The River Café (London)
Encyclopedia
The River Café is a restaurant
in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
, London
, England
, specializing in Italian cuisine
. It is owned and run by chef Ruth Rogers and until early 2010, Rose Gray
.
Located on the north bank of the Thames in Hammersmith
(nearest railway station is Hammersmith tube station
), in the former Duckhams oil storage facility modified by architect Lord Rogers
, the husband of Ruth Rogers (Lady Rogers). Opened in 1987 as the employee café of the architectural partnership, there is a garden with views of the River Thames
.
River Café brought to London
the flavours of Italian home cooking with an emphasis on the finest ingredients, and an all-Italian wine list. The restaurant also brought to London a modern, open-plan kitchen and dining room with a buzzy atmosphere. "Sourcing, sourcing, sourcing" is the mantra of Rogers and Gray. Menus are tweaked twice a day to respond to the seasons and what is best in the market, with simplicity the key. Signature dishes include: wild mushroom risotto; Dover sole and John Dory smoked in the restaurant's own wood stove; and rich Italian desserts including lemon almond cake or the chocolate "Nemesis" cake.
The restaurant earned a Michelin star
in 1997 and is critically acclaimed, although sometimes criticised for high pricing.
Gray and Rogers have written six highly successful cookbooks, including Italian Easy and The London River Café Cook Book. Their first book, Italian Country Cookbook won both the Glenfiddich Award
for Food Book of the Year and the BCA Illustrated Book of the Year Awards. Rogers and Gray have since presented a 12-part series for Channel 4
, The Italian Kitchen.
The River Café is also notable for the number of successful chefs that have trained in its kitchens. These include Sam and Sam Clark of Moro, Ed Baines
of Randall & Aubin, April Bloomfield of the Spotted Pig (in New York) and celebrity chef
s Jamie Oliver
, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
and Tobie Puttock
.
In 2008, the Café was temporarily closed following a fire in the kitchen on Saturday 5th April. According to the Sunday Mirror's web site, the fire began around 7:30 in the evening and took two hours to bring under control. The article said that around 10% of the ground floor was gutted. It re-opened in autumn 2008 following a major refurbishment which included a fully exposed open-plan kitchen dominated by a wood-fired oven, a new private room & generally spruced-up surroundings.
Rogers and Gray each were named in the 2010 New Year's Honours List as Members of the British Empire
(MBE
) with the citation "for services to the Hospitality Industry".
On 28 February 2010, Gray (full name Clemency Rose Gray) died aged 71 of cancer.
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
in the Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a London borough in West London, and forms part of Inner London. Traversed by the east-west main roads of the A4 Great West Road and the A40 Westway, many international corporations have offices in the borough....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, specializing in Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine
Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian cuisine in itself takes heavy influences, including Etruscan, ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Byzantine, Jewish and Arab cuisines...
. It is owned and run by chef Ruth Rogers and until early 2010, Rose Gray
Rose Gray
Rose Gray, MBE was a British chef and cookery writer, who set up The River Café in 1987. She won a Michelin star for this in 1998. It was here that the talents of Jamie Oliver were first spotted...
.
Located on the north bank of the Thames in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
(nearest railway station is Hammersmith tube station
Hammersmith tube station
There are two London Underground stations called Hammersmith:* Hammersmith tube station * Hammersmith tube station -See also:* Hammersmith & Chiswick railway station...
), in the former Duckhams oil storage facility modified by architect Lord Rogers
Richard Rogers
Richard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside CH Kt FRIBA FCSD is a British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs....
, the husband of Ruth Rogers (Lady Rogers). Opened in 1987 as the employee café of the architectural partnership, there is a garden with views of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
River Café brought to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
the flavours of Italian home cooking with an emphasis on the finest ingredients, and an all-Italian wine list. The restaurant also brought to London a modern, open-plan kitchen and dining room with a buzzy atmosphere. "Sourcing, sourcing, sourcing" is the mantra of Rogers and Gray. Menus are tweaked twice a day to respond to the seasons and what is best in the market, with simplicity the key. Signature dishes include: wild mushroom risotto; Dover sole and John Dory smoked in the restaurant's own wood stove; and rich Italian desserts including lemon almond cake or the chocolate "Nemesis" cake.
The restaurant earned a Michelin star
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
in 1997 and is critically acclaimed, although sometimes criticised for high pricing.
Gray and Rogers have written six highly successful cookbooks, including Italian Easy and The London River Café Cook Book. Their first book, Italian Country Cookbook won both the Glenfiddich Award
Glenfiddich Food and Drink Awards
The Glenfiddich Food and Drink Awards were intended to recognize achievements in writing, publishing and broadcasting on the subjects of food and drink...
for Food Book of the Year and the BCA Illustrated Book of the Year Awards. Rogers and Gray have since presented a 12-part series for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, The Italian Kitchen.
The River Café is also notable for the number of successful chefs that have trained in its kitchens. These include Sam and Sam Clark of Moro, Ed Baines
Ed Baines
Edward "Ed" Baines is an English chef best known for being a judge on Britain's Best Dish and for being an alternate chef on Sunday Feast with Paul Merrett...
of Randall & Aubin, April Bloomfield of the Spotted Pig (in New York) and celebrity chef
Celebrity chef
A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become famous and well known. Today celebrity chefs often become celebrities by presenting cookery advice and demonstrations via mass media, especially television. Historically, celebrity chefs have included Antoine Carême and Martino da Como.-External...
s Jamie Oliver
Jamie Oliver
James "Jamie" Trevor Oliver, MBE , sometimes known as The Naked Chef, is an English chef, restaurateur and media personality, known for his food-focused television shows, cookbooks and more recently his campaign against the use of processed foods in national schools...
, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is a British celebrity chef, television personality, journalist, food writer and "real food" campaigner, known for his back-to-basics philosophy...
and Tobie Puttock
Tobie Puttock
Tobie Puttock is an Australian celebrity chef, best known for his association with British chef Jamie Oliver.-Cooking career:Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Puttock trained at Box Hill Institute of TAFE, and first worked at Caffe e Cucina in South Yarra...
.
In 2008, the Café was temporarily closed following a fire in the kitchen on Saturday 5th April. According to the Sunday Mirror's web site, the fire began around 7:30 in the evening and took two hours to bring under control. The article said that around 10% of the ground floor was gutted. It re-opened in autumn 2008 following a major refurbishment which included a fully exposed open-plan kitchen dominated by a wood-fired oven, a new private room & generally spruced-up surroundings.
Rogers and Gray each were named in the 2010 New Year's Honours List as Members of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
) with the citation "for services to the Hospitality Industry".
On 28 February 2010, Gray (full name Clemency Rose Gray) died aged 71 of cancer.
Further reading
- Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers - The River Café Cook Book (Ebury Press, 1996) ISBN 0091812550