2 /5 Ben Newman: A restaurant built on family and community values — but losing touch with everyday affordability.
We’ve been coming to Ruchita occasionally for years, maybe once or twice a year as a local family treat, and have always loved the warm service and homely food. However, for a restaurant that proudly claims it’s “not a business” but “part of the fabric of the community,” with a mission of “keeping people happy and fed,” the reality now feels the opposite — pricing out ordinary local families.
Our visit this week left us genuinely taken aback by the cost of our experience. We ordered very modestly — a couple of poppadoms each, one drink each, only three mains and rice shared between four of us (two adults and two young kids), a few sides, and two single-scoop ice creams. The bill came to £111 before tip!
Maybe we don’t dine out enough to have become used to today’s prices, but even allowing for inflation, that feels steep for what was a simple family meal. The food was tasty and the service friendly, but the overall cost felt more high-end than homely.
Ruchita’s story talks about family, fairness, and serving the local community — and that’s what’s always made it special. I really hope it can find its way back to being that accessible local gem again, because it still has all the heart — just not quite the value it once did.
