Brentford, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

2023 Review: This “charming waterside café/restaurant” headed by Ben Rand, former head chef at The Dairy in Clapham (RIP), is set in a new development in Brentford, where the Grand Union Canal connects with the Thames. “The food on the small menu is lovely”, but it’s a largely daytime-only operation, with occasional supper club evenings.

This “admirably restored Edwardian local” in Brentford was “pimped up a few years ago”, and while it “still feels like a proper pub… the focus on food is far greater”. There’s a “wide range of craft ales”, “a roaring fire in winter”, and an “interesting”, diverse menu also incorporating staples such as “very good burgers”. Top Menu Tip – “they also have a range of posh fish in tins which come with toasted sourdough: a nice thing in summer with a drink in the pleasant garden”.

“The number one choice for eating in Brentford and just what is needed here!” – Sam Harrison’s year-old outpost of Sam’s Riverside is a “beautifully appointed venue by the river in the newly upmarket Brentford complex” (in which it’s an early pioneer of this fast-developing area). Practically all reports acclaim it for its “West End-quality food and service that never disappoints, be it at a riverside table, up at the bar or in the main restaurant”. Top Tips – “cucumber margaritas are amazing”.