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River Cafe. London Reviews from The Last Year
Maybe no longer Michelin Star...& perhaps a bit busy opening an actual cafe next door.
Today, we met up with family in London, & booked the RC well in advance. I did this by phone, since it was a Sunday sitting & it isn't possible to use the online booking where you can chose a terrace or inside slot. The reason for choosing the RC was twofold. Firstly, we had been a few times before, the last in 2016, & it had been very good. Secondly, I was looking for outside seating for seven, which they can easily accommodate on their large sheltered, heated, all weather terrace. I explained that my husband was medically vulnerable, but we were told that a seat on the terrace couldn't be guaranteed since they had a lot wanting to sit there already if the weather was good, but they'd play it by ear. I accepted this, & I was asked to give my card details, to confirm the booking. I was then sent email confirmation, but I had to change it, because it had been done for 3pm & not midday. I had also been asked to give my pin, which I hadn't expected, so as a precaution, I cancelled my card, & later re- confirmed the booking online securely with my new card. The day before the booking, they sent a reminder email, to reconfirm the booking, which I did, but I received no welcome email to confirm this had been received. I didn't have time to ring them up that day, and bearing in mind the lack of clarity about the seating, we turned up 25mins before our midday booking by way of checking we were actually expected. Otherwise, we were quite happy to wait outside till they were ready to seat their first diners. However, they did offer us a drink, which we didn't necessarily expect, but there was nowhere to sit at a welcome table on the sheltered terrace. Our only choice was to perch inside at a bar in the tight corridor entrance, under their feet, & we were wanting to spend as little time inside as possible, or alternatively, outside on an unsheltered bench across a muddy lawn. We went for the bench, but later did come in when invited by a helpful sympathetic waitress who I think may have heard me replying to my husband when he asked me how my franciocorta fizz was, that it was good, but a little flat, while we were awkwardly standing under the terrace sheltering , due to it starting to rain. This quickly cleared up, but that was by the by, since we had been informed that a table outside for us wasn't possible, due to other bookings. The rest of our party were 20mins late, due to problems with the tube, but the RC managed to process us in the 2.5 hours allotted to us, since we were quick with our order, but it did feel rushed, especially for a total bill of £950, a lot of money for the modest amount we ate. All this would have been tolerable, except for the following points. There was in fact plenty of room on the terrace vs our allotted slot, they just couldn't be bothered to serve more than a few people outside, but if they had got more bookings I expect they would have done. The food was very average. It had lost the freshness & perfect finishing that I have associated with this venue. We were offered a few bits of bread as an appetiser, with nothing else, not even oil or butter. When finishing my plate of asparagus, I had to resort to fingers to wipe the sauce up as there was only a tiny piece of bread for each person, & it was not replenished. The waiter in his rush to keep to schedule, joked that he 'didn't want to whip the plate off me, as he stood right next door pressuring me to finish, while I was finger wiping it. The usual protocol, is to offer more bread, leave & return when the diner has finished. I have also seen better kept toilets in most motorway service stations. After finishing our meal, we went for a walk down the river path & returned with the intention of trying their new cafe next door to the RC for a coffee. Unfortunately, however, it was just closing, so we asked in the now un-busy RC if we could have a tea or coffee, since the cafe was shut, which was met with.... I'll have to ask the manger...so I said don't bother. The only other place to go nearby is a fairly rowdy pub, & we didn't fancy that, so we started our long journey back to The Derbyshire Dales, saved by a remarkably good cup of quality tea with fresh milk in Starbucks. Basically, reception/front of house was a disaster. The saving grace was free parking outside & the waiting staff. Apart from the bread rationing/finger licking good stuff, which we all thought was funny, the waiter was understanding, and said good choice when I went for their cheapest glass of white wine (excellent), 2 antipasti dishes (generous sized £31, asparagus £37 crab) & melon sorbet (one scoop offered for £6, rather than 2 for the menu price of £12, home made, good flavour). He also saved me & pointed out the langoustines...were actually in a risotto....well, it was Sunday.
My favourite restaurant in London
A class act. Year after year this restaurant sets the standard in London. The decor creates a stylish yet relaxed atmosphere. The service is on point. The high quality ingredients are expertly cooked. Every dish is a delight. I am always excited to dine in this restaurant. I have dined here many times over the last 30 years and it never disappoints.
The restaurant is beautiful! The food was very good and
The restaurant is beautiful! The food was very good and service was very pleasant. The pizza was a bit salty but still very tasty. The Dover Sole was the highlight of the meal.
