Podcast · Arts & Books

Ruthie's Table 4

by iHeartPodcasts · English · Arts & Books

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 31 min
Latest: 5 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

5 Oct 2026 · 33 minNew

From the Archive: Cate Blanchett on growing her own food, multiculturalism, and a disastrous Christmas dinner

This week, we’re looking back to the summer morning we shared with Cate Blanchett, who joined me at The River Cafe after her run in Thomas Ostermeier’s The Seagull . We talked about the pleasures of touring a play, growing up between American and Australian food traditions, silent meals after losing her father, teenage dinner parties inspired by a Salvador Dalí cookbook, the joys of growing food, and her love of sake. Hit FOLLOW to make sure you never miss an episode, and join the Ruthie’s Table 4 community on social. ⁠Instagram: instagram.com/ruthiestable4 TikTok:…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

28 Sep 2026 · 44 min

From the Archives: Sarah Jessica Parker on the importance of food in Sex and the City, cooking with her husband, and pork chops.

This week, we’re revisiting our live episode with Sarah Jessica Parker. And what a guest she was. Sarah has always had a deep love of food, so we had plenty to talk about: from the role of food in Sex and the City , where so many memorable conversations unfolded around a meal, to growing up as one of eight children and cooking every night with Matthew Broderick. She cooked puntarelle in the kitchen with Sian Wyn Owen, took questions from our audience, shared her thoughts on airplane food, revealed her perfect pork chops, and her devotion to Burford eggs. Hit FOLLOW to make sure you…
21 Sep 2026 · 35 min

From the Archive: Benedict Cumberbatch on Living with Wes Anderson, Imitating Ruthie & ‘Daddy Pancakes’

During our between-season break, we’re revisiting some of our favourite conversations from the Ruthie’s Table 4 archive. This week, we're looking back to when Benedict Cumberbatch joined me at The River Cafe to talk about Negronis with Wes Anderson, growing up in a theatrical family, body transformations, and cooking for his children. Hit FOLLOW to make sure you never miss an episode, and join the Ruthie’s Table 4 community on social. ⁠Instagram: instagram.com/ruthiestable4 TikTok: tiktok.com/@ruthiestable4 YouTube: youtube.com/@RuthiesTable4Pod Shop River Café Books…
15 Sep 2026 · 49 min

From the Archive: Zoe Saldaña on Growing Up in Queens, Family Recipes & Why NYC Has the Best Pizza

As we look forward to Series 6 in October, we’re revisiting some of our favourite episodes of Ruthie’s Table 4 . Zoe Saldaña was a force from the moment she entered the restaurant back in 2025. She told us stories about her grandmother’s coconut desserts, how her family dances through life, and what it was like growing up in Queens. We talked about Caribbean soups, Dominican cooking and New York pizza — and by the end of the episode, we were all ready to eat. Hit FOLLOW to make sure you never miss an episode, and join the Ruthie’s Table 4 community on…
S5 · E46 · 7 Sep 2026 · 21 min

How Food Shapes Our Work… Gayle King, Mark Ronson, Graham Norton, Emerald Fennell, and Patrick Radden Keefe.

Whether in film, music, books or television, food can be a source of inspiration or integral to the way we work. In this special compilation episode of Ruthie's Table 4, we're talking about the shared ingredients of what we do, with Gayle King, Mark Ronson, Graham Norton, Emerald Fennell – the director of Wuthering Heights, and Patrick Radden Keefe – the author of London Falling. Hit FOLLOW to make sure you never miss an episode, and join the Ruthie’s Table 4 community on social. ⁠Instagram: instagram.com/ruthiestable4 TikTok: tiktok.com/@ruthiestable4 YouTube:…
S5 · E45 · 31 Aug 2026 · 28 min

Where Food Meets Politics… Jacinda Ardern, Andrew Jarecki, Erin Lyall, Hilton Als, Annie Leibovitz, Kamala Harris

I've always thought we judge a culture by the way we feed our poor, our sick and our prisoners. In this special compilation episode of Ruthie's Table 4, we're talking about food and politics, in conversation with Jacinda Ardern, documentary filmmaker Andrew Jarecki, CBS conflict producer Erin Lyall, writer and critic Hilton Als, Annie Leibovitz, and Kamala Harris. Hit FOLLOW to make sure you never miss an episode, and join the Ruthie’s Table 4 community on social. ⁠Instagram: instagram.com/ruthiestable4 TikTok: tiktok.com/@ruthiestable4 YouTube: youtube.com/@RuthiesTable4Pod Shop River…
S5 · E44 · 24 Aug 2026 · 24 min

