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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