Ruthie's Table 4

John Lithgow has played a cardinal, serial killer, prime minister, alien and president. But the role I know him best in is as a great friend. John is currently living in London, playing Roald Dahl in Giant to rave reviews. I’ve seen it three times.  We met at The River Cafe on Father’s Day, to talk about acting and food, theatre and food, film and food, family and f...

In this special bonus episode, I take you 'behind the scenes' with The River Cafe's executive chefs Sian Owen and Joseph Trivelli, talking about a busy Sunday lunch for Father’s Day, how to make the perfect pesto, and why DOP basil is so special. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the moment Rose and I thought about doing The River Café, Rose made it clear that everything she knew, she had learned from Keith McNally, a hero of restaurants — with The Odeon, Pastis, Balthazar, Lucky Strike to name a few.   Keith is here with me today to talk about friends, family, writing a book and most of all ‘regretting almost everything’. Ruthie's T...

Nili Lotan is not only a brilliant designer, and an entrepreneur. A woman with strong values she has held onto since starting her own fashion company, she advocates for peace, she supports women and working mothers.   She and I both believe that great design, whether food or fashion, is about simplicity, precision, and timelessness. We talk about food and architecture, food and politics,...

In The River Cafe, we like a question. One of the reasons we have an open kitchen is that everything is on view and even our customers ask for tips on how to prepare their favourite meals.  This week, Sian Wyn Owen, Joseph Trivelli and I are answering questions you have sent in. When and what to eat, our favourite seasons and much more. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See...

Looking at all the work Graydon Carter has done over the years, what it would be like to be one of his creations?  As Spy magazine, I'd be fearless, funny, ahead of my time, radical and brave. Were I Vanity Fair, I'd be glamorous and erudite. Say I was his restaurant, The Waverly Inn, I'd be delicious, nestled in a beautiful corner of Greenwich Village. As Airmail, I would fly through the air...

In this week's bonus, Anthony Scaramucci compares the challenges involved at his restaurant Hunt & Fish Club with Ruthie's at The River Cafe. Plus, he shares some of the items on the underground menu, including the secret meatballs. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In my career, I've been a chef, an author and now a podcaster. In Anthony Scaramucci’s career, he’s been Communication Director in the White House, a financial genius, founding Sky Capital, and the host of the podcast The Rest is Politics: US.   We’ve both had our ups and downs. His may have been higher ups and maybe downer downs, but we're not here to compete. We're here to...

In this bonus episode, Cate Blanchett and Ruthie reflect on the similarities between a theatre performance and a restaurant kitchen. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People ask me who my dream guest would be on Ruthie‘s Table 4. Cate Blanchett has always been top of the list - an actor, director and vocal activist for values and ideas close to my heart.   Cate lives with purpose in the countryside in East Sussex, keeping bees, growing vegetables in her garden, cooking and eating seasonally.   Here we are at The River Cafe on the beautiful...

Dana Strong, CEO of Sky Group, is one of the busiest people I know. One of the most powerful people in global media, she leads a team of thousands across news, sport, film, and television. But somehow, Dana always makes time for talking, friendship, her family, and for me. One of the most special things for me is breakfast with Dana at my home, at the kitchen table, sharing toast, coffee and stori...

When I think of Richard E. Grant,  of course I think of his brilliant films and him as a great actor. But what I really think of is Richard and his wife Joan in the early days of The River Cafe. They were married a year before the restaurant opened and lived right across the river, coming in for lunch, always sitting at the same table, warm, lovely and absorbed in each other.  I remember...

Alison Loehnis and I have much in common — we’re two American women living abroad, we both adore the small seaside towns of Liguria, and we share a favourite bookstore: Heywood Hill in Mayfair.  Alison grew up in Manhattan with a mother who was a passionate cook. She discovered the joy of food and fashion early on—licking brownie spoons next to her mother and elegantly acces...

One of the questions I’m often asked is where and when did you meet Sir Jony Ive, the person whose designs changed the world? We met at the White House at a spectacular state dinner when Barack Obama was president and hope was in the air. It was the beginning of one of the most important friendships I have.  Jony’s designs for Apple with Steve Jobs transformed the way we live. On...

A few months ago, my friend David Chipperfield, the Pritzker and Stirling Prize-winning architect, asked me to support the work his foundation is doing on the food markets in Galicia. So here I am, in north-west Spain, to talk with him in front of an audience for a special live event. David's introduction to Galicia was 33 years ago on a visit to Corrubedo, a small seaside village, where he and hi...

In 2018, the River Cafe opened a second restaurant at the Frieze Art Fair in Regent’s Park. It was only for a few days and not something we would think of doing, but we said yes for three reasons. Because art is food and food is art. Because Frieze is the greatest art fair in the world. And most of all, because of our friendship and deep admiration for the founders, Amanda Sharp and Matthew...

In this bonus episode, writer-director Rian Johnson tells Ruthie about the time he infused ice cream with tobacco, as well as debating the ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe.  Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 My friend Glenn Close brought Rian Johnson to the River Cafe when they were filming Wake Up Dead Man, the third Knives Out movie. For the rest of the summer, he was what we call a regular. Yesterday, sending me photos of her new grandson, these were Glenn’s words: ‘Working with Rian is the highlight of my career. He wrote a great script, cast an amazing stable of actors and set us on...

In this bonus episode, record-setting ocean rower Angus Collins talks about salsa verde, the emotional toll after completing a crossing, and the food he looks forward to most when stepping back on dry land. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angus Collins has been hailed as the greatest ocean rower of our time, setting records for the fastest and youngest four man crossing of any ocean. He's rowed across the Atlantic not once, but twice, and faster than anyone before him. And he's not finished yet. In a few months, Angus is aiming to be the first to row solo and unsupported around Great Britain. But today he isn't going anywhere. He's...

In this bonus episode of Ruthie's Table 4, BAFTA-winning and Oscar-nominated director Luca Guadagnino discusses pasta and the diversity of Italian food from different regions. Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 What I know about Luca Guadagnino is, of course, the films he's made. But what I know from Luca is how passionate he is about food. Friends tell me Luca has three kitchens at his home in Piemonte, including one elaborately equipped for pastries, and a special room for keeping vinegar and dried herbs from his garden.  Food not only plays a strong role in his home life, but an important role i...

Whenever I'm with Bella Freud, which isn't often enough, I always wish I could see more of her. Bella and I share the same social values and beliefs, and we pursued careers which are both fleeting but lasting: She is in fashion, and I'm in food. A meal is a moment, and an outfit changes daily.  In our early years, Bella's father, Lucian Freud, came almost every day to The River Cafe. When wit...

People often say they'd be too nervous to cook a meal for me, so imagine how I feel interviewing Alastair Campbell, co-host of The Rest Is Politics, one of the UK's top podcasts.  Alistair is a journalist, author, broadcaster, and defining political figure of our time. I've known him since the early days of New Labour, where he was Director of Communications and Strategy at the hear...

The Oscars are only a few days away and Ruthie’s Table 4 is excited. Ralph Fiennes, Zoe Saldaña and Elton John - three Ruthie’s Table 4 guests - are nominated for Academy Awards, and we’re revisiting their interviews in this episode. Ralph is nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his brilliant performance in Conclave. Elton for Best Original Song for ‘N...