River Cafe, London
Oct 31st, 2002, 07:29 AM
#1
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River Cafe, London
I used to watch a cooking show on my local PBS station featuring the two ladies who run the River Cafe in London. Everything they made always looked so wonderful that I thought if I was ever in London, I would make reservations for their restaurant. Well, it turns out that I will be in London in two months, but now that I read some reviews of the restaurant, they haven't been so favorable. I have read that the food isn't as good as it should be for the expense, and it is a pretty long taxi ride to boot. Has anyone eaten there recently? your input would be appreciated.
Oct 31st, 2002, 08:01 AM
#2
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Once upon a time there was a fabulous restaurant called the River Cafe, much beloved for it's progressive Italian cooking, it's stylish but stress free atmosphere away from the bustle of the West End, it's innovative cookery books, and the chain of talented cooks passing through its doors (including Jamie Oliver – do you get the Naked chef?)<BR><BR>I too had pined to sample its delights for many years, and finally made the effort to go last year.<BR><BR>I have never had so much disappointment in one evening.<BR><BR>Maybe it's partly my fault, perhaps I expected too much. But the food was bland, not as fresh as it good be, with not an overly imaginative menu. The atmosphere was akin to a brightly lit aircraft hangar kitted out in the early 8os with steel and whicker chairs so beloved of cheap 70s italian restaurants. The crowd was stuffy and very middle-aged. But worst of all was the service – incredibly slow (we waited at least half an hour for the starter, longer for the main course, and just gave up on ordering another drink), and yet hassled us to death to get off the table on the dot of 9pm.<BR><BR>All this delight costs us nearly 60GBP per person for 2 courses, and 1 shared bottle of the cheapest wine.<BR><BR>Needless to say we didn't leave a tip.
Oct 31st, 2002, 08:45 AM
#5
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The title of this post brought a smile to my face. It's a reminder of a painful London evening several years ago. I made a dinner reservation at the River Cafe and we took the tube out. We walked from the tube stop (don't remember which station), following the directions that had been given us on the phone. We thought we were right at the restaurant, but couldn't see it anywhere. By the way, we are not usually terribly directionally impaired. The entrance is not on the street--it's around on the river side. The sign is (was?) miniscule. Well, we walked to the river and totally missed the restaurant, which was to our right and behind us. We turned left and went for a looooong walk along the Thames. It was dark. It started to rain.... Realizing that we were not going to reach the restaurant, we turned around and walked back, eventually spotting the warm, welcoming lights of the cafe. The food was cosi-cosi and prices were too high, but we were really glad to be there.<BR><BR>Emma, if you do eat there, please report in when you return. Oh yes, if you use the tube, take a taxi to the restaurant!
Oct 31st, 2002, 09:53 AM
#6
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anyone that pays 60 pounds per person for a crap meal like this is crazy. But, this is typical of these kind of places, they get by on their so called charm and "hottiness" to charge outlandish prices for poor food and service. Anyone that is dumb enough to go to a place like this deserves whatever they get in the way of crap food, pee-poor service, and snootiness. Better off to go the local pub, have a pint and a pub meal, and pocket the 50+ pounds per person you will save. So stupid to patronize these kind of joints. They exist for one reason only and that is to separate as much money as possible from gullible and stupid people that go there. God how dumb.
Oct 31st, 2002, 10:05 AM
#7
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Thanks for sharing your low brow taste, "notme". You are entitled to your opinion that a pub meal is great, but I'm entitled to my opinion that a really fine dinner is worth the extra expense. While the River Cafe may not be "worth it", you are a self-centered fool to act like anyone who pays a high price for a good or memorable meal deserves to be ripped off. Each of us has things that we think are worth it. Believe it or not I know people who have actually spent more than 60 pounds to attend sporting events!!! Sometimes those same events were even on TV! But I don't fault them for spending their money that way if they really enjoy it.
Oct 31st, 2002, 10:10 AM
#8
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<BR><BR>My fellow xxx is right. Some people choose to spend a lot of money on meals, whereas others choose to spend a lot of money on sports, or clothing or cars or electronic toys or what have you. <BR><BR>Personally, spending a lot of money on meals does not appeal to me, but I understand that it give others great pleasure.
Oct 31st, 2002, 10:20 AM
#9
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I don't think most people spend moeny on dining out just to be spending it - they want/expect some favorable combination of service, atmospehere, food choices, and taste. Most of us have been ripped off at places like the River Cafe. It does tend to drive you to Pub food, even if only for awhile.
Oct 31st, 2002, 11:28 AM
#10
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It seems that more often than not the places that charge the high prices, have poor service, snooty waiters, and only so-so food are also the ones that get the high ratings. Seems odd to me. Many people equate getting mis-treated and over charged, if in a nice white table cloth setting, with a good dining experience. Not so. Just because the waiters are snobbish and the food overpriced does not mean it is good. Usually it is far from it.
Oct 31st, 2002, 11:33 AM
#11
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I agree, anyone that spends this kind of money on a meal is crazy. Think about it. What did you get for the money? What? Was not good food. Was not good service. Was not good decor. Just what was it? Nothing. Food is fuel for the body and that is all it is. Eat cheap and save the money for serious drinking.
Nov 1st, 2002, 04:56 AM
#15
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Here are some London sites with some information regarding this restaurant. I have heard about it and although I live in London am still yet to try it. It is one of the more expensive choices of restaurants.<BR><BR>http://www.london-eating.co.uk/40.htm<BR><BR>http://www.myhammersmith.co.uk/hammersmith&shepherdsbush/eating-out-rivercafe.htm<BR><BR>http://www.cix.co.uk/~gtigg/wlondon.htm#RiverCafe