Divine Dining in London
This beautiful Thames Wharf location was a perfect dining experience while celebrating my husband's birthday in London. The food, location, and service were top-notch and we really enjoyed our special evening!
Rank
Gosh so disappointing yet again As per previous reviews of mine this place is awful However I had no choice other to go again as friend had prebooked it. This was lunch. Dismal that’s all I can say. What perturbs me is that this place still has a 4 star out of 5 score despite the overwhelming poor reviews. Bit suspect I feel. Avoid. Awful food at ridiculous prices. The owner should be very/ really ashamed of themselves including not giving the staff the service fee
Fantastic Sunday Lunch
We went there for my husband’s birthday lunch - and had a superb experience. Food was excellent. We all chose fish - scallops and crab to start - turbot, monkfish and sea bass to follow. We also managed to share the Pappardelle (delicious). Finished with sharing lemon tart, blood orange sorbet, roasted almond gelati. Worth every single penny. The only question is what to choose next time.
Avoid it!
The most disappointing and overpriced dinner of my life! Bland food and nothing else! Can't figure out how on earth they got a michlen star!
Overpriced for what you get
The food was nice enough, but I have to say that I was disappointed in terms of value for money. I started with tagliatini vongole which had 8 clams, of which 4 were closed - not good enough for £35 and a disappointing lack of attention to detail at the pass. My main was sole; nice, but small and overpriced. Desserts were the highlight of the meal and really delicious, although no effort was made on presentation or accompaniments. I was really disappointed at the lack of attention to the dining experience: at £150 a head it’s disappointing to have cheap paper table cloths, dated decor, overcrowded table placement unchecked toilets and no genuine engagement from who I presume were the senior staff. The place was full, on a Tuesday night, but I feel it’s banking on its existing reputation. I wouldn’t return.
Still amazing 25th years later..
We were there for a 50th birthday celebration. Saturday lunch. Very busy, lovely day. First went over 25 years ago. Still a fabulous experience. Some of the reviewers on here need to give their heads a wobble..this is a wonderful restaurant on every level. From reception to the tables to the service and the food .. all really great. We had the chili squid, the parma ham and the crab to start and then the rabbit ragu and the clam pasta dishes for main and the lemon almond and polenta cake to share for pudding. Every single dish and bite was so great. Not 2 star Michelin great but about the best fresh bistro type food you could imagine. This place is all about simple food with really great quality fresh ingredients. Service was cheerful and faultless. It's not cheap but don't whine about that when you arrive. You know it's not a budget meal so enjoy it as a special occasion or don't come. Lots of complaints about the tables being too close together, I'd completely disagree, I thought it made it even more buzzy. Would go again in a heartbeat .. if I could get a table!
A security
Always safe to come back here, excellent and well-prepared food, top Selvapiana Italian oil, important wine list, and one of the most professional services that exist
The food was amazing and the presentation was magnificent.
The service was impeccable and spot on. The ambience was very relaxing and lively
Winter Menu Wow
We were a party of four who had a late lunch on the winter set menu offer. The food was exceptional and the service was great. Whilst the Al la carte is very expensive this is clearly because of the quality of ingredients, the army of young chefs they have and the very well staffed front of house. I would absolutely return and pay full price particularly for a special occasion. This really is an iconic restaurant.
Good food but a little over priced
We went here for my wife’s birthday, with our friends. The food we had was great, well cooked, fresh and tasty. I just think is was overpriced for what we had. £60 for a mains plate, £75 for a bottle of wine. I couldn’t justify coming here again.
Worth a visit
Worth a visit. Such an iconic restaurant that everyone must go to. The food is splendid and delicious. The restaurant is beautiful and the service is amazing.
Cheaper to fly to Italy and eat aithentic Italian food
Completely disappointing....I'm British and have lived in Italy for over 15 years and the claim of eating delicious Italian food in London is untrue. Far too expensive for poor quality food, lack of warmth from staff and a main course of pigeon that could have eaten in the colli euganei for a third of the price, which would have tasted much better. I will never return nor recommend.
Trading on past glories.
We have been visiting The River Cafe to celebrate special family occasions for several decades. We visited again last week to celebrate a 30th birthday. Sadly we all agreed that the magic of the place has gone. The tables are rammed too close together and the food was mediocre. The decor, which used to seem new and fresh now seems tired and in need of an upgrade. Finally the prices are stratospherically high. We will find another restaurant for our next family celebration.
