The Riding House Cafe in City of London, Westminster

Absolute rubbish ! It was so cold that most customers kept their coats on. The food was tasteless and low end. Whoever owns this place would be advised to change and upgrade the entire menu. Don't waste your money here as it is expensive and low end. What a shame as this restaurant used to be so good. There was no vibe whatsoever

Food was good my sister had the full English and this looked great however my side never came and I had the mushrooms on ciabatta and the portion size was very small so ended up ordering a second dish. Drinks were slow these only came half way through food service. However it is a nice place and food was good.

Our group enjoyed the evening, it was a very good experience overall.

Great service as always, even bringing out a little treat with a candle for my birthday! The food was delicious and great atmosphere.

I enjoyed Riding House Fitzrovia a lot. The food and drinks were delicious and the service was excellent.

Wouldn’t choose to come here at Christmas The serving staff where very distracted. Initially very welcoming. Wrong bottle of wine came to the table, then the mains arrived before we’d finished our starters. Quite rudely told that we had 5 mins to finish our coffee as the table was needed and we overstayed the allotted 90 minutes which was incorrect as the table was advertised by Open table for a 2 hour slot. I wouldn’t have booked here for just 90 minutes. We were then over charged as another waiter had mistakenly added coffee to our table after the initial bill was delivered. The waiter who told us to leave wouldn’t have it that they’d made a mistake until I showed the bill she’d given us originally was a bit huffy over the changes The owner manger came over was very apologetic and immediately refunded the service charge without being asked which was much appreciated. Another waiter then came with our amended bill and then tried to imply it was all our fault. Sad end to what was a celebration for each of us. The food was amazing and in a quieter time would be better appreciated. Got home and found I’d lost my glasses. One friend mislaid her scarf and the other had difficulty with the trains Just one of those days!

We have been coming to Riding House for some time and this week had the worst experience there. Food was ok, but staff did not communicate at all that the table was booked for set time period and asked us to leave whilst we were eating mains having waited a long time for order to arrive. Awful communication and dismal customer service. Such a shame this place has gone so downhill. Never experienced anything like it.

An excellent experience! We had lunch there today and it was a really nice Christmas vibe. Chilled good service. The food was excellent. The staff were really friendly. It was a beautiful set for lunch.

Great brunch option. Friendly staff, nice atmosphere. Great food options. I went for avocado on toast with sides of mushrooms and tomatoes with a Virgin Mary. Delish! It is family friendly so be prepared for a noisy time….

Popular restaurant - busy atmosphere. Food was very good - burger, cod loin excellent mains - chocolate cheesecake dessert was tasty. Good value.

Their Sunday roast was exquisite, really nice ingredients and perfectly cooked, well-balanced meal! We’ll come back for it for sure

We have been few times in the past, and I have to say it’s one of my favourite restaurant. The staff is friendly, the management is nice. Hosts are very friendly as well , and the food and drinks are excellent.

Fantastic meal at The Riding House Fitzrovia. Food, service and drinks were all amazing. The Passion Fruit Paloma with The Lost Explorer Mezcal was absolutely delicious! Highly recommended

The food as always is wonderful.... the service on this occasion left something to be desired. I haven't been to the Riding House for a year or so but wow how the service has declined. I'm guessing it was the floor manager, a guy who said to another customer.. "I have no idea how the front desk works so wait a second" was very abrupt in approach, I think he was trying to be humorous but it wasn't appreciated nor appropriate. The runners were quite simply, abysmal. They couldn't grasp simple requests, questions nor had an ounce of personality. We asked for sparkling water, they brought still to which we said "oh we asked for sparkling".. they looked at us like it was our problem. We were left with dirty plates and cups on our table for over 30 minutes, to which point we placed them on a neighbouring table. We had to ask for more tea and coffee, of which the table next to us also had to do. There was no check ins to make sure everything was fine or if we needed anything else. A rather disappointing visit and we won't be rushing back.

Good food served quickly, good location and a nice atmosphere but it was super loud, we were packed in like sardines and struggled to get any server attention once the mains were done. Drink size was inconsistent and we were moved before we’d finished due to another booking. Poor planning on their part and one of our party ended up right on the edge of the bar where everyone brushed past them which just ended up cutting our evening short despite a complementary round of drinks to make up for it. The whole experience was just a little meh for what should’ve been a celebration.

