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 their daughter Olivia being born a few years later and them bringing her in as a baby, when the restaurant was still small and starting up, just like her. Now, over thirty years later, Richard and I share something else in common: the loss of the partner we loved. We are in The River Cafe again to talk about the joy of family, food, friendship, and most of all, the joy of love.

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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 accessorising her school uniform. She channelled her ambition into a dynamic career spanning Saatchi & Saatchi, Disney, LVMH, and now YOOX NET-A-PORTER.

Today, Alison and I are here at Table 4 to talk fashion, leadership, balancing work and family—and, of course, food in our lives and the memories we share.

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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 my wrist is the Apple Watch, counting my steps and checking my heartbeat. Today, my friend is not 5,000 miles away but here in The River Cafe next to me, as close as can be.

Made in partnership with Moncler.

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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 his wife Evelyn created a home. Now they have a small bar in the middle of the village. David is as passionate about Galicia's farm-to-table culture as he is about its people. For him, it's all part of the same conversation. Conversation that I am so excited and grateful to be having here with him in Casa Ria.

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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 Slotover. Friends of Amanda will tell you she is curious about the world and the people around her. She says that art is like cooking, making something incredible out of basic ingredients. Today, I'm the one who will be curious about Amanda as we talk about food and memories, artists and chefs, and much more.

Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler.

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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.

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 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 a sublime adventure together. Rian is a master storyteller who makes work both serious and wildly fun. I am honoured to call him a friend’.

In today’s episode, Rian and I are here at the River Cafe to talk about family and friends, movies and food, his father's influence on his career, and his earliest film memory: being put in the car to see Star Wars, aged five. It's going to be serious and, hopefully, wildly fun.

Ruthie's Table 4, made in partnership with Moncler.

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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.

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