Why Restaurants Matter… Jamie Oliver, Piers Morgan, Marina Hyde & Richard Osman, Tracey Emin & Dara Khosrowshahi

It may come as no surprise that I have a special interest in restaurants. The River Café is where I work, where I record this podcast, and where I spend so much of my life. In this special compilation episode of Ruthie’s Table 4 , we’re talking about restaurants—how to run them and why they matter—with stories and memories from Piers Morgan, Jamie Oliver, Marina Hyde and Richard Osman, Tracey Emin, and Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. Hit FOLLOW to make sure you never miss an episode, and join the Ruthie’s Table 4 community on social. ⁠Instagram:…
S5 · E43 · 17 Aug 2026 · 17 min

The Food That Shaped Us… Kamala Harris, Sadiq Khan, Ab Rogers, Marina Hyde and Richard Osman, and Rashida Jones.

Childhood kitchens, our parents' cooking—the food we eat when we're young stays with us for life. This special compilation of Ruthie's Table 4 celebrates food and childhood, featuring memories from Kamala Harris, Mayor Sadiq Khan, architect Ab Rogers, Marina Hyde and Richard Osman, and Rashida Jones. Hit FOLLOW to make sure you never miss an episode, and join the Ruthie’s Table 4 community on social. ⁠Instagram: instagram.com/ruthiestable4 TikTok: tiktok.com/@ruthiestable4 YouTube: youtube.com/@RuthiesTable4Pod Shop River Café Books and more……
S5 · E42 · 10 Aug 2026 · 41 min

If You Can't Take the Heat… How Does a Restaurant Handle a Roasting Summer?

As a farewell to series 5, I'm joined by Sian Wyn Owen to take you behind the scenes at The River Café during the recent heatwaves this summer—what we cooked and how we served. And Season 6 is on the way, starting off with the stars of Only Murders in the Building , Steve Martin and Martin Short, in an episode full of laughter, food memories, and banjo playing. See you in October! Order Table 4 at The River Cafe —the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the beloved podcast: https://bit.ly/Table4AtRiverCafeBook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · E41 · 3 Aug 2026 · 21 min

Dorothée Boissier on Designing Restaurants, Paris, and Creative Partnership

Dorothée Boissier is an interior designer and co-founder of the Gilles & Boissier studio. Together with her husband, Patrick Gilles, she creates exquisite architecture and interiors around the world. Today, we're at Moncler's beautiful flagship store on the Champs-Élysées, designed by Dorothée and Patrick. We'll talk about Paris, food, their creative partnership, and the art of designing restaurants. Order Table 4 at The River Cafe —the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the beloved podcast: https://bit.ly/Table4AtRiverCafeBook See…
S5 · E40 · 27 Jul 2026 · 34 min

Clare Hornby, Founder and CEO of ME+EM

Good food and good clothes should do the same thing: make you feel instantly comfortable, confident, and completely at home. In this episode Ruthie sits down with Clare Hornby, the visionary entrepreneur founder and CEO of ME+EM. Clare has built the UK's fastest-growing luxury label by mastering "intelligent style" -creating crafted, functional wardrobes for women. Bound by a shared love for exceptional ingredients in food and fashion, Ruthie and Clare talk about friendship, building a business from scratch, the food memories that shape them, and much much more. See omnystudio.com/listener…
S5 · 23 Jul 2026 · 20 min

Bonus: Michael Elias on his new book, Bender's LA

Ruthie speaks to her brother, screenwriter and author Michael Elias, about his latest novel, Bender's LA. In the coke-dusted canyons and deal-making rooms of 1970s Los Angeles, writer David Bender sets out to remake his life - romantically, professionally, and spiritually - after his wife walks out in Puerto Vallarta with a single sentence and a suitcase. Order a copy now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Benders-L-Michael-Elias/dp/B0GWC41TVM See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · E39 · 20 Jul 2026 · 22 min

In Conversation With Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist

Zanny Minton Beddoes and I have different professions, and different workplaces. As editor-in-chief of The Economist, hers is in the newsroom mine is the kitchen. But we have much in common, sharing a message of honesty - me with ingredients, Zanny with words. And we both have time limits - in the case of this conversation, just 20 minutes which we recorded live onstage at the Google Zeitgeist conference. In this brief time, we explored her work and life through the lens of food. And what a life it is. Order Table 4 at The River Cafe —the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the…
S5 · 17 Jul 2026 · 6 min

