KCR Summer 2024 Magazine FINAL 1 - Flipbook - Page 35
Lunching at Home
Bingham Riverhouse
Is there anywhere more discreet for a working lunch than Marylebone9s
exclusive Home House? Within slurping distance of Selfridges, there9s
not a tourist nor a London Eye keyring in sight; this old-school members9 club in Portman Square is spread across three Georgian townhouses and features a gym, boardroom facilities and luxury guest suites.
The Bingham Riverhouse in Richmond warmly welcomes acclaimed
executive chef Vanessa Marx to its recently renamed 8Riverhouse Restaurant9. Formerly known as 8Steven Edwards at Bingham Riverhouse9,
this dining venue, along with its picturesque terrace overlooking the
river, now operates under Marx9s culinary leadership.
You might remember its iconic staircase from Annie Lennox9s Walking
on Broken Glass video (yes, the one with Hugh Laurie). And yet, despite
its star-studded clientele, there9s very little people-watching going on
here. You could be quietly celebrating your engagement or casually
closing a six-ogure book deal, and nobody would notice your blatant imposter syndrome. It9s a great place for some down time with a colleague
before a big event, but unless you know the lay of the land it would be
easy to get lost in its labyrinthine nooks and crannies. The good news is,
unlike some members9 clubs in the capital, you don9t necessarily need a
referrer to join, but you9ll need to be approved by the committee. And if
that sounds a little Kafkaesque, wait until you see the sign-in book.
Founded by wellbeing expert and entrepreneur Sama Trinder, this
charming riverside hotel with attached restaurant is a rare gem as one
of the few black female-owned hotels in the UK. For four decades, the
Trinder family has owned and managed this establishment.
The market menu is available every day except Sunday in the restaurant,
featuring all the usual seasonal highlights, but if the weather is one,
you9ll want to eat on the terrace. With a luxury glampsite feel, there9s
shade to be sought under the marquee and sun to be soaked up en plein
air. The weekday lunch menu is home to club classics such as burgers
and osh and chips, but you9d be a fool not to go for osh (so olling, there9s
little need for sides). The Cherry Breeze mocktail makes for an excellent
aperitif, if you9re trying to keep your business brain whilst nibbling on
Nocellara olives and preparing to tuck into a whole baked seabream.
Moving swiftly on to a Bloody Shame Virgin Mary, you9ll be getting your
legumes in liquidly, ready for a decaf cofee, a Bronte pistachio and rosewater pavlova and quick stroll to the Wallace Collection. Don9t pretend
you9re not tempted&
Ultimately, Home House does what it says on the tin: a home from
home in the city centre, where you can rest, refuel and entertain respectably. And there9s a sister club too, Homegrown, with afordable rooms
for those who don9t want to spend the night in a windowless bolthole in
Bloomsbury.
www.homehouse.co.uk
Working alongside her seasoned leadership team, comprised of Amy
Braund and Ricardo Barros, both long-serving managers at Riverhouse,
Trinder actively supports women in the hospitality industry. Marx joins
a lineage of visionary women who have held leadership roles at Bingham
Riverhouse.
Driven by her passion for the healing properties of food and its integral
role in wellness and sustainability, Vanessa Marx, originally from South
Africa, is spearheading a new culinary era for the business.
Marx9s culinary journey in Cape Town was illustrious; she co-founded
Dear Me Food World, a renowned culinary destination, and earned the
prestigious Eat Out Rising Star Award. This propelled her into television
appearances and guest judging on Celebrity MasterChef South Africa.
Before relocating to London, Marx successfully launched her own catering and events business.
The new vision for the restaurant returns dining operations to the Bingham Riverhouse, departing from its previous Michelin-starred status
under Steven Edwards. The focus now is on presenting a seasonally
changing menu in a more relaxed and accessible ambiance. The restaurant is open to hotel guests, club members, and the general public.
Committed to sustainable practices and the principles of 8slow food9,
The Riverhouse Restaurant showcases thoughtfully sourced ingredients, many of which are foraged in harmony with the seasons and local
surroundings. Marx advocates for a zero-waste philosophy, renected
in the menu9s emphasis on wild and foraged ingredients, as well as
botanicals grown in their own garden. Noteworthy innovations include
cofee-grown oyster mushrooms, cultivated in their urban Rooftop Farm
in Wimbledon, utilising waste ground cofee from the hotel.
Laura Steel
Sample dishes include:
Dorset Nduja Croquettes
Cofee-grown oyster mushrooms, fermented nut & truöe cream on toast
Beetroot Gnocchi with parmesan. Pickled radish and vegetable crisps
Wild boar 8bourguignon, mushroom barley risotto
Cacao torte with reishi, cranberry & macca
Kentish cobnut & olive oil cake with grapefruit and olive meringue
The 15 en-suite bedrooms start from £200, sleeping two people including breakfast. Or from £160, room only. www.binghamriverhouse.com
Julija Jones
