Disclosure: I may earn a small commission from the companies or products mentioned in this post.
Last week I attended the soft launch week of Rail House Cafe in Victoria, a new all-day dining spot from Adam White, the restauranteur behind Riding House Café in Fitzrovia and Village East in Bermondsey.
RHC is less than a 2-minute walk from Victoria Underground Station and is located in the newly built Nova Victoria. There is a large yet cosy outdoor area seating up to 90 people for al fresco dining in the warmer months, whilst the inside of the restaurant boasts a large dining area and bar on the ground floor as well as a second bar and private dining room upstairs.
The ground floor bar
There are regular tables for couples and small groups, as well as a long communal table surrounded by sofas for those who wish to come with larger groups. If you’re just popping by for drinks you can also sit on stalls at the bar.
The ground floor dining room
The modern glass and concrete interior are softened by the bespoke furniture and decor, giving the place an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere. As is implied by the name, the venue is supposed to resemble the inside of a train (albeit an extremely high-end train).
Our table (and Ivy managing the sneak her engagement ring into the bottom left of the photo!)
The Food
The menu has a variety of British and international dishes. From healthy options such as the Kale Ceasar to the less waistline-friendly Wellington Burger, RHC has a good selection of food to suit all tastes.
The menu
Everything on the menu sounded delicious, making choosing what to order an extremely difficult task. After a long period of pondering none of us were able to decide which starter to try, so instead we picked 4 to share; the Sourdough Bread with Marmite Butter, Confit Pork Belly with Crispy Shallots, Duck Rillettes and Aged Beef Tartar with Black Truffle, Wasabi and Honey Seed Crotons.
Confit Pork Belly (left), Sourdough Bread (top) and Duck Rillettes (right)
Initially, there was a slight delay on the food, however being launch week I can’t complain too much and the staff were very sympathetic and attentive, keeping us regularly updated and making sure our wine glasses were constantly full until the first course arrived.
When they did arrive, all of the dishes were unbelievably delicious and full of tasty flavour combinations. For me, the starters were definitely the best part of the meal so do make sure to try them!
The Aged Beef Tartare
For main I went for the Reuben salt beef and sauerkraut sandwich, which despite not appearing particularly large was extremely filling thanks to the strong flavours. Other dishes included seafood noodles, slow-cooked lamb shoulder and rib-eye steak (which bizarrely we were informed the restaurant could not cook below medium/well done due to Westminster’s food safety regulations – however according to my friend who went for it anyway it was still delicious).
The Reuben sandwich
Seafood noodles
The Price
Rail House Cafe is not the cheapest place around, with starters ranging from £7.50 to £12 and mains anything between £13 and £35 (for the aged fillet steak), however, the interesting decor combined with the unbelievably delicious food certainly makes it a must try.
Alternatively, you can pop by for drinks at one of the beautiful bars – I’m sure during the summer the outdoor terrace is going to be an extremely popular destination for after work drinks.
Brunch Anyone?
RHC is also open early all week for breakfast, brunch and lunch, serving some unique dishes such as green tea waffles and the Burgerdict (a combination of a burger and eggs benedict), along with an extensive selection of juices and smoothies. I’ll definitely be popping back for brunch very soon.
Green tea waffles (photo from opentable.com)
Visit Rail House Cafe
Check out Rail House Cafe’s website here or book online at OpenTable.com.
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Emily is a born and raised London girl, starting life in the north of the capital then moving down to Fulham in the southwest. She has a master’s degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology from University College London and now works full-time running this blog and as a freelance travel writer, splitting her life between London and travelling the world as a digital nomad.
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