The Detail …
What makes the Riding House Café so successful in its design is the attention to detail exhibited throughout . There ’ s a risk with the reclaimed look that everything will appear too shabby and eclectic in a non-coherent way . White ’ s skill is to make his interiors feel quirky and original , rather than just an ensemble of salvaged objects thrown together .
As an interior designer by trade I was impressed with all the little touches - smoothies served in milk bottles , enamel water jugs , and blue water glasses that pick out the colour of both the tile trim on the front of the bar and the colour of the leather stools . In fact , these fabulous turquoise leather bar stools are one of White ’ s favourite pieces , and come from Christopher Howe . The juxtaposition of a traditional leather bucket seat with an industrial style steel base is what makes the stools interesting , and lifts them out of the ordinary .
Christopher Howe was also the inspiration behind the gorgeous banquette seating , which was modelled after a beautiful old sofa in his shop window . Covered in stunning orange leather , which White describes as the colour of “ Heinz tomato soup ”, these banquettes really encourage you to settle in for the duration …
Another design detail you can ’ t fail to notice is the lighting – wall lights made of stuffed squirrels to be precise . “ The squirrel taxidermy light fixtures have been highly controversial ,” says White . “ As with Marmite , people either love them or hate them . The debate over the origin of red squirrels and brown squirrels has been interesting . Plenty of squirrel boffins out there .”
It should feel gimmicky but it doesn ’ t . There ’ s just enough kitsch detail combined with seriously good design to make sure that it really works .
The Date …
Finally , a quick word about going on a date to the Riding House Café … I took my husband for brunch , which is what the venue is famed for , but it would be just as enjoyable for dinner or cocktails . Brunch works so well as a date because of its informal nature and the fact that it can lead on to a whole day spent together … We both started with delicious smoothies served in half-pint milk bottles . I followed this with the legendary buttermilk pancakes . They were incredible and definitely the best I ’ ve had this side of the U . S . I tried to be good by not eating the clotted cream served with them but let ’ s be honest going out for brunch is not the time to be good !
The End …
My parting thought ? The loos are great ! Girls always like to know what the loos are like and the answer here is very cool . We ’ re talking exposed brickwork , a simple copper pipe for a tap , and a matching copper clad Dyson hand dryer . Best of all ? The basin and dryer are in the cubicle so no boring queuing up with wet hands whilst listening to other women ’ s dating dilemmas !
The Riding House Café
43-51 Great Titchfield St London W1W 7PQ
020 7927 0840
Miss Mary is the author of popular website The Great Date Guide .
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