Richoux restaurants have been around since 1909, when they were founded in London by two French émigrés, in Baker Street. At the time, they started out as a patisserie but have today evolved as modish, French style cafés, which serve food all day and cater to different kinds of people, on business or pleasure.

The cafes are attractively done up in their trademark deep red, and have a spacious, airy feel about them. The food is tasty with a homely feel, and the service is warm and friendly. The nicest part about the restaurants is that diners can have a light or hearty meal at any time of the day.

The typical breakfast menu has an early riser and a traditional option which offer fresh juice, toast, bacon, sausage, two fried eggs, hash browns, grilled mushrooms and croissants. Their New Yorker breakfast includes golden waffles while there are healthier options available with muesli and fresh fruit along with whole wheat toast. They also have an impressive range of beverages ranging from several types of coffee, tea, fruit juices and hot chocolate, which help one finish breakfast and start the day on a great note.

The rest of the offerings cater for lunch, afternoon tea and even dinner, and have a limited but delicious range of soups, starters, sandwiches, pasta and risotti. These include seared teriyaki salmon with ginger, stir-fried vegetables and rice, escalope of chicken Milanese with spaghetti and tomato sauce, shepherd's pie, and a colonial chicken curry served with rice, poppadums and mango chutney, among other delicious fare.

Their sensible wine list provides enough choice for everyone, and is complemented ably by the list of beers and spirits. As Richoux was originally known as a patisserie, the dessert section, with its fresh fruit salad with cream, hot chocolate fudge cake, apple pie with vanilla ice cream and sundaes and ice creams are enough to arouse more than cursory interest.

The fact that Richoux has stood the test of time and changing tastes is ample proof of their ability to go on offering diners the kind of food they want at reasonable prices.