It was really amazing. There is a guy Rezwan was so friendly. We had a whole seabus which was the best dishes ever.Come back soon.

Great food and friendly service I will definitely be back.

Service charge 13.5%! Food quality not as good as expected. Service average

We attended the thanksgiving dinner this evening. The food was a great amount for the pre-fixed price however the quality left little to be desired. The green beans, creamed corn and Brussels sprouts were all undercooked and the turkey was dry and overcooked. The service was less than desirable - he was very attentive but his overall demeanor was invasive and rude. I was asked if I wanted a cocktail upon sitting. I told him no, thank you. He proceeds to hand me the drink menu and asked if I would be having wine then. To which I said no. He took the menu away and came back 20 seconds later and said oh are you on a break from drinking? I said no, I just don't want one. Please stop asking me. A few other things happened throughout the meal but the second we paid he looked at me and said your time is up at this table you need to leave. He literally took his time finding the bill and we had to ask him for it. Overall food was fine, service was irritating don't think we'd go back at least for thanksgiving dinner.

Went as a family for Thanksgiving since we were vacationing in London, having had a nice experience there 2 yrs ago. Not so much this time, 1. Server never checked in on how we were enjoying our meal 2. Earl was starting to be served before drinks arrived. 3. Missing serving pieces for the dishes so a check in would have been helpful 4. Never asked if we wanted any more alcoholic or nonalcoholic drinks. Our glasses were empty most of the meal. 5, Long gap between end of meal and dessert 6. Never asked if we wanted coffee or tea Food was fine. Turkey was too dry. A huge bowl of creamed corn which was way out of proportion to the main meal. But portions were otherwise fine. Overall a disappointing experience since we were serviced so poorly.

Norman was great! Loved everything about the experience

The food was amazing, highlight the pancakes! The vibe is super cool as well and the waiter was super nice and attentive!

Perfect choice for an alternative Sunday brunch with friends

We had walked past a number of pubs that were heaving and basically too crowded to visit. We stumbled on this place and it was quiet and you could get a seat. It has a nice ambience but the staff are less than friendly. Its definitely more of wine place than a beer place but they had a couple of lagers on draught. Its worth dropping into because you will get a seat but i dont think i would choose it as a destination to meet up and stay in.

The food is great but prices are top high espcecially for a breakfast. Service is quick but waiters were doing back and forth a lot around the table where we were seated, very unpleasant.

Used to always love this restaurant - a local favorite, but we went last night and were disappointed with the food and the prices have gone up signifcantly. The artichoke dip wasn't warm enough to enjoy, and the portion of the Chicken Schnitzal was super small for the £23.5 cost. Other mains were very expensive as well. Service was good, not their fault.

Great lunch! Food was delicious and service great.

Sadly not an enjoyable Sunday lunch, the roast beef & pork both had run out by 1pm even though most of the other people in the restaurant appeared to be eating brunch as opposed to roasts! Disappointing visit and the alternative food options not very tasty! Very expensive experience for food that we didn’t really want!

This was a surprisingly poor experience - I’ve usually been very happy with Riding House. First, we arrived for our 5pm booking (we had theatre tickets for 7:30pm) and were informed that the kitchen opened at 6pm - in which case a 5pm booking makes very little sense to offer. Then one of our party asked for a simple switch of alcohol in one of the cocktails on the menu. We were informed that this was impossible without charging us for the swapped-in alcohol on top of the price of the drink. She explained that she just wanted vodka INSTEAD of the mezcal that the drink is usually made with, but our server insisted we would be charged for both and there was no way to adjust the drink without doing this. It was a strange and very customer-unfriendly way to address the issue, particularly when it is obviously possible to use a different alcohol and not double charge. And the restaurant was essentially empty at this time, so it’s not as if the bar or wait staff were particularly overwhelmed or something. The food itself was very nice and fortunately we did end up being able to order earlier than 6pm - but the overall experience was definitely sub-par. I felt badly because I had guests in from out of town; I’d chosen the place and assured them it would be lovely all around.

