Tags
brasserie, brunch, buzzy, casual, child friendly, fitzrovia, goodge street, Modern, oxford circus, quirky, w1w
Light Bite
A quirky brunch venue in a foodie wasteland.
Tasting Menu
I am a fan of brunch. It is a meal that welcomes me no matter how late I lay in at the weekend and it allows me to pick and choose from the best that breakfast and lunch have to offer. This is a venue that is known for its brunch appeal and I can see why. It is a culinary utopia for those living in this pocket of London and those with small children. I am both childless and firmly embedded in SW3 so do not benefit from these attractions, and as a diner sans famille I have a limited patience for screaming toddlers and thrown food. I also have an appreciation for the kitsch, however, and was delighted to see the eccentric lamp decoration. One can never have too many electrocuted squirrels dotted about the place.
The menu offered the usual suspects of pastries, cereals etc. with a comprehensive selection of juices and smoothies. I had a deliciously refreshing “Rickshaw” followed by an enjoyable bacon sandwich with welcome slices of tomato and avocado, whilst Hubbit continued his quest to find the best full English in London. He did not necessarily find it here but he did not need to eat again until suppertime, such were the generous proportions of the dish. The miniature milk bottle accompanying my Americano amused me, which was just as well as we were forced to wait for a table we had already booked and found that the staff were not at all on the ball. We also suffered from language problems, as is so often the case in London restaurants. I don’t need my waiters to be able to recite seventeenth century poetry to me but I do feel they should be able to communicate about the food on their menus. Overall this was an agreeable enough way to ease myself into a Sunday and I would pop in again if I were ever in the vicinity. If the excellent Scandinavian Kitchen next door was shut anyway.
Cuisine: Modern all-day brasserie
Address: 43-51 Great Titchfield Street, Fitzrovia, W1W 7PQ
Telephone: 020 7927 0840
Website: http://www.ridinghousecafe.co.uk
Price: £35 for brunch for 2 people without booze
Nearest station: Oxford Circus or Goodge Street