THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
Walking into Riding House at The Brunswick Centre I was struck again by the thrilling contrast that brutalist architecture offers. The difference between outside and in. From cold, grey concrete to warmth and vibrancy. A contrast personified by the brilliant receptionist who greeted us upon entering. I felt so welcome, a feeling that continued throughout a flawless service. Top marks to an exceptional staff.
The warehouse style brasserie is also full of contrast. Floor to ceiling windows give home to an amazing array of plants. The warmth of wood competes with cool ceramic tiles. We were shown to a brutalist banquette, softened with blue velour. I'm not sure what the macramé lamp shades are doing there. I think the designer had a flashback to the '70s and just went with it. To be fair, the building was completed in '72. The lighting however, was perfect, as were the acoustics.
The menu, by Chef Patron Henry Omereye, is fascinating. It's original, inventive and informed by a wide range of influences. A lot of thought has been put into creating healthy choices and it is very affordable.
Salt cod fritters with citrus mayo (£8.20) had crunch, zing and a hit of chilli. Perfect with my Piña Picante (£11), a chilli infused margarita with the added zip of pineapple skin. This was my kind of drink. Booze with a fuse!
Hot, creamy artichoke dip (£7.80) had a beautiful parmesan crust and flame grilled sourdough beats toast any day! I chuck bread on the barbie all the time. Love it!
The wine menu is varied, well thought out and offers tasting glasses of 75 ml as well as 175/500 and 750 ml of every wine on the list. Brilliant! We couldn't help but try a few tasters we hadn't had before. For £6 each we picked one winner and one loser. A Godello from Spain was so flat and bland it hardly tasted like wine but a Malvasia Puntinata was a joy, round and peachy.
For mains we shared a miso grilled sea bass (£22 for 2). The whole fish was grilled perfectly and served with nuoc cham, a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce of fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic and chilli. It was delicious! My taste buds were just popping. With this, an off-dry glass of Riesling, Maximin Grünhaus (£12) was a great choice, working well with the picante sauce.
Hot brioche doughnuts (£6.80) were too stodgy to live up to the name but came with a marvelous milk jam – hot, runny caramelized milk, perfect for dunking. Vanilla cheesecake (£7) is a classic that Chef Omereye has made his own. His is a cross between the American and German style, the first being super creamy and the latter more of a cake. It was a lovely texture and al dente shards of rhubarb cut the sweetness nicely.
Back outside, I was immediately hit with brutalist reality. I had eaten too much AGAIN!