Always great service and I am now a fan of the Riding House Draught beer

I have been visiting this restaurant for c 10 years now. It is a lovely room and food is always good, as it was yesterday.. However, in recent years, the service has been poor, but it just goes from bad to worse. Today it was an absolute joke. I do not expect silver service in this type of establishment and I appreciate there are huge issues in employment in this sector, but management add a 13.5% service charge yet employ staff with no experience & it seems gives them no training in the basics, eg don't pounce a minute after receiving the menu to ask if we are ready to order, dont ask if we want starters at the same time as the main course(!), and when not surprisingly, the guest says no, don't then bring the main courses when starters are still being consumed! An offer to taste the wine would be nice, serving my guest with wine would be a lovely little touch, rather than walking from the table after pouring a glass for me, further holding thr glass in his hand whilst pouring the wine is most odd! I returned from 3rd world Laos last week, and the service there was far superior ! If I wasn't with a client I would have made a lot more fuss today! Management need to up their game considerably, its a pretty poor show presently!

Love this cafe - it was busy & buzzing. The food is good. The service is very slow - it isn’t the fault of the staff (who were all lovely) but I think they need more of them when it’s so busy. We enjoyed our lunch but gave up on waiting for a cup of tea at the end!

We loved it perfect setting for a relaxed weekend catch up with my friend x

Perfect lunch. Service was outstanding - incredibly attentive even during a busy lunch service. We were early and sat at the end of the bar away from bar staff. One of the chefs (Lucy) prepping salads noticed and alerted them to get us served. Small thing but shows a team working well. Food lovely. Bill less than expected. What’s not to love

Good to return to Riding House cafe. This time for a delicious lunch. Food portion come in different sizes depending on how hungry you are. Always a great ambience, whether meeting with friends or having a business lunch meeting.

Excellent food - original flavours at a fair price in a great ambience! Music was a little loud but we were right under the speaker!

I met a good friend here for brunch. I have been many times and sat on the nice part of the restaurant but this time they put us in The quiet empty part. I've never tried the pancakes here so I thought I'd try them for the first time. They were absolutely awful. Possibly the worst I've ever had. Rock hard dry and crumbling like powder. The fruit that they put on top was meager and sad looking. I paid 16 pounds for the pancakes and 50 pounds overall for two people brunch with basic coffees. A terrible experience which I won't repeat again. I used to be a regular client

A fantastic experience as always in one of Fitzrovia’s best restaurants. The staff and ambience are excellent, and the food is superb.

We sat in the restaurant and it was very noisy. Don’t think you can have a quiet conversation as you can hear other people and they can hear you. Service was OK - food was interesting. I had lamb but it was very fatty and the bed of rice it was on greasy - not great. My husband had the sea bass which was quite nice. We shared a salad be warned it comes with a MOUNTAIN of cheese! Can see it is a trendy place to be but was just not for us!!

The service was slow, absolutely terrible - staff was acting as if they were first day on the job. Not enough waiters - so we needed to ask three times sometimes to receive our drink/food order. They also forgot to send our food order to the kitchen despite me double checking that they definitely sent it - which made us wait extra 15 minutes for our food. Absolute chaos, and one of my friends got sick after eating there. AVOID!

Love the Riding House Cafe - fabulous food and great quality, lots of menu choices as well. Cocktails are divine - 2nd time I've visited and I'll definitely come back - staff are really lovely, friendly and welcoming👏

Great place. If it was not so expensive, I would go there all the time.

Had a nice brunch with friends at a nice spacious round table. The food is nice but the portions are on the smaller size and a bit expensive for what you get. Like the location though and the staff was also professional and served us in decent time.

As always, a relaxed vibe with lovely food and attentive, without being fussy, service. Nice to be back after a while!

We had to chase numerous times for water, were then served leftover water from another table. We also had to chase for our food which took over 45 minutes to arrive.

Came in for a drink one evening and had a wonderful time. Great vibe, lovely staff (we were served by Benjamin). We’ll be back soon!

It is always a great place to eat and meet, however, service was a little slow on this visit.

Staff were exceptional.. cheerful very efficient. Food was ok steak a little chewy.. value not that great Busy time of day and packed but a very cheerful ambience.

