Chertsey, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

A “buzzy, colourful atmosphere” reigns supreme at this Surrey offshoot of The Ivy’s flashy brasserie chain, with a beautiful orangerie the best of the seating options. As for the food, “it is perfectly acceptable” but “this place lives off the name for sure” and is “very expensive for what it is” (not that this necessarily deters repeat visitors, who “return for its lovely ambience”).

2021 Review: This smart village pub with a garden incorporates a very French dining room, ‘La Cloche’, which serves bistro classics with a nod to the hearty dishes of the southwest, along with a good selection of wine and beer.

2023 Review: A couple of excellent reports suggest it’s worth considering this old pub reinvented as a hotel and restaurant (a couple of years ago), between the maze of Hampton Court Palace and Bushy Park. The refit is very attractive and the menu of superior gastropub fare is well-rated.

2022 Review: “Beautifully refurbished” by the current owners (Young’s Brewery), even if not everyone is a fan of its chain-ification, this “great local” – replete with roaring fires, seasonal grub and pleasant garden – is of note for its daily chalkboard specials, but they also do fancy game nights.

“Wonderful décor, a nice mix of cocktails and a lively buzz make this a very good local” that works equally “for a romantic meal or for celebrating a special event”. The new branch in Chiswick generates most of the feedback this year, but Lorraine Angliss (also owner of Annie’s and Little Bird) has run the Richmond original for 15 years.

This attractive eighteenth-century inn is a short stroll from Sheen Gate and a good option following a walk in Richmond Park (especially in summer on the terrace). On the downside, “the cooking can be a bit hit and miss” – it’s “under new management” since Fuller’s fell out with the previous landlord a couple of years back, “so perhaps hasn’t found its stride yet”.

There’s no doubting that Heston Blumenthal’s fifteenth-century tavern, a short walk from his Fat Duck flagship, is a “good gastropub”, and the majority of reporters are thrilled by its upscale pub food. But the celeb chef’s exalted reputation (reflected in the prices) means that expectations are sky-high – and though a majority of diners are well satisfied, visits “can be disappointing” (“our battered fish was hard and dry on the inside. Not acceptable at these prices!)”

“You feel miles away from London” at this Georgian gastroboozer on the edge of Wimbledon Common, which provides “a great atmosphere in very cosy surroundings”. “There’s a more relaxed vibe than when it originally emerged from its old ‘boozer’ days. The staff are lovely, attentive, fun but not over the top, and the food is perfect”.

A “top pub garden” is the trump card of this handsome, green-tiled tavern on the Chiswick-Acton border, and it’s backed up by “super-attentive service, great food” and “a lively buzz”. It’s been “consistently good” in its current guise for more than 20 years.

“Now under new management”, this “small and friendly” pub – in the picturesque Hammersmith backstreets known as ‘Brackenbury Village’ – has gone from good to better. It has always been a “solid, welcoming local, with good food and well-kept beer” and its new incarnation is just that bit ‘next-level’: with its “well judged and executed seasonal menus and quality wines by the glass” it’s “buzzing”.

Katherine (daughter of the late Terry Wogan) and Henry Cripps have long stewarded this top-class, good-value gastroboozer, in a “nice location” near the local golf club; the “seriously good food” makes it “much more than a pub” and “friendly staff” ensure a good welcome.

“Great food and drink, especially pizza” makes it worth remembering this stylish (if sometimes noisy) Olympia pub-conversion, a few minutes’ walk from Brook Green (part of the Oak group).

Another year of stellar ratings confirms that Remi Williams and Aaron Webster’s former pop-up in Tooting is no flash in the pan, offering “fine food in a bustling, vibrant atmosphere” and “set menus of delicious sharing plates” for which they make clever use of European salting, curing and smoking techniques. They made a name for themselves at Pop Brixton before moving to this permanent site in 2020.

On the site of The Crown (RIP) and previously Carvosso's (even longer RIP), Chiswick's former police station has been through a number of incarnations as a would-be pub with none sticking despite it having a characterful site and a brilliant back-door garden. This latest is from JKS Restaurants so hopes are hight. It features a pub floor, reception room, two private dining rooms, a covered outdoor courtyard, and a south-facing front terrace. The menu is inspired by British pub classics, created by Executive Chef John Sparks and Kitchen Table chef James Knappett. Menu highlights include Black Pudding Scotch Egg, Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and Highland Wagyu Hound Dog. The Hound also provides a selection of craft beers, cocktails, and its own label tap wines.

This “good local gastropub” offers food that is a step up from most rivals (think soufflés at both ends of the meal), thanks to being “part of the Raymond Blanc outfit” – the former White Brasserie Group, renamed as Heartwood Inns in summer 2023.