The River Cafe

This was my second visit to The River Cafe after a break of 7 years. I didn't remember being impressed on my first visit but I decided to give it a second chance. After all, it has stood the test of time for more than 20 years and earned itself a Michelin star so I thought, why not give it another go? I'm glad I did as  the food was very good, despite the high price tag.

It was a lovely sunny evening by the River Thames when we sat down, albeit a bit chilly when the wind blew which resulted in us migrating indoors (I relented after protests from E and S).

The place was buzzing by the time our starters came, and everyone who walked in looked rather glamorous which made us wonder whether there were any celebrities amongst us. Much speculation was had during dinner as to whether the woman next to us was a tranny...(no photos, sorry).

The River Cafe is known for its seafood and their Scottish langoustines were given such a rave review by the owner of the Naked Finn (in Singapore) that I just had to try them. Here they are (Mazzancolle - cold poached split Scottish langoustines with summer herbs and extra virgin olive oil), and I'm glad I ordered them. They were delicious and very fresh.

Mazzancolle

S had the Capesante in Padella (seared Scottish scallops with gardens peas and 12 year aged balsamic vinegar) while E had the Caponata Siciliana (eggplant, tomato, capers, olives, celery heart, sultanas, pine nuts and parsley). Both got the thumbs up.

Capesante in Padella

Caponata Siciliana

View from inside

For mains, S and I had the Linguine con Granchio (linguini with Devon crab, fennel, chilli and olive oil) and though it was nice, we both felt it lacked oomph and would have benefited from more chilli. Perhaps it was our  Singaporean taste buds speaking but honestly, it could have done with more heat.

Where's the chilli? 

E had the Branzino con Vongole (sea bass with clams, chilli, creme fraiche, lemon zest and Swiss chard) which she enjoyed.

Of course, we had to have dessert. S demanded her own almond tart with strawberries which meant E had to order her own too. I plonked for the River Cafe's famous Chocolate Nemesis and indeed, it was my downfall. Very rich and gooey and impossible for one person to finish. I preferred S's and E's almond tart which had a lovely buttery crust and delicious frangipane filling where you could really taste the almonds.

A very generous portion!

Rich and deadly

So pretty!