Richoux

Exiting Green Park station is a visceral experience. There are buses, there’s beeping, there are circa half a million people attempting to enter Caffè Concerto. In situations like this you need respite and that’s exactly what Richoux provides. The brasserie first opened in 1909 but has been reinvented as a kind of inoffensive, central London comfort blanket. The interior is all white tablecloths and Sensodyne-coloured banquettes, and the menu is full of things that are just about decent. A chicken club sandwich and chips for around £15, a croque monsieur for less, and a tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream for pud. It’s not fantastic but it’s not foul either. It does the job. And sometimes that’s what you need when life is a million miles an hour.