Short & Sweet: The River Café

Style: High-end Italian

Budget: Very expensive, considering this is simple cooking, but the ingredients are top quality and the portions are generous. 

Venue and atmosphere: More casual and relaxed than you might expect. Go for lunch on a sunny day and book a table outside.

Service: Friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. 

Food: At The River Café ingredients reign supreme. The focus is on seasonal, Italian and locally sourced produce, simply cooked to showcase their pure, intrinsic qualities.

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La nonna Pettineo's ragu

For my 30^th birthday my friend, Geraldine, sent me a care package from the USA, which included a handwritten recipe and photos of her nonna’s ragu. Like everyone with an Italian grandmother, she says hers makes the best. And like every Italian grandmother, hers doesn’t follow a recipe, so you have to watch her to learn it.

A few years ago, Geraldine and I got into a friendly debate about what constitutes the best ragu and what one should call it. (You can read about that here). I argued with her about it, but mostly for the sake of it. Actually, I was very keen to learn her nonna’s secrets.

When she next visited her, she watched her make it and wrote down all the details step-by-step. The recipe is written in Geraldine’s beautiful cursive handwriting and comes with lots of notes and tips:

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Banh mi, Sydney style

I was so excited when I first saw bahn mi in London. They were one of my favourite lunches when I was a growing up in Sydney. There was a Vietnamese bakery next to my school where most kids used to load up on doughnuts and cream cakes. I preferred to spend my pocket money on 'Vietnamese pork rolls'.

For $2.50 you could get a Vietnamese baguette slathered with pate and mayo, crammed full of cold pork cuts, salad and pickles and finished with soy sauce, a few sprigs of coriander and a sprinkling of chilli. 

I have found few places in London that make them like this, perhaps because the French and Asian flavours sound like such a bizarre combination. Actually, I think that’s what makes it unique and interesting. It speaks to Vietnam’s colonial heritage and is a great example of fusion cuisine that really works.

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Spring potato salad

You might not be ready to ditch the winter coat just yet, but you can at least enjoy the abundance of fresh vegetables available at this time of year.

This potato salad makes the best that spring has to offer: jersey royals, wild garlic, asparagus, fresh peas and watercress in a simple dressing so you can really appreciate all the wonderful flavours. Add some spiky artichokes from Sardinia and you have a truly decadent lunch or dinner. I could stop there, but bacon and a soft-boiled egg takes it to the next level. 

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Monk's beard with burrata

Monk’s Beard, also known as Friar’s Beard or Goat’s Beard, is a delicious Mediterranean plant, mainly cultivated in Southern Italy, Spain and Northern Africa. It looks similar to chives, but the flavour is somewhere between samphire (salty with a hint of the sea) and spinach (minerality).

It is generally served blanched, lightly fried or steamed, so that it retains its crunch. I like it best with a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon, as in this salad, but it also works well with anchovies, garlic, chilli and/or fresh herbs. With any of these additions, it makes a great side for white, flaky fish.

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