We had a table for 5 which we kept for 4 hours the staff were very friendly and helpful and did their best to allow us to keep the table

portion sizes were ridiculously small for the price

Mia our server was brilliant, kind and working hard. She looked like she was covering half the restaurant but did check in regularly. Food was great, atmosphere nice. Perfect for a casual business lunch.

great casual dining experience in a well furnished and designed location

Booked the private dining room for a Friday night and everything was excellent. Particularly the food and service. 10/10

It was good! I'd recommend it for a decent brunch.

Absolutely brilliant long lunch catching up with an old friend. We shared 4 or 5 small plates, reminisced over cocktails and gorged on pudding. The standout plate for me was the croquettes. Simple but so easy to get wrong and these were not wrong at all. They were perfect - gooey, cheesy, crispy 😍 The only minor downside was the slightly stingy cocktails. My first glass arrived 3/4 full and my second was definitely close to the halfway mark. If I removed all the ice, I think that would barely have been 1/4 of a lowball. Despite their diminutive measures, they were delicious and served politely and efficiently. The food service by contrast was no less efficient but much more personal. Both servers (I assume we straddled a shift change) were super friendly and attentive. All in all, another fantastic visit to Riding House Fitzrovia and I hope to be back soon 🙌🏽

My first time visiting and I met the loveliest staff - from being greeted at the door to the lovely people who looked after our table. Food was delish & service prompt. That cup of coffee not taking forever as your first coffee of the day is a real tester for me & they didn’t disappoint it was there in a flash. Decor was lovely, the place an actual vibe & v vibey for a Tuesday AM. Would happily recommend and revisit. The only disappointment, which was my fault- I forgot to take pics of my food 😔🫣

The team at Riding House personify hospitality. When you pair that with a wonderful environment and first class food consistently, you get magic🌟

Made to feel welcome by Nana, despite the waiting staff being very busy. Good option of 500 ml wine carafes. Will come again.

Stylish venue. Choice of areas from casual to semi formal. Food was well cooked and arrived hot. Added to my regular list of eateries when visiting.

Great good and service. Sunday Roast sold out really quickly and, as a result, several of our party had to reorder their mains.

Lovely food and service really nice atmosphere and would defiantly recommend you try this

Great food and perfect service. A very enjoyable experience.

First time here at Riding House Cafe and it did not disappoint. Food was so tasty, healthy and great value. Will definitely visit again

Very accomodating when we asked to be sat away from the door. Service was good and food was yummy (Albeit, one of the dishes was much smaller than we expected). Definitely order a few sides if you are getting an eggs benedict.

Definitely more of a brunch spot. Food is always good and service is friendly.

Average experience - reasonably ok food let down by poor service. More than half the food we ordered to the table was incorrect and we ended up in that slightly awkward ‘no do start’ conversation for those who did have the right dishes. Still, better than the table next to where main courses turned up whilst they were still eating their starters. Tip for restaurant - if you know the service has been rubbish, don’t put the 13.5% tip on the bill - I had to ask for it to be removed.

Great as always, but a waiter who may well have wanted to have been elsewhere…

Great martini, nice selection of small plates, wine by the carafe. No matter how infrequent my we visit, they always have our favourite table x

Enjoyed this restaurant that allows dogs but I resent 13% service charge being added to the bill. When it’s not a celebration and you’re just eating before heading home and trying to keep eating out costs down it puts you off for the next time. If I had given a cash tip it was worth between £5-£8. Which I would happily have gov n but if feels like you complaining if you ask to only pay £8 service

It was my first time at Riding House Fitzrovia and I will definitely be returning. The staff were exceptional and so helpful. Food was great and very good value and we loved the live music too, great ambience! Thank you!

We visited on a Friday evening and it was not busy which meant the servers we able to be attentive but in a good way. The menu layout was a bit challenging at first but once explained suddenly I wanted to try everything. Presentation of the plates was excellent and the wine recommendations proved to be spot on. The Tommy Hare band were playing and provided first rate entertainment whilst we adjourned to the bar to soak in the sounds. Riding House Cafe has not found the need to reinvent itself as it got it right first time. A reliable stalwart of the Fitzrovia scene and old friend.

