Image above: The dish that IT Girl and I had come back for: baked sea bass with grilled calamari drizzled over with nero sauce. [Monday 02 May] | [View all photos]
When Riding House Cafe launched back in May, IT Girl and I were intrigued what this latest incarnation from the same team that’s behind Village East – one of our favourite restaurants in London.
Located in the heart of Fitzrovia it’s well away from the hustle and bustle of the shopping masses on Oxford Street. The interior is as stylish as its older sibling. Both blur the open bar / eating areas with the tables and both pay attention to the small details of their decor. They even covered the Dyson hand dryer in a custom steampunk metal jacket! Yet the space seems more laid back, more relaxed, more spacious with light pouring through the windows and the the long banquettes encouraging lounging whilst dining.
The menu caters for those of you who want to hoard your dish to yourselves or those of you who want to do sharing tapas-style with a range of small plates at three price points. We opted to do both starting with a sea bass ceviche which was so good that it was hard to just order one dish. Actually it was so good that it was hard to persuade IT Girl to let me have some!
Whilst she tasted the cured sea trout with jalapeno and crème fraiche, I tucked into three choice cubes of slow-roasted pork belly. Crackling was as it should be and I loved how smooth the rendered fat even if my heart didn’t appreciate it quite so much. Finishing off our small plates was some chargrilled Moorish lamb on a bed of smoked aubergine puree which I enjoyed more than the version I had at Dishoom.
Then it was time for the pièce de résistance – our sharing main course of baked sea bass with grilled calamari drizzled over with nero sauce. It was this point I realised that I should’ve learnt how to properly serve a whole fish. But no matter, we both dug in with gusto. Whilst I didn’t care much for the calamari, we both enjoyed the fish and tried to extract every morsel from its bones before we called it a day.
This lunch was our second visit, having enjoyed dinner a fortnight earlier with friends, and both meals were during the soft launch period when they offered 50% off the food. Now that it’s full price would we go back? Honestly speaking, Village East still retains my vote for dinner. But as a breakfast or lunch option – I probably would especially as it’s in walking distance.
Riding House Cafe | 43-51 Great Titchfield Street, London, W1W 7PQ | Map | Nearest station: Oxford Circus
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