THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
14-15 Langham Place, London W1B 2QS
Richoux has had so many incarnations, it must be well on the road to Nirvana by now. The original opened in 1909. No, I did not review at that time! I did however visit in 2022 when it moved to Piccadilly. Nothing on the menu was over £20. That is not the case at the new shop on Langham Place, Upper Regent Street, but nearly. It remains quite reasonable.
The latest version still highlights the excellent patisserie of its roots, proudly displayed in the window. For the rest of the menu the French connection is somewhat diminished, with pizza, burgers and salads on the all-day menu in what seems to be an attempt to please everyone. It’s a risky strategy but on a packed Friday night, it seemed to be working. Two boys at the next table had pizza, and one table further on had a club sandwich. I was more interested in the French fare and there is still plenty to be had.
I started with a good glass of 2021 Domaine Roux Bourgogne Pinot Noir (£13). My alcohol-free friend opted for a Lait á la menthe (£9) – Seedlip Spice (an alcohol free botanical spirit), mint and oat milk. Not for me, but certainly on trend.
3 blinis with smoked salmon (£11) were perfect little canapés topped with crème fraiche, lemon zest and salmon caviar. Right down the hatch. I should have had champagne! Grilled tiger prawns (£16) were served in a lobster and shellfish bisque with toasted sourdough. The shrimp were cooked perfectly. The “bisque” was quite heavy on the tomato but still had a good hit of shellfish which I sopped up with the generic toast, wishing it was a baguette instead.
For mains, the gnocchi in rich tomato sauce (£18) was a miss. I reckon there was too much flour in the pasta mix, making them too hard. The baby chicken (£18) however was excellent. Boned out, pressed and cooked to perfection, it came with a delightful jus, salty confit garlic and the best pommes frites I’ve had in a good, long while.
There are quite a few desserts on the menu but the best are presented on a trolley. Heaven on wheels, but choosing is agony. It reminded me of a meal in Switzerland where I was presented with a 3-tiered dessert trolley and lamented, “How do I choose just one?” The waiter replied, “Don’t! Have as many as you like.” Retaining my boyish figure no longer allows such indulgence, so I limited myself to the day’s special: gingerbread cake, or rather 3 of them with salted caramel cream. That did me just fine and I was more than happy with my choice.
The room is gorgeous. Full of art and color, it refers to the Belle Epoch and the grand cafés of Paris while keeping contemporary. Service is excellent, with an abundance of staff ensuring everything is just right.
So that was Richoux 2026. To be continued…
