The River Café
HAMMERSMITH · £££

The River Café

4.22,062 reviews
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Ruth Rogers and the late Rose Gray opened this Hammersmith riverside institution in 1987, originally a canteen for Richard Rogers' architecture practice. It has held a Michelin star since 1997, trained Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and remains London's benchmark for ingredient-led Italian cooking.

Michelin starItalianThames-sideIconic
Real Talk

What to actually expect.

Spend honestly

This is special-occasion territory. A recent critic's bill landed around £137 a head with a single glass of wine, and Harden's readers regularly vote it London's most overpriced.

Service divides opinion

Reviews swing between warm and aloof. The cooking and the riverside terrace are the reason to come; manage expectations on the rest.