It is not often you get offered two free lunches on the same day, but such is the lot of the famous restaurant reviewer. This is a story of one of them (the other requires me to break my “no noodles” policy, which I may soon be prepared to flex as I am a notorious tightwad…)
The Riding House Fitzrovia lunch was at the behest of a very dear friend of mine, who used to work just up the road, and for whom this place used to be part canteen, part people watching space (as the BBC is just up the road, and part canteen for them as well…). If only he had not uttered the “Avada Kedavra” of every meal when we were perusing the menu: “Everything is good here”…
I love this part of London – It is wonderfully in between everywhere, but is kind of nowhere itself, and the name wasn’t even coined until the late 1930s to try to describe what is a somewhat indescribable place. It is also home to some fabulous restaurants and eateries, like Clipstone, and The Huxley, and the late, great Ampeli. Just rock up on Charlotte Street, and you’re bound to find somewhere you like.
So I was looking forward to the lunch, mainly for the company, but partly for the food, as the menu looked excellent for a light lunchtime bite:
The set menu was a little confusing, as it is described itself as a “Sample”, but I wasn’t in the mood for pudding, so it was easy to let that slide.
But I really liked the look of the main menu, and we settled into some small plates and bowls. I had fancied the gizzard skewer (I have not been offered anything from a chicken’s digestive tract for a while now, especially on a stick), but to bastardise Basil Fawlty, they were fresh out of gizzards…
You are probably at this point thinking that this is a one star review, with food of unimaginable awfulness. That would be a little unfair (just a little). Some of it was actually ok.
For example, these two. I love aubergine and miso, and this wasn’t badly done. A little sweet, and perhaps a little overpowering on the rose flavour, but not a bad rendition. The other dish was smoked cod’s roe, which again, wasn’t too bad, but the pitta was a bit dry. All perfectly serviceable, and had the whole lunch been like that, it would have been very satisfactory.
Physics dictates that one of the densest materials on the planet is depleted uranium, which is loaded into tanks and fired at other tanks, in order to create the maximum damage for the minimum weight of projectile. Clearly scientists have never eaten at Riding House Fitzrovia.
You could swap the “tempura” broccoli or the corn fritter into any munitions and achieve comparable results at a fraction of the cost (and presumably with less toxicity and radiation). The batter of the veg was thick and very undercooked, and would have suited pancakes or fish and chips better. And the corn fritter was so chewy and pasty we both pushed our plates away. Who needs Ozempic to watch their waistline…
On the upside, it is a comfortable place to sit, and the wine list is good. We shared a really delicious white Rioja, which we both said tasted like summer (not bad for a late October day).
Fortunately, my friend was mistaken for a celebrity and given a 25% discount off the meal (he has film star looks, if Hammer is your genre), so that seemed some small recompense for a disappointing experience. It was a real shame, as the restaurant is very comfortable, and makes really good use of the space, and the staff were very friendly. It just needs to up its food game to match some of the other great places in the area.
I suppose the only thing left is the question for my friend:
My shout next time: Do you fancy noodles?
Conclusion
- Overall Rating: 3.5/5
- Food: 2/5
- Wine: 4.5/5
- Atmosphere: 4/5
- Service: 4/5
- Would I go back?: For a drink, yes. For food? I’ll find a handy missile to chew on instead, thanks
Riding House Fitzrovia: https://www.riding.house/locations/fitzrovia
