Restaurants

Diners eat the same kind of dishes at the two Rivington Grills, amid pretty similar decor (plainly furnished rooms, with light painted wood, blackboards and a welcoming bar area), but in very different atmospheres. Unsurprisingly, the Shoreditch branch has an edgier, more look-at-me vibe, whereas the two floors of the Greenwich restaurant are full of local couples and families. It’s much more relaxed, but, regrettably, so is the service. We waited a long time for any drinks to appear, and a suspicion that our waitress wasn’t cut out for the job was confirmed when she attempted to take a corkscrew to a screw-top bottle (Grüner Veltliner Spiegel 2006 Weingut Heidler from a resolutely un-English list). We took refuge in the menu, an undemanding list of Brit classics at a range of prices – from whole dorset crab with mayonnaise, and lots of tasty things on toast (own-made baked beans, for example), to fish and chips with mushy peas, or roast suckling pig with greens and apple sauce. Many dishes are served as all-day snacks in the bar. Given the service, the food was considerably better than we’d expected, notably a lovely sea trout. A happy addition to a part of town largely overrun by chains.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008