It’s not new, but The Riding House Cafe on Great Titchfield Street continues to impress. On a busy Thursday night the place was full to the gills with a mostly hip crowd of revellers. They must’ve had a lot to say to each other as the noise was deafening, but not in a bad way. We got the booth table requested during our booking - which is the best - and comfiest - part of the place to be in my opinion.

It depends on what sort of a night you want, but if it’s catching up with old friends then this is a good spot - let the drinks flow and don’t get too heavy about the food. The menu has something for everyone - whether you want to share lighter dishes, go it alone or team up for one of the larger mains. Our table went solo, the ladies opting for slimming superfood salads and the gentlemen indulging in Chicken Shnitzel and the Lobster Lasagne - the latter looking a bit on the mean side, but was accepted without hesitation or complaint.

Needless to say the conversation and buttery Rully from Southern Burgundy flowed and happily we weren’t forced out after a couple of hours to turn the table - a very good thing in my book. The flip side of this is I wish RHC stayed open later - the kitchen stops at 10pm, but it would be a great place for a late or post-theatre dinner. For day birds and not night owls though the place is open all day from Breakfast at 7.30 midweek through Brunch, Lunch and Afternoon sessions. Nice.