Bonus: Wine with Ab Rogers

Ab Rogers explains his fascination with wine and why he prefers grapes that have had to fight for their survival. Order Table 4 at The River Cafe —the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the beloved podcast: https://bit.ly/Table4AtRiverCafeBook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · E38 · 13 Jul 2026 · 36 min

Ab Rogers, Designer

Ab Rogers is a visionary designer. He is also my stepson. For over 50 years, we’ve been side by side, taking adventures together. Today, we’re together in the River Cafe to share stories - memories of his father and my husband Richard Rogers - travels, families, work and food. We will also talk about five women who inspired the way he cooks, and the creative methods he uses to bring ingredients together, creating some of the most delicious food I’ve eaten in my life. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · 10 Jul 2026 · 7 min

Bonus: Erin Lyall on Eating With Soldiers

Erin Lyall, a conflict producer for CBS News, reveals what it's like to eat with soldiers, how an army feeds itself, and how she personally recovers after the strain of working in a war zone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · E37 · 6 Jul 2026 · 40 min

Erin Lyall, Conflict Producer For CBS News

As a conflict producer for CBS News, Erin Lyall has eaten with Ukrainian soldiers on the freezing front line, cooked with families in their homes in Gaza, and shared meals on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq with bullets sounding in the distance. From these experiences in the field, Erin created Food Under Fire, a unique food blog featuring recipes, anecdotes, and portraits of the people she's met on her journalistic travels. Today, we're together in the safety of the River Café to talk about how food can bring us together, both in war and in peace. Order Table 4 at The River Cafe…
S5 · 3 Jul 2026 · 6 min

Bonus: Graham Norton on why you should work in a restaurant

Graham Norton reveals what he learned from working in restaurants, what he noticed about tricky customers, and why he would recommend the experience to everyone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · 2 Jul 2026 · 20 min

Mel Brooks Turns 100

This week marks a very special occasion. My friend, Mel Brooks, is turning 100. For the best part of a century, he has lit up the world with his warmth and humour, delighting audiences as a writer, director, actor and comedian. From The Producers and Blazing Saddles to Young Frankenstein, his unique talents have left an indelible mark on film, television and theatre. To celebrate Mel, we're going to revisit some of the best moments from his wonderful appearance on Ruthie's Table 4, back in 2023 - one of my favourite ever episodes. We talk about the food of his childhood in Brooklyn, keeping…
S5 · E36 · 29 Jun 2026 · 35 min

Graham Norton

To be a truly great host, as Graham Norton is every week on his television sofa, you have to understand and genuinely like people. It's the same for me at the River Café. There's no such thing as a difficult customer. Everybody has a story, and every table is a world. Usually it's Graham asking the questions, but today, he's answering mine—about his early years in an American commune, his time working in restaurants, cooking, writing, and the art of hosting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · E35 · 22 Jun 2026 · 31 min

Giulio Bertelli, Filmmaker

Last September, at the Venice Film Festival, I went to see Agon — a radical and powerful film. Afterwards, I immediately changed my schedule to attend a dinner for its director, Giulio Bertelli. Today, Giulio and I are back together in Hammersmith to discuss his filmmaking, the food of his childhood in Milan, his time as a professional sailor, the history of food and seafaring, and the company he has built as he looks to food's future. Order Table 4 at The River Cafe —the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the beloved podcast: https://bit.ly/Table4AtRiverCafeBook See…
S5 · E34 · 15 Jun 2026 · 48 min

Piers Morgan, Broadcaster

Everyone knows Piers Morgan as a journalist, editor, and fearless interviewer. But I also know him as someone who loves food and can describe in detail what makes a great restaurant. Today, we're here together to talk about growing up in his family's country pub, the postcard he cherishes from his mother, drinks with Bill Clinton, dining with Tom Hanks, and seeing the glass half full. Order Table 4 at The River Cafe —the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the beloved podcast: https://bit.ly/Table4AtRiverCafeBook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · 11 Jun 2026 · 32 min

Bonus: Ruth Porat - “If We Can, We Must.”

