The River Cafe - London

The River Café
Thames Wharf Rainville Rd
Hammersmith, London, W6 9HA
020 7386 4200
http://www.rivercafe.co.uk

If you have to pick one nice restaurant to eat at in London, pick The River Cafe and go for lunch.

I made my reservation on their website months before I went because I knew I wanted to eat there and I'd work everything else around that.

Does it seem crazy to go to London to eat Italian food cooked by an English chef? Yes it does. Oh well, crazy or not, it is one of the best meals you’ll ever eat. Everyone has written about this restaurant so there is no need for me to go on and on about how great the food is. The food is great. It is pristine. It is, what all food should be, delicious.

I started off with a grilled squid with rocket. The squid was nicely charred on the edges, but very tender and juicy. The rocket – which I’d never had before – was fresh and peppery and reminded me of arugala. My main course was pan-roasted pheasant wrapped in bacon with sautéed chard. I wish I could make swiss chard that well – then everyone in my family would eat it. For dessert I asked the waitress if I could get half a slice of each of the two tarts they had that day - one lemon and one pear-frangiapane. They were both excellent, but the lemon, which was carmelized on the top and so delicate it wiggled on the plate, was so wonderfully lemony it won the day.

One of my top ten meals.