I am not going to lie, my memory of the Riding House Cafe is hazy, to say the least, but I definitely remember having a very good time.
Here is what I remember:
The place itself is nicely done. Its big and airy, with an upbeat feeling. This is not what I picture a date night type place. The nine of us who visited that night were placed on one half of a long table. There was a little issue with some of the chairs being nailed to the floor, which would have made for an awkward moment had any one of us been over weight but generally they were just slight annoyance more than anything else, anytime someone wanted to move.
The menu is divided into a selection of smaller plates, for sharing and mains. With nine of us, I'm pretty sure we tried the whole menu collectively, but here is what I remember eating:
Half a dozen Oysters.
No complaints but then again, I've never found a reason to complain about oysters in a restaurant.
Pork Belly, which in my excitement I forgot to take a picture of was beautifully cooked -crunchy well seasoned crackling and gorgeous soft pork. Again no complaints. From what I remember, there was was no sauce accompanying the pork. If you love pork the way I do, this is a good thing and lets the flavour really shine through but The Boyfriend thought an additonal sauce would have added something.
Squid and Chorizo Salad. This is a dish they've moved over from Village East. Its a nice combination, although a little bit greasy.
Other dishes went around, and although I didn't try it The Grouse, was generally very well received. Butterut squash as a side, was equally well recieved.
For dessert I coerced several people in trying the hot fudge sundae with me, which possible was one of the best decisions of my life. It was a perfect classic hot sundae, and I think the last time I had hot fudge sauce that good was about ten years ago.
Along with the salad, some of the staff have also moved over from Village East and in general, they were all a charming bunch - I'm not sure if the same could have been said about the rest of us by the end of the evening.
We also managed to consume five bottles of wine, two bottles of prosecco and a lot more cocktails which pushed the bill up to around £50.00 a head, even with 50% off the food.
All in all, I cant think of a better place to go with a big bunch of people, its much like Village East in that respect. The food is pretty good, but the atmosphere is what really stands out. We had a great time and I am sure we will be back.
Here is what I remember:
The place itself is nicely done. Its big and airy, with an upbeat feeling. This is not what I picture a date night type place. The nine of us who visited that night were placed on one half of a long table. There was a little issue with some of the chairs being nailed to the floor, which would have made for an awkward moment had any one of us been over weight but generally they were just slight annoyance more than anything else, anytime someone wanted to move.
The menu is divided into a selection of smaller plates, for sharing and mains. With nine of us, I'm pretty sure we tried the whole menu collectively, but here is what I remember eating:
Half a dozen Oysters.
Pork Belly, which in my excitement I forgot to take a picture of was beautifully cooked -crunchy well seasoned crackling and gorgeous soft pork. Again no complaints. From what I remember, there was was no sauce accompanying the pork. If you love pork the way I do, this is a good thing and lets the flavour really shine through but The Boyfriend thought an additonal sauce would have added something.
Squid and Chorizo Salad. This is a dish they've moved over from Village East. Its a nice combination, although a little bit greasy.
For dessert I coerced several people in trying the hot fudge sundae with me, which possible was one of the best decisions of my life. It was a perfect classic hot sundae, and I think the last time I had hot fudge sauce that good was about ten years ago.
We also managed to consume five bottles of wine, two bottles of prosecco and a lot more cocktails which pushed the bill up to around £50.00 a head, even with 50% off the food.
All in all, I cant think of a better place to go with a big bunch of people, its much like Village East in that respect. The food is pretty good, but the atmosphere is what really stands out. We had a great time and I am sure we will be back.
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