Chef Ruthie Rogers: ‘London became home when I fell I love’

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Ruthie Rogers is best known as the Chef Patron of one of London’s most enduringly successful restaurants - The River Cafe in Hammersmith. Ruthie opened the River Cafe with Rose Gray in 1987, beginning almost as a canteen to feed the staff at her late husband Richard Rogers' architecture practice, which was based nearby. Indeed, Lord Rogers, who died in 2021, designed the now famous interior, with it’s cobalt blue floors and minimalist feel. Over the years the restaurant has trained countless successful chefs, and it’s held a Michelin star since 1998. In recent years, Ruthie’s career has evolved. Her podcast, Ruthie’s Table, which sees her sit down with her customers to talk about food, has given her a celebrity status. As I’m recording this, she’s fresh off the back of an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in the US. Robert Elms found out about Ruthie Rogers’ favourite haunts, memories and pet hates in 2009.