Always like this restaurant—can be healthy or choose standard normal

Excellent lunch - we all had the Soul Burger which was delicious. Staff were friendly and attentive and the restaurant was busy and lively. Recommend!

The restaurant was almost empty 8pm Saturday. We were not informed that approximately half of the menu was unavailable until we had been seated for over 30 mins. We ordered and 10 mins later informed that other items were unavailable. Had we known at 8pm we would have gone somewhere else. Our food was very good and the meal discounted but the service was poor and the overall experience highly disappointing

Went for post team building dinner, was the perfect place, relaxed with great food and drink along with top notch service

Nice location and good service, but pancakes not enough syrup and not that fluffy.

The front of house welcome was the best I have ever experienced. Aaron is remarkable - warm, professional and attentive. And nothing was too much trouble for the team.

Just booked outside table for coffee for a meeting. Staff swift and efficient, coffee lovely. All good as usual

Good location for a Sunday brunch with friends. We were sat in the booths on the left rather than the tables as you walk in on the right. It was surprisingly busy and noisy in the booth area but then only one or two inside on the right, not sure why they seated everyone so close together? Apart from that food and service was good. Weeks recommend as a central spot for everyone to meet.

Food pleasant enough but not to the standard of our last visit a year ago. Few staff on duty but worked hard to serve all and to engage with customers especially lady who appeared to be managing. With such a choice of eateries in London I doubt I would be in a hurry to return with so many places to chose a restaurant has to work hard to stay on front of mind.

Had a lovely breakfast here. Great food, lovely staff and beautiful decor. Will definitely return. The cajun pepper stew was delicious!

The service, food quality and environment at The Riding House were excellent. There was an elevated noise level during our time there, but that was down to a bustling, busy environment that was testament to this venue's popularity.

Always a consistently good place for brunch, coffee at any point during the day

Order from the hollandaise menu! always busy, always fresh food.

We booked this restaurant, as we were staying close by and wanted to eat somewhere different than a hotel. It was a beautiful day and we chose to sit outside. The service was swift and friendly, but we didn't feel rushed. The food was lovely and we all enjoyed our meals. I choose the Chicken Schnitzel bone on and the Pavlova and the others had the Burger and the Cheesecake. We had a lovely lunch and we will return here, as we often stay in the area.

Starters were cold, main course was very average . No break between starter and mains. Overall understandable why the restaurant was empty - I doubt it will still be there in 6 months

Service not so good as usual and forgot there is a weekend menu

Superb. Warm welcome, great, attentive and friendly service. Great venue. Superb coffee. Fun people watching. Recommended!

Service was attentive and food was generally good but portions a little small.

This is a big YES from me! Met a friend for lunch…first time at this cafe. Wild rice & quinoa bowl and grilled sweet potato = perfect lunch.

Very good place and lovely food

Definitely has lost the quality in the service since last visit. Waiting team are poorly trained and managed, with repeated issues with orders and not the level you would expect for the Roding House.

Excellent choice of sharing dishes, reasonably priced and good quality. Consistent and will return.

Food server was excellent Lovely food. 12.5% service put on automatically wasn’t welcome

We were attracted by the diverse menu and previous experiences and we were delighted. The ambience is warm and friendly. The menu had something for all of us. The attentiveness and enthusiasm of our waiter and colleagues out played that of more exclusive (or should I say expensive) competitors. With excellent explanation of the menu, a positive banter and flexibility with our orders we couldn’t ask for more. The food was delicious and served as we requested. Give Riding House a try, you won’t be disappointed.

We arrived at 10:10 am for a 10:15 reservation. The hostess seated us and immediately admonished us that we ‘needed to be out by 11:30, there is another reservation for the table’. Very unfriendly.

Gorgeous time had with a dear friend for late lunch on Sunday. Super team of staff. Wonderful interior. Fabulous environment You just cannot go wrong. Love it. Eve

Great food and vibrant vibe. Hot brunch spot every weekend

Expensive green salad with hardly any vinaigrette… poor quality food and average service

Always a reliable brunch option. Took my niece and nephew there (they’re visiting London from abroad) and they loved the eggs options and the pancakes.