Neil Perry’s dish of the month

Chef Neil Perry shares his favourite meal of the month: tranche of turbot from The River Café in London.

Why I love it Turbot is the king of flat fish and nowhere does it better than The River Café. The fish is sweet and meaty, succulent and gelatinous near the bones – and so satisfying to eat. I had it with sautéed chard but you might get wild mushrooms, zucchini, cherry tomatoes – whatever is in season. This dish has such great texture and flavour it easily replaces a meat main course. Nothing can break my love affair with turbot.

The vibe This classic London restaurant opened its doors in 1987 when Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray got together in what was essentially the canteen at the architecture firm of Ruth’s husband, Richard Rogers, on the River Thames. It has certainly come a long way from those humble beginnings. The space is full of beautiful bold colours and the centrepiece of the dining room is a long bar that morphs into part of the kitchen. You get a feeling of family when you walk in and everyone is focused on making sure you have a good time.

Goes well with A full-bodied white would suit the turbot but I’m usually onto red by the main course, likely a delicate barolo, which is perfect with a meaty fish.

What else is on the menu The Italian dishes change daily, as well as with the seasons, but you can always expect an uncompromising approach to using the best ingredients with great cooking craft.

Where to get it The terrace is the best place to sit; when the weather is good it’s hard to beat. The River Café is one of my favourite Italian restaurants in the world – I’ve been a devotee since the early ’90s and I’ve been at least 30 times. I even visited three times in one week back in 2015. It’s open seven days for lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday.

Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, Hammersmith; rivercafe.co.uk