21 Mar 2025
Two years after French bistro Café Rouge closed its operation on Holywell Hill, a new tenant is taking over the Grade II listed building which was once Samuel Ryder’s seed hall.
Moka Dining, which offers contemporary Asian cuisine inspired by state banquets from India’s rich history, already has a restaurant in Northwood, north London.
Its food includes a brunch menu featuring masala omelette, dosa crepes and Mumbai toasties, and other dishes including fried masala black cod, Indian tacos and more traditional Asian dishes. Customers can also enjoy dishes from a bar menu alongside a wide range of cocktails.
The seed hall is an Art-Deco/modernist building designed by St Albans architect Percival Blow to exhibit plants grown from garden seeds sold by businessman and philanthropist Samuel Ryder, now more famous for golf’s Ryder Cup. Built by C. Miskin and Sons, it first opened its doors in 1931.
It was subsequently used by the Post Office until the early 1990s when it was converted to a restaurant.
It has undergone a major restoration since Café Rouge departed.
