“Whenever I write a book—we’ve done 14 cookbooks and now Table 4 at The River Cafe: Conversations About Food and Life (Gallery)—I work with such great designers and photographers, it’s a true collaboration,” says Ruthie Rogers, chef and cofounder of the Michelin-starred River Cafe in London. “It’s great to live in a city where design, photography, and writing are so valued.”
Rogers, who has been awarded an MBE and CBE, moved to the capital from New York as a student in the late ’60s. She then lived in Paris while her late husband, Richard Rogers, designed the Pompidou Centre with Renzo Piano. Later she moved back to London, opening her celebrated Italian restaurant on the Thames with the late Rose Gray in 1987. Her latest book is based on her podcast, in which she and such guests as Emerald Fennell, Keira Knightley, Bono, Olivia Colman, and Victoria Beckham discuss food memories at, yes, Table 4.
Below, other places in the city that are so valued.
Restaurant: Can I say The River Cafe? For my birthday last summer, the staff gave me a quiz. The first question was: How many pieces of our Chocolate Nemesis cake had we sold? [Answer: More than 48,000.] The second question was: Who eats here the most often? The answer was me. While I love exploring new restaurants, this is the one I love the most.
For breakfast: Marchesi in Mayfair. Walking into here is like walking into a café in Milan. You can have a plate of prosciutto, or scrambled eggs and pancetta, or quite simply an espresso.
For a caffeine fix: The Monocle Café on Chiltern Street, opened by my friend Tyler Brûlé, who started Monocle magazine. It’s a beautiful little shop with great coffee.
For dessert: My favorite dessert is ice cream. Sometimes after work, I’ll stop at Venchi and ask the taxi to wait for me while I run in and get a nocciola gelato with panna (whipped cream). It feels like I’m back in the Val d’Orcia.
Late-night diner: Maroush, on Beauchamp Place. It’s open all night. You can have the best shawarma, hummus, and fattoush.
Theater: The Bridge Theatre, Nick Hytner’s place near London Bridge. When Guys and Dolls was on there, I went to see it six times.
Must shop: The Row, not just for the clothes but because Annabelle Selldorf designed the space. Even if I’m not wanting to buy something specific, it’s like going to a gallery. And the people who work there are the best.
To see art: The British Museum is my favorite, not only in London but in the world.
To stock up on beauty buys: I have teenage granddaughters, and the place we love most is Space NK, the King’s Road location. The range of products, a very beautiful contemporary interior with floor-to-ceiling windows, the way it’s all displayed—it’s the best.
Bookstore or library: In the world of independent bookstores, John Sandoe Books stands out. It’s five minutes from our home, and the staff have read pretty much every book you want to buy.
To buy flowers: Every flower at The River Cafe comes from Flowerbx by my friend Whitney Bromberg Hawkings. You can be confident that the flowers they send will arrive in a beautiful arrangement, and they care about every detail from the card to the vase.
Must-buy souvenir: The best souvenir is a memory.
Tourist trap I love anyway: The London Eye gives you a spectacular view of London. You see the city in a completely different way.
Nature escape: John le Carré’s books have been turned into movies and TV series, and so many scenes and conversations take place in Green Park and, just below it, St. James’s Park.
Best way to get around: Richard and I stopped driving in London years ago. He got everywhere by bike. I either walk or take a black cab.
Day trip: Paris. The Eurostar is the only way to go, city center to city center.
Architectural gem: Christ Church in Spitalfields, built between 1714 and 1729, by Nicholas Hawksmoor. It was Richard’s favorite.
Best time to visit, weather-wise: June and July, when Wimbledon is on, the strawberries are out, the Serpentine Gallery has its fabulous summer party, and late days turn to night at 9 p.m.
Workout: Pilates is my workout of choice. By far, the only place to go in London is Garuda studio.
Cheap date: Me. Chefs are so generous to one another, so if I’m your date, you’ll be treated well.
Best place for people-watching: Summer concerts in Hyde Park.
Secret spot only locals know: Ranelagh Gardens in Chelsea. It’s behind the Royal Hospital. It’s kind of a secret garden, a very small park by the river.
Spa or salon: Hershesons, a hair salon in Belgravia, is kind of my second home. The Times of London once asked Rose and me what we’d love to learn to do besides cooking. Rose said she’d love to learn Italian; I said I’d love to learn to blow-dry my hair.
Luggage: I travel light. I try to get all my clothes in a leather bag by Il Bisonte that Richard bought for me in Florence in 1989.
Airplane must: A good book.
Favorite airport: Barajas Airport, Terminal 4, Madrid. Richard designed it. I remember spending hours with him choosing the colors for the rainbow roof.
Favorite airport restaurant: The Fortnum & Mason seafood bar in Terminal 5 at Heathrow. It’s the best thing to eat before a long flight.