Ruth Porat - President and Chief Investment Officer of Google and Alphabet - discusses the social responsibilities that come with technological advancement and how AI must be used to tackle society’s most intractable problems. Order Table 4 at The River Cafe —the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the beloved podcast: https://bit.ly/Table4AtRiverCafeBook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · E33 · 8 Jun 2026 · 32 min

Ruth Porat, President and Chief Investment Officer at Alphabet and Google

Ruth Porat is the President and Chief Investment Officer of Google and Alphabet. She is also my friend. Her extraordinary schedule has often kept us thousands of miles apart as she moves across continents, connecting people, ideas, and communities. But today, we’re together at last - a Ruth and a Ruthie - to talk about the importance of food at Google, her scientific childhood, how her father survived the Holocaust to rebuild his family, and how her grandmother spent her last day showing love through food. Order Table 4 at The River Cafe - the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by…
S5 · 5 Jun 2026 · 6 min

Bonus: Declan Kelly On Going Vegetarian

Consello CEO Declan Kelly discusses his decision to become a vegetarian as a teenager in 1980s Ireland, and how he eats today. Order Table 4 at The River Cafe —the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the beloved podcast: https://bit.ly/Table4AtRiverCafeBook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · E32 · 1 Jun 2026 · 39 min

Declan Kelly - Founder, Chairman and CEO of Consello

A few months ago, I met Declan Kelly, founder, Chairman, and CEO of Consello, one of the world’s most influential advisory firms. The connection between us was immediate, as I discovered a fascinating person with a fascinating life. Born in rural Ireland, from humble beginnings, he became an important journalist, created an influential communications company and in 2007 and 2008 served as one of the leading advisers to Hillary Clinton during her presidential campaign. Today he advises some of the most influential people who lead powerful institutions, while mentoring a new generation.…
S5 · 28 May 2026 · 10 min

Bonus: Making A Menu

The River Café’s Sian Wyn Owen joins Michael and Lindsay Tusk to discuss the menu she has prepared for the day, the seasonal ingredients she is using, and how she organises a lunch service with her team. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · E31 · 26 May 2026 · 30 min

Michael & Lindsay Tusk, Restaurateurs, Quince & Co.

Chef Michael Tusk and his wife and partner, Lindsay Tusk, believe great food is about simplicity, quality ingredients, and happiness. A few months ago in San Francisco, I saw this for myself at their restaurants - Quince, Cotogna, and wine bar, Verjus. Today, on a beautiful spring day at the River Café we will talk about creating food what we look for in a restaurant, and much more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · 24 May 2026 · 8 min

Bonus: Patrick Radden Keefe on eating together and eating alone

Patrick Radden Keefe talks about two contrasting food pleasures - hosting and eating alone. Order Table 4 at The River Cafe —the star-studded, food-filled book inspired by the beloved podcast: https://bit.ly/Table4AtRiverCafeBook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
S5 · E30 · 19 May 2026 · 39 min

Patrick Radden Keefe, Author of London Falling

I’ve sometimes wondered whether writing a book might be a bit like cooking a meal. I create a menu by choosing the ingredients I’m drawn to. In the same way, today’s guest, Patrick Radden Keefe, creates a book by choosing the people he’s drawn to — most recently in his newly published London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth. Today, we’re here together to talk about his latest book, his parents’ second dinner, the mise en place of his writing process, and the ingredients of his stories. Order Table 4…

About Ruthie's Table 4

For nearly forty years, The River Cafe in London has been a home-from-home for artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists and politicians. It is also the home of its co-founder, Ruthie Rogers — restaurateur, cookbook author, podcast host and one of the most influential figures in British food. On Ruthie’s Table 4 , Ruthie invites her guests — many of them friends and longtime restaurant regulars — to The River Cafe for a journey through food and memory. In each episode, Ruthie uses the lens of food to unlock stories and personal histories from an extraordinary range of guests, including Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Michael Caine, Dame Tracey Emin, Sir Elton John, Kamala Harris, David Beckham and Victoria Beckham, Sir Ian McKellen, Greta Gerwig, Gordon Brown, Tina Fey, Dame Judi Dench, Yotam Ottolenghi, Wyclef Jean, Mel Brooks, Al Gore, Nancy Pelosi, Jony Ive, Sarah Jessica Parker and many others. As part of their visit, each guest is invited to choose and read a River Cafe recipe. In a weekly bonus episode, Ruthie and her executive chefs unpack the recipe — exploring its ingredients and origins, sharing the secrets of how they make it at the world-famous restaurant, and offering advice for listeners cooking it at home. So take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation.

Ruthie's Table 4 is a English arts & books podcast from iHeartPodcasts. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: iHeartPodcasts
Language: English
Category: Arts & Books
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 31 min
Latest episode: 5 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1585413971

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