Ricks Cafe

Disappointed...

Having lived in Tooting for 8 years last night was our first experience of Rick's Cafe. Friends have said it can be hit and miss and that's what our meal was. It was a busy Friday night but we were given a table with no reservation. I enjoyed the atmosphere and found the place very cosy. My partner had eggs stuffed with sardines for an entree which was actually nicer than it sounds. I went straight to a main of mussels with chunky chips and aoili. Being a kiwi I can't compare mussels with what we get in NZ as (being biased!) our green lipped mussels are the yummiest anywhere, but I really enjoyed my meal although the mussels were slightly overcooked. The chunky chips were delicious as was the aoili. Unfortunately my partners steak was not as nice as my meal and literally left a bad taste in his mouth - having asked for medium, it was more rare in the middle but burnt on the outside and not a lot of taste (other than the burnt after taste).

The service was a bit sour, and having been given the dessert menu it was a good length of time before we were asked what we wanted - by that stage we'd lost the impulse to have one of the yummy sounding desserts.

Even though it is just down the road, I wouldn't go again.
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LB
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 5
Saturday, August 09, 2008

Rick's *is* a gem in Tooting. There are simply no restaurants comparable in the area. It's a bijou and welcoming bistro that turns out consistently good quality, well-presented food at a reasonable price.

I understand a new chef started fairly recently and I would urge those who have had a bad experience to give it another try. I took my Mum for lunch a few weeks ago and we were delighted with the expert presentation and effective service.
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Viv
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, January 31, 2008

A little gem in Tooting.

My boyfriend and I have always wanted to try this place as it's been in a number of restaurant guides, and it's rare to find an European restaurant in this Indian restaurant dominated area. There are mixed reviews on this place, so we had to find out for ourselves.

I had roasted mushroom with goat cheese for starter, Jerusalem artichoke and mushroom risotto with truffle oil for main course, and toffee pudding for desert.

As for him, Smoked haddock soup, steak with chips and apple crumble, and we shared some side vegetables.

All the food was served at the right temparature and vegetables are fresh and tasty. His beef was also cooked perfectly, and artichokes were nice and crunchy in the creamy risotto.

The service was very efficient, and the waiter always paid attention to the customers. They were friendly but not too friendly to an annoying extent (sometimes too chatty waiters can ruin everything...) It was a Thursday night, and surprisingly it wasn't busy at all. Maybe that's a part of the reason for this meticulous service.

30 pounds per head including 2 beers is not overpriced.

Rick's cafe will be our regular night out place for sure.

Can't wait to try out some other nice looking menus.
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RI
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Thursday, November 22, 2007

I recently returned to Tooting and was looking forward to dining at an old favourite - Ricks. We turned up at 8:30 (on a Monday) without a booking and were pleasently surprised to find the restaurant half full. We were told that they were very busy and had to have a table that had a two inch gap away from the next table (cosy?). Throughout our whole meal none of the other vacant tables (about 17 covers) were ever visited by other diners so why insist we sit on a table squashed up against another?

The food was ok, but not great. My girlfriends humus starter had to be the worst humus we have ever tasted - the after taste was so bitter. My starter of lams liver was nice if a little over cooked. My girlriends main was a very bland duck cooked in a bean and chorizo stew which took away all the flavour of the duck. My bream was very nice though. As for service during the meal it was non existent and we didnt even get our bread! So why they think that 12.5% is a suitable service charge i have no idea....

Afraid this used to be a good local restaurant but after last nights visit i shant be going back....
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Aidan
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 3
Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Being new to Tooting, my housemates and i went excitedly to Ricks which had been billed as the best local restaurant.

We were very dissapointed. Service was innatentive and rarely accurate. Starters were bland. The butternut squash rissotto was possibly one of the worst dishes anyone has asked me to pay for! My pudding was also burnt - so all in all no saving graces!

I've since found that there are some lovely restaurants in Tooting, so why people still talk so highly of Ricks I will never know!
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ellie - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 4
Saturday, August 18, 2007

Ricks is a true local gem, the menu is always changing with a few regular favorites. We've been many times since it opened with many different friends, from parents, brothers to funky friends and have always enjoyed the food, ambiance and a short but always interesting wine list.

Its not the greatest for vegetarians although there is always one option at least, as long as you are not expecting a super fashionable restaurant, you can have an enjoyable evening without breaking the bank.
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Simon
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Saturday, February 03, 2007

I've lived in Tooting for six years and have regularly been to the delight that is Rick's Cafe. For years they have consistently turned out excellent food for much less than you'd get elsewhere with an excellent, yet economically priced wine list that is always a pleasure.

A group of friends and I attended a 6 course gastronomic evening at Ricks in December and true to form the food was excellent. It started with an oyster and chorizo, (ok, so oysters aren't everyone's cup of tea, but these were great!), then a fantastically flavoured Sea Bass, then a delicately flavored Cod croquette, then a champagne sorbet to clean the palatte before the main course of tender lamb with haggis and finishing with a tarte de tartin. Presentation was excellent throughout and all who had this menu had a fantastic time. So, as you can tell, I'm a fan!

So this is the less than great bit. Two of the group were vegetarians and though there are normally a few choices on the regular menu, the 'gastronomic evening' fell rather short of their expectations. There was a decent but nothing special 2-spear asparagus starter instead of the oysters, parsnip(?) soup instead of sea bass, undercooked risotto (not much flavour and the rice was still firm) instead of cod, and fried mushrooms and sprouts instead of lamb with haggis. So other than the risotto the food was all fine but as there was a flat charge of £25/head this was excellent value for the meat eaters and less so for the vegetarians. I rated the food as a 6, that's an 8 for the regular menu and a 4 for the vegetarian menu. The same applies to the Value for Money.

Overall with wine, water and service it was £40/head which was reasonable though we did have to wait for 20 minutes on arrival before a drinks order was taken.

In summary, I'm still a big fan. Reasonably priced excellent food but if you're thinking of attending a special event and you're a vegetarian, I'd avoid it and go on a regular evening instead.
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- View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Wednesday, December 13, 2006

This place is an absolute gem. We lived close by for a couple of years, miss it terribly, and still travel back for good, honest, superbly cooked food in a hard to be atmosphere served swiftly. The menu changes often - always a good sign. I rarely reccomend anything to anyone, but Ricks is an exception. One of the top 100 things to do before you die - visit Ricks.
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Jamie Madath
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Once i walked in Rick`s Cafe i was shown a seat the service was great an the food dont get me started it was great from start 2 finish i enjoyed it that much i wud recumend it to any 1 in tooting
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ALEX
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Friday, November 24, 2006

Once again Ricks came up trumps. We went to celebrate a birthday and the fact we are leaving London. Ricks will certainly be one thing I shall miss very much about Tooting - the steak which almost everyone had was superd - my crab starter was very refreshing and the chocolate cake we had ordered was deliciously indulgent. Superb value and wonderful friendly service once again.

Thanks
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Thursday, July 13, 2006