Spring 2022 will see the opening of Riding House Bloomsbury with founder Adam White choosing to open the second iteration of Fitzrovia’s Riding House Café in its significant 10th anniversary year.
Riding House Bloomsbury follows Rail House Café which White opened in Victoria 5 years ago, and will bring the next evolution of Riding House’s much-loved contemporary all-day menus to Bloomsbury.
Having opened Riding House Café in 2011 and Rail House Café in 2017, both of which were preceded by the Garrison and Village East in Bermondsey, White has long committed to opening restaurants which can make a significant difference to the neighbourhood.
Riding House Bloomsbury will follow in these footsteps, providing a members club-like atmosphere to the historical area, bringing residents together through offering a broad, accessible, lively modern brasserie that works for any occasion.
Riding House Bloomsbury will open in Bloomsbury’s Brunswick Centre, a listed Brutalist piece of architecture. Interiors will be overseen by White who will again be working in partnership with Lou Davies of Box 9.
Together they are looking to create a contrast between the starker exterior and the warm, wood panelled interior in order to create a club-like feeling.
At 6,000 square foot and with 165 covers indoors, the space is roughly the same size as Riding House Café and is filled with light, crucial for the all-day dining style that the Fitzrovia site pioneered. Outside will be an extensive, beautifully designed terrace, with seating for 65.
White commented, “We had such an enjoyable experience seeing the impact that the Garrison and Village East had on Bermondsey, then Riding House in Fitzrovia, that our focus became only opening a restaurant that can make a difference.
'London has so many restaurants now, it becomes difficult to open one that is actually needed and enjoys a close relationship with its guests.
' We operate like a club without membership, bringing the surrounding village together with a broad, accessible, lively brasserie that works for any occasion. It needs to feel relaxed, and effortless - which takes a lot of effort!”
The menu will be an evolution of Riding House Café; international, contemporary and unfussy, with a focus on regular healthy options, bowls and skewers that can be enjoyed in a multitude of ways.
White stateed, “This next journey is an opportunity to try new things, though within the confines of what we are known for. We learned this at Rail House, serving green tea waffles instead of our pancakes had quite a backlash.
'Our guests are regular, so we need a broad, versatile offering with a lot of healthy options. Henry has a Caribbean background, and through lockdown we had fun launching ‘Soul Ride’ delivery and boxes.
'We were blown away tasting ingredients for the first time - his yam mash is incredible, we have ackee and callaloo in our burger now and beef flank skewers. Though the menu will remain international it will see more Bajan influences.”
Healthy signatures from Riding House includes Coconut and cardamom dhal with aubergine pickle, or Black quinoa and mango with corn, black beans and cashews which can be paired with skewers of Beef flank suya with yaji spice mayo, or Octopus with ‘nduja lime yoghurt
Decadent favourites such as Lobster lasagne, crab claw and garlic sourdough, or Red miso chicken, chestnut bisque, wild mushrooms and crème fraiche will also feature, alongside brunch, for which Riding House Café is particularly known.
Dishes will include Cajun pepper stew with egg, avocado, christophine and okra or their famous Pancakes with toasted marshmallows, coconut clotted cream, white chocolate and banana maple syrup.
The team at Riding House Bloomsbury will feature many of the same faces as that at Riding House Café - including a number of staff members who have been there since it opened.
Executive Chef Henry Omereye, who has run the kitchen for four years, will be leading the kitchen, with front of house and the bar to be overseen respectively by GianMarco Carla and Harry Hughes from the Ned.