Harden's survey result
Summary
“The view over the Thames makes it worth the voyage” to this outpost of TV-Rick’s empire (in reality, run by his ex-wife and sons) near Barnes Bridge – but only “if you’re lucky enough to be seated by the windows” – “otherwise it never seems quite to live up to the reputation of a famous name”. The food can be “good”, but “of course it is not cheap”, and too often it is “disappointingly ordinary” – “you’re paying for the name and location, not the food”. More than 50 years after opening his first restaurant in Padstow, the TV chef’s family is reportedly planning to open a venue in central London: no news on the location as of summer 2025.
Summary
A “brilliant location on the Thames” near Barnes Bridge can’t mask the reality that this venue from the high-profile TV chef “doesn’t live up to his reputation”. Some reporters do hail it as a “go-to” for “imaginative” fish cooking, but for far too many diners it’s “living on the Stein name” with “overpriced” food that “lacks edge” and whose “relatively high score for ambience only truly applies if you get one of the tables by the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river (fabulous on a nice day)”. In summer 2024, it was announced that the family are seeking a central London site for the brand – to cut the mustard in the West End it will need to be a step up from this one.
Summary
A “lovely location on the river” with “vistas over the Thames” is an uncontested attraction of the London outpost of the famous TV chef, near Barnes Bridge. It’s not a huge advertisement for choosing a place according to the celebrity name over the door, as results are “hit and miss” to the extent that many diners view it as “consistently disappointing”, “especially given the elevated prices”.
Summary
“The superb setting on the Thames by Barnes Bridge” provides appropriately “lovely views over the river” for this famous Cornish fish and seafood brand’s London outpost. But while fans do applaud “fresh fish at its best”, a huge proportion of sceptics discern a “tired” performance with “perfunctory” service and “uninteresting” food that can be plain “poor”.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Rick Stein?
Tideway Yard, 125 Mortlake High St, London, SW14 8SN
Restaurant details
Rick Stein Restaurant Diner Reviews
"Always welcoming"
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch | £24.95 | £29.95 |  |
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| Dinner | £24.95 | £29.95 | |
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Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Veggies | Pudding |
|---|---|---|---|
| £17.00 | £34.70 | £14.00 | £9.95 |
| Drinks |
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|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £37.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.50 |
| Extras |
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| Bread | £6.95 |
| Service | 12.50% |
Tideway Yard, 125 Mortlake High St, London, SW14 8SN
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5 pm‑9 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5 pm‑9 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5 pm‑9 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑3 pm, 5 pm‑9 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑10 pm |
| Saturday | 9 am‑10 pm |
| Sunday | 9 am‑9 pm |
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