London Richmond Restaurant Guide

South African chef, Vanessa Marx has taken the reins (from Steven Edwards) at this attractive dining room – part of a boutique hotel, beautifully situated with a riverside garden in Richmond. Her menu is eclectic with a selection of small and larger plates. But while the reception to it has been a little up-and-down (“exceptional food, let down by a few off-kilter moments…”; “less cohesive than the previous dining experience…”; “expensive…”) its ratings overall are still pretty good all-round.

2022 Review: “A real boon in Richmond”, run by exotically named founder Sudden Alberts, also behind Atithi in Twickenham. With its “delicious” Indian cuisine (“we particularly like the vegetarian side dishes”) and “prompt and perfect” service (“nothing is too much to make the customers happy”) it’s proclaimed something of a “hidden gem” by all who comment on it.

This “excellent, family-friendly creperie” “overlooking the river” built a solid local following for its Breton cuisine under Lindsay Wotton, who sold up last year to retire after 35 years. Thus far, the new owners have maintained standards and changed little, with “good-value lunch specials, especially strong on the fish dishes” still getting the nod.

“My favourite restaurant of all time!” say fans of this Richmond stalwart – “a unique and authentic Italian experience”. Patron Riccardo Grigolo hosts a no-choice, multi-course Venetian wedding feast over three or four hours, that makes you “feel like you are a guest in an Italian home” and with “an outstanding quality of food, ambience and staff”. Arrive hungry!

2022 Review: This “lovely little Japanese restaurant with a very decent range” is a “very welcome option in Richmond”. Run by a Korean family, it has provided “sterling service” for 17 years.

2021 Review: “When all you want is an old-school burger”, these US-based arrivals of recent years really “hit the spot” – you can “build your own”, with “tons of accessories”; plus “seriously addictive fries”, “thick milkshakes”, and “more soda flavours than is reasonable”. “The eat-in experience is as depressing as McDonald’s”, though, in fact perhaps more so – “some branches have a strangely gloomy ambience” – but fans feel that “if you don’t mind 1980s-rock, a trip can still be surprisingly fun”.

“The dangers of overextending the brand are writ large at these places” – the sub-sub-brand derivatives from the Theatreland classic, which haven’t taken off like the slightly posher ‘Ivy Brasserie’ spin-offs (perhaps because “they do this better at Côte”). They are not without supporters, who say they have fab locations and “look great” (SW19 is particularly “delightful”); or that although “supper is terribly disappointing, for breakfast they are an absolute joy enhanced by the refined surroundings”. Too often, though, they are dismissed as a “so-so brasserie chain that’s only really aiming for gullible out-of-towners” nowadays.

“Very good food” – but “no pizzas!”, the menu is more ambitious – has been served for more than 20 years at this “friendly local Italian” near Richmond Bridge in St Margaret’s – the last five under owner Tom Rowlandson, who trained with Skye Gyngell at Petersham Nurseries and has pushed standards ever higher.

2022 Review: “A lovely pub on Water Lane leading down to the Thames: now more of a restaurant than a pub” – a smart refit now lends a brasserie vibe to the dining room at this traditional boozer, off Richmond’s picturesque waterfront. The makeover – in late 2019 – was by the Ram Pub Co, which is part of Youngs. Few reports as yet on the rather posh-for-a-pub menu (they serve a selection of oysters, for example), but early feedback says it’s “the food is good, especially the fish”, and for a comfy yet relaxed get-together you could do much worse than a trip here.

2024 Review: The “stunning dining room with spectacular views, high above the Thames” at this grand mid-Victorian hotel in Richmond “retains a fine atmosphere”, and it serves “delicious cakes” at afternoon tea. “Many chefs have been through the kitchen here” and where more serious culinary occasions are concerned, verdicts are split: fans say it is “currently undergoing a renaissance”, but others feel (as they have for years) that “the food is only average and the service likewise”.

2024 Review: “Great coffee and extremely moreish light snacks” is the simple-but-winning formula at this ethical and sustainable Scandi-style roastery that started life in Richmond six years ago and now has outlets scattered across some of central London’s foodie enclaves.

This “relatively new addition” to the capital’s Italian restaurant scene “doesn’t disappoint”, serving “delicious homemade pasta and a good variety of starters” at the four sites it has opened in two years (Islington, Battersea Power Station, Shoreditch and, most recently, Richmond). It‘s the brainchild of Andy Bassadone – one of the UK’s most successful restaurateurs who, for example, rolled out Côte; and it is part of the Various Eateries group owned by Hugh Osmond (of PizzaExpress and Punch Taverns fame).

This quintet of tapas bars from the well-known Iberian food importer attracts most attention for its locations – in particular its “lively and popular” original bar at the entrance to Borough Market; and most recent addition: a “lovely riverside spot overlooking the Thames at Richmond”. Despite its renown – and some praise for its “small plates but big flavours” – ratings are held down by prices many reporters consider “high” for what’s widely seen as “pretty standard tapas fare”.

2024 Review: “Big portions of tasty Persian food” make this “friendly” duo in Chelsea and Wimbledon “great value for money”. Top Menu Tip – “you must have the bread fresh out of the clay oven”.

“A long-missing top-class option in Richmond” – one can quibble about whether or not Richard Caring’s yearling fully lives up to its long-established Mayfair sibling, but no-one denies its “very special setting” with “elegant decor and beautiful riverside location;” and as it entered its second year of operation, it put in a much more rounded all-round performance in general. OK, service in particular can still dip, and on occasion results are “ordinary”, but its ratings improved palpably this year and acclaim for fish and seafood that’s “simply presented but perfectly cooked” was much closer to the level one might hope for. The overall verdict – a little “overpriced”, “but as a treat, it’s worth it”.

2024 Review: “Great coffee and extremely moreish light snacks” is the simple-but-winning formula at this ethical and sustainable Scandi-style roastery that started life in Richmond six years ago and now has outlets scattered across some of central London’s foodie enclaves.