A lovely outing to the River Cafe with good friends

Arriving at the River Cafe is a little surprising as it feels like reaching an industrial park. One you are through the gateway however, it is a different matter and you are right on the banks of the Thames.

Once you are in the restaurant it is light and airy with lots of glass. Floor to ceiling glass faces out to the river and a massive glass wall features at the bottom of the restaurant with a huge projection of a clock featured on it!  There is also glass backing the service bar which impressively runs the full length of the restaurant and I could see 11 people bustling away behind it.

This wasnt my first visit to the River Cafe but I had arranged a late lunch with good friends, Adam and Lee. I was early but they were fashionably late! (typical men!)  I was offered a drink at the bar but  I bypassed the rather impressive chrome bar area and instead went straight to the table to wait for 2 ever so fashionably late gentlemen.

I ordered a Rossini which is prosecco with fresh strawberries (£9).  This was an excellent choice and I happily sat on my own savouring the drink and doing a bit of people watching which is one of my favourite pastimes!

Adam arrived first and was a joy to see.  After I plied him with a Rossini the chat was flowing.  Then the lovely Lee arrived and my happy little reunion with two of my favourite people was complete.

The three of us were so busy chatting that perusing the menu slipped our minds.  After 3 or 4 prompts, from staff, we managed to order.  I have to say, at this point, the staff showed extreme patience!

The menu is Italian and Adam and I both ordered Mozzarella di Bufala with purple basil, wood roasted violetta aubergines, italian spinach and Datterini tomatoes (£16) . This was fresh and delicious with a lovely combination of tastes.  To be honest, I couldnt finish all the mozzarella but I enjoyed it all the same.

For my main, I ordered the Chargrilled marinated lamb with fresh horseradish, lentils, red wine + pancetta and roasted red and golden beetroots (£34).  I rarely order lamb as it be a bit too fatty for my taste but this jumped off the menu at me (maybe because of the horseradish which I am currently trying to grow.)  This was an excellent choice, with several of my favourite ingredients on the one plate.

We were offered the dessert menu but noone had room for one.

I have to say that I really enjoyed my visit to the River Cafe.  A combination of great food, good service and excellent company is hard to beat.  My thanks to Lee and Adam for a fabulous reunion!