The River Café

Thames Wharf, Rainville Rd, London

A pioneer in developing modern Italian cuisine in Britain, Food and Travel salutes a legendary venue…

During those satisfying interludes between courses at the River Café, conversation always tends to tail off as you find yourself following the mesmerising dance of waiting staff around the long dining room. Between tables and bar, tables and service area, moving swiftly but never harrassed or hurried, staff effortlessly avoid each other in their efficient, almost choreographed, service delivering dishes to expectant diners. It’s a simple sign that a restaurant knows its stuff.

And just like the service, the food at Ruth Rogers and the late Rose Gray’s Italian Thameside restaurant is charming and seemingly effortless. Made with an obvious passion, and sticking faithfully to its founding principles to serve seasonal Italian dishes with robust flavours, it’s little wonder that the River Café has become an institution on the London dining scene. The menu includes fresh pastas, chargrilled squid with chilli and the legendary ‘Chocolate Nemesis’ – famously tricky to recreate at home. Not only does the menu change by season, but it also varies with each service – a smart ruse to persuade you to ignore the (not insignificant) cost and dine there twice a day, perhaps?

Opened in 1987 – initially as a kind of unofficial ‘staff canteen’ for the headquarters of architect Richard Rogers (Ruth’s husband) based next door – the River Café soon established itself as a beacon on the west London dining scene. A Michelin star followed in 1998, which it has retained ever since. The restaurant was renovated in October 2008 following a six-month closure after a fire; this saw the addition of a private dining room and a cheese larder, loaded with Italian specialities and complete with an expert who visits daily to turn the cheeses. In summer, tables are set in the riverside kitchen garden; in winter, the wood-burning oven and the open kitchen create a cosy atmosphere.

Rose Gray passed away in February 2010, but her legacy lives on. With ‘graduates’ including Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Theo Randall, April Bloomfield and Ed Baines, all now well established on the global dining scene, each season at the River Café sees fresh talent moving through the ranks and, of course, a host of exciting new ideas on the menu. Reliably excellent any time of year.