Rail House Victoria

Victoria isn’t short of places to eat; finding somewhere worth lingering amidst a long line of fast-track chains and corporate salad bars is another matter. Rail House, an all-day international cafe and restaurant from the team behind the Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia Riding House Cafes, is a welcome exception – armed with leafy interiors, ample personality and globetrotting menus that cater to brunch, pre-theatre dining, dinner, and affordable out-of-office lunches.

The cooking here takes you on a whistle-stop tour of international cooking. One minute you’re eyeing whole grilled seabass with nuoc cham, the next suya butter pork chop or rum-battered fish and chips – honestly, everything sounds good.

The interiors follow suit: railway signs point you towards the loos or reference imaginary platforms, while vintage-effect posters advertise historic railway lines. Beyond the quirks, Rail House is quite simply a lovely space to spend time. Greenery softens the expansive dining room, warm wood furniture keeps things grounded, and corrugated iron walls and ceilings temper the hard, glass-edged architecture of the surrounding Nova development.

We kick off with Gouda croquettes – golden spheres with molten, nutty centres – and an order of fried chicken oysters: juicy hunks encased in dark, craggy batter and laden with a dollop of moreish XO mayo. It’s great drinking food, so team it up with a sharp, subtly smoky apple mezcal margarita for the full effect.

Elsewhere, there’s a half jerk chicken main, which lands – leg, wing and all – lacquered in an addictive dark marinade. The suggested pairing, an Austrian Grüner Veltliner, proves a smart call: crisp, dry, but bouncing with notes of pear and melon that gel nicely with the slow-building, lip-tingling warmth. Purists would welcome a more vigorous char, but with tender, juicy meat as the trade off, it’s a deal worth making.

There are occasional missteps – a dipping sauce that leans too heavy on vinegar, a doughnut dessert overly generous with the cinnamon sugar – but Rail House nails the big picture: heartfelt service, clever glam-casual interiors, and hearty mains set to stop you in your tracks. In an area of London where genuine value for money can sometimes feel like a fantasy, Rail House steams ahead of the pack.

Along with siblings in Bloomsbury and Fitzrovia (Riding House Café), Rail House Café is the group’s Victoria outpost where it brings its legendary brunch plates, international sharing dishes and signature cocktails to another cental London location. This spacious venue features a huge dining room with a variety of seating, while a bar with plush stools and views into the semi-open kitchen offers diners a spot to perch with a cocktail and a few sharing plates. There’s also a pleasant terrace area at the front of the restaurant perfect for alfresco dining during the summer months.

Riding House Cafés are famous for their brunches, and you can expect a menu of unique dishes on its weekend brunch menu at this Victoria site. Think malted deep dish pancakes featuring toasted marshmallows, coconut clotted cream, white chocolate and banana maple syrup, as well as all sorts of hollandaise-based delights, such as its Burgerdict featuring a dry-aged beef patty, poached egg, special hollandaise, tomato and a muffin.

Rail House Cafe also serves an all-day menu throughout the week featuring an inventive selection of global sharing plates. Smaller dishes might include crispy oyster mushrooms with mustard miso dip, or salt cod fritters with citrus mayo. While a range of bowls, skewers and larger plates comprise the main section of the menu. Think pea fritters with crispy kale and chickpeas, squash, tahini, yoghurt and Lebanese cucumber, or bream with curried Jerusalem artichoke cream, crisps and herb oil.

A dedicated afternoon menu, meanwhile, features grilled flatbreads, skewers and sweet bites for when something small but tasty will do.

To drink, a global wine list spanning reds and whites to rose and orange wines caters for most palates, while signature cocktails, beers, ciders, spirits and smoothies complete the offering.