Riding House Cafe - Fitzrovia, London

The Riding House Café led the way in Fitzrovia's nascent culinary scene, demonstrating that there were other pockets beyond Charlotte Street worthy of a good restaurant. Since then, the neighbourhood has blossomed as fast as any other in the city, but the Riding House Café still remains as busy as ever, no matter whether it's for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We popped in early on a Wednesday evening to sample their new menu and were won over once more by RHC's quirky wiles. 

The dining room is really sui generis - blending industrial accents with classically British eccentricities. The room is laid with striking reclaimed herringbone flooring. There's a large communal table in its centre with school-style chairs flanking either side, and a beautiful long bar on the interior side overhung with art deco drinks gantries and hemmed by turquoise high-top seating. There are more secluded dining areas tucked away on either side of the restaurant, and a stunning private dining room downstairs next to the kitchen. We were seated on a plush burnt-orange corner sofa surrounded by low-hanging lamp shades and wooden walls.

For 2019 they've rejigged the menu to reflect a global approach to modern European cuisine, with dishes running the gamut from the hearty to the health-conscious. In the former category, the baked camembert with tomato jam was an unctuous treat and delicious starter, while seared squid with pak choi, chilli and shrimp jam was more saintly but no less tasty. A tranche of beef wellington served with an earthy cep puree and curly kale is well suited for the carnivorous, and blackened miso cod with hazelnut oil and carrot puree is for the pescatarian. 

All in, Riding House Café holds water as one of Fitzrovia's best restaurants, in a neighbourhood that is increasingly becoming a force to be reckoned with.