafe, with the team behind village east, has already created a good buzz. the promotional 50% off the food bill - running onwards until early may - was partly responsible, though not to the extent of the long queue at kimchee high holborn. i suppose there were not as many office workers and asian students lurking on great titchfield street. i did not have to wait at the door but seated straightaway at the bar adjacent to the salad station. minimalist dining room. one massive communal table - all wooden - with decorative pots of lavender. one long handsome bar. the kitchen was in the back but you could still see the brigade in action. but, who on earth was serving me? lots and lots of lovely looking guys in brogue shoes, smart dark denim jeans and tailored jackets dashed about in the dining room…all shirted i must add, or else they would be too much of "visual" appetisers. 5-10 minutes of awkwardness ensued. unsure who were, indeed, waiters, i couldn't bring myself to

the riding house cafe has just opened opposite kaffeine on great titchfield street and its a beautiful sight to behold. from the same peeps who brought us village east and the garrison, it has lovely warm orange leather lounge seats (reminds me of a beloved jacket i bought from armstrongs in edinburgh circa 1993 and the wallpaper i had growing up - 70s burnt orange, mmmm good one parentals), beautiful lights and antique wooden tables, wooden sideboards and tiles, lots of tiles (very spuntino darling). little cosy booths for gossip and wine and dates - this would be a great date place - and long tables for big groups and a nice long bar with people on their own reading papers and looking happy. its a lovely set up, and i just loved the squirrel lamps (although i hope that all squirrels died of natural causes and / or of old age). pippalippa and i were lucky enough to go there on their opening day and tried their sharing plates - the food was incredibly yummy, delicately cooked and looke

love love love. considering this place had only been opened for a day our evening there gets 10/10. firstly the look and feel is just right, agree that you feel a million miles away from oxford street and transported to brooklyn. ambience just right, great vide and layout, design and furnhishings means that no one is on top of each other, you can hold a conversation, feel comfortable and see each other( and see what your eating) . the service was impeccable, given that the staff hadnt been there that long they knew the menu, extremley friendly, wanted to get to know us and attended to our every needs and had good fun.
food delicious. small plates great option for sharing and nice to see some variety and new options, oysters to your table a winner, sharing sea bass and veggie cake yummy. sides all perfect but could be a little larger. puddings were a bit too on the large side but hey that's not a complaint - they are great to share.
all in all a fantastic evening, we didnt want to leave. a perfect place for meetings too as there's a variety of places to sit at. they are still new and there are a few things that need looking at but you can tell they are onto it already and this is going to be a big hitter with the fitzrovia creative, ad and fashion set. there's nothing not to like about this. nyc dining comes to london !!! plus 50% off your food bill....why not ?
good luck to the team there, look forward to coming back soon !

i've worked in the great titchfield street area for the past 3.5 years and i've seen the transformation of this place. when i first made the move from soho to fitzrovia, it was a generic slug & lettuce, as bland as they come. later, i laughed heartily at the name and endured many pints when it became chutney n' lager, a tacky restaurant / bar that would serve poppadums with your beer, with various sports on big screens. i usually stood outside. in its new guise as the riding house cafe, the sleek teal and wood interiors and all day brasserie-style menu shows it means business and is here to stay. we clattered in at 8:30am on their official day of opening for a spot of breakfast. workmen still flitted about, screwing in various bits and bobs. service was somewhat sketchy and we waited a while for menus, and then were given more menus even after we'd ordered. no matter, they were sweet and it was opening day after all. my companions were alarmed when our waitress suggested the bircher mu

in all, we had a nice time a the riding house cafe. though it was to do with the company, the environment and the drinks, rather than the food. i doubt that i would enjoyed it as much if we had sat on the bar/dining side as it was very noisy.

i love this place, feels like you've been transported to nyc. the food was outstanding too.

yet another restaurant trying too hard to be 'cool' and forgetting that a restaurant is about food and dining. food is once again mediorcre and expensive. wine list is created by someone who looks at a balance sheet and doesn't taste the wine list, st joseph 2009 @ £50 a bottle! a triumph of style over function. ok it was the soft opening and to their credit the whole menu was half price, but even at this the bill was steep. steak was average, burger was flakey, sea bass was good but very pricey at £28. figs in april! try if you must.