Richmond, British, Modern 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.

“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.

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”.