Very disappointing
This was without doubt the most disappointing Michelin star experience we have ever had. The food has elements which are very good but certainly not exceptional. The clam risotto, has a very good depth of flavour from the base stock, but is very stingy on the shellfish element and is simply dumped like a flat pancake on a plate, with no attention to presentation. The grilled squid, is very tender but lacks flavour, accompanied by a well seasoned wild rocket salad. The longhorn beef, has a lovely salt crust on the three pieces on the plate but the meat itself lacks depth of flavour. The restaurant is very shoulder to shoulder with other patrons, and feels more like a diner than high end food. The carpet was also in need of a good vacuum in places (at the start of a lunchtime service). The staff were pleasant but again not to the same level of service as many other Michelin star restaurants we have eaten in. It is very expensive for the product that is being offered. I don’t mind paying for high quality food but this was really very disappointing sadly, particularly as we had travelled over two hours just to visit here. There are much better value Michelin star restaurants in London, serving higher standards of food and providing a much better overall dining experience.
As Much an Experience as a Meal
Upfront, The River Cafe is an expensive restaurant but we were looking for a high-end place with an interesting menu that would treat us to new flavors and tastes. We were not disappointed. The menu offered a variety of dishes as starters, as first courses, as main entrées and desserts. We ordered ravioli and scallops among our first dishes, they were fabulous. Our main dishes were rockfish, dover sole, and steak. These were also delicious. The atmosphere is classy and the service is top notch. You may even catch a glimpse of a celebrity. English singer-songwriter and actress Lily Allen was in the house while we dined. Paul McCartney and Elton John have dined here, too.
Last time we were here was almost 20 years ago.
We have no recollection of that visit. We knew of this place through their cookbooks. It is a trek to get here. There is not much to do in the immediate area. You can't actually see the Thames from the restaurant. We were here at noon on a Sunday. It seemed like there were more staff than guests for the first hour. The pizzetta was just OK. The calamari had the best looking rocket (aka arugula) we had ever seen. It was a simple and delicious dish. Gnocchi was made with semolina, not our favorite. The scallops were beautifully plated. As for desserts, we wanted tiramisu but it was unavailable, which was weird since the menu was dated for that day. We settled for roasted almond gelati, which was delicious with espresso. We liked the lemon, almond polenta cake but the blood orange was barely caramelized. It was so tart. Visually, the desserts were not complicated nor did they have complex components. The server was generally nice and attentive. I guess you have to be attractive to be a server here. Why was there a huge digital clock? We liked it, though. We like to keep track of time and didn't want to overstay our welcome. The decor wasn't the best. The plates were too simple. The chairs looked like office chairs. I guess minimalism and bold colors were the theme. It is, of course, worth a trek to eat here. They even had their own store nearby.
Very good still after all these years! Service is attentive
Very good still after all these years! Service is attentive without being crowded. Menu pays homage to the classics while being creative on its own merits. Food is consistently good without being outstanding. Good wine list of Italian labels with prices that are not outlandish. Solid performer that meets expectations.
Its been too long since we went here.
We were determined to really enjoy our meal and the experience; old hands here, true, but we were just in the mood for being pampered, having a wonderful meal and simply relaxing And so it was; a nice reception outside and the ever wonderful Charles Pullan to take us to our table; a lovely, warm evening, we chose outside. A few minutes in his capable hands and its like you have never been away You ask and everything just happens around you; no stress all evening...and it became pretty busy. The waitresses are experienced, knowledgeable, professional, yet they too are always relaxed and their attention is on you, they listen, they are not distracted; you barely have to raise an eyebrow and someone is there, yet unobtrusive We did not stint: bubbles, a decent couple of glasses of wine, prosciutto, carpaccio, monkfish, sirloin, ice cream, affogato, double espresso, 1 dessert wine - it wasn't cheap, but you just have to indulge from time to time...it was the most expensive meal we have had since Rostang in Paris a few years ago, though that was nearly twice as much and half as good...and too starchy This is just pleasure
The food was of an impressive standard! We were
The food was of an impressive standard! We were particularly impressed with the veal shin as a main course and the almond tart as a dessert. The wood-fired lobster was perfectly executed and equally delicious. The pasta, however, fell slightly short of expectations. Nevertheless, the rest of the dishes were highly enjoyable and consistently delicious.
so so good.
it was our last meal of the trip and the perfect sendoff. the menu changes daily and the ambiance is perfection. i had pasta with a parmesan sauce and asparagus. the focaccia served before the meal was *chef's kiss.* We split the lemon tart and s gelato for dessert - delish. recommend a beautiful stroll on the water after your meal!
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