London Richmond Restaurant Guide

Ratings are up for this pretty boutique hotel dining room close to the river in Richmond, with a “good value” menu from South African-born chef Vanessa Marx, who took over the reins in 2023 (having first arrived in 2021 as an events chef). The modern brasserie menu (steak, catch of the day…) is less aspirational than once it was here, but the format is going down well. (“We ate very well on a fine summer’s evening on the balcony overlooking the Thames” – “portion sizes are now much better than previously, and the food is really excellent and good value”, with “lots of vegan dishes… two of them enjoyed without registering that they were in fact vegan!)”.

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 “long-established Brittany-French restaurant” is “much loved in Richmond for its good food – galettes, seafood and the rest”, “amazing value” and “decent (if sometimes hectic) service”. Its sale two years ago by founder Lindsay Wotton, who ran it for 35 years, has not dented its appeal.

There’s just one option at this Richmond stalwart from chef patron Riccardo Grigolo – a full-on blow out! – as he guides his guests through a multi-course Venetian wedding feast. It’s “the best place I know for a family celebration”, “just lovely, with good food and an exceptional ambience”… a view shared by US actor and fan Stanley Tucci, who lives nearby.

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.

“The venues are wonderful to look at, but the food is almost always below average, over-priced from an uninspiring menu, with service that can be pushy and inflexible” – a fair summary of the pros and cons of the sub-sub brand of the famous Theatreland classic, which more generous fans claim provides “reliable comfort food without the hassle of the original”. Many diners have their eyes wide open when it comes to the trade-offs of choosing to dine here: “you likely have a good time; it’s just that, in London, there is always somewhere more interesting round the corner”.

“Wonderful family-run neighbourhood Italian restaurant serving out-of-the-ordinary sophisticated cooking”, near Richmond Bridge in St Margaret’s (close enough to Twickenham to offer special lunches on Six Nations days). Chef Tom Rowlandson and his wife Jade have been at the helm since 2019. Top Tip – “try to get a window table”.

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 quartet of modern pasta joints offer “high-quality ingredients” and staff who “make you feel very welcome”. But the cooking divides opinion sharply, with some reporters praising “good, unpretentious” cooking “at a fair price” and others complaining of “tiny, overpriced helpings – avoid!”. A more nuanced judgement: “good but could be so much better – menu had some great options but everything seemed overpowered with butter/oil”.

“You will want to lick the plate” if you brunch (the highpoint) at one of Yotam Ottolenghi’s inspired deli-cafés, whose creation in 2002 helped created the TV fame of the owner, and started to popularise the Middle Eastern-influenced cuisine that’s swept London and even now is seen as fashionable. The formula is little changed: “tasty, healthy and yummy dishes” that are “beautifully flavoured” but “a bit on the pricey side”. “Ottolenghi is the master of flavoursome veg (with more veg choices than at most non-veg restaurants)” and, in particular “the cakes are wonderful!”. (Also, “they’re great on allergens.”). On the downside, “space is tight” and the “ambience could be more relaxed”. There’s also a feeling in some quarters that “Yotam has become a brand and it shows”, with food that is “good but after a while same-y”.

“Enjoyed sitting at the bar in Borough Kitchen…”; “a great place near the South Kensington Museums…”; “a great site on the banks of the Thames in Richmond” – it’s often the handy situation, “casual atmosphere” and affordable prices of this Hispanic group that generates interest amongst diners. “The food is of a reasonable standard”, but considering they are run by the UK’s premier Spanish food importers, performance is notably “chain like”, with “nothing spectacular” food-wise and “average service” often the end-product.

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”.

“Just what Richmond needed!” – this “stunningly decorated” and “buzzy” three-year old “has a wonderful site by the Thames” and is “proving a valuable asset to the area”, especially as a “date-night go-to” for a taste of “pure opulence”; and in warmer weather “its roof terrace makes for a superb sunset dining experience (as long as it’s not raining!)”. In terms of its seafood cuisine, fans say it’s “expensive, yes, but serves excellent quality fish, with service all splendidly orchestrated by Pierre, the general manager”. Critics of the place agree with a lot of the above description, but for them the experience is nevertheless “unquestionably overpriced” for food in particular that’s “very average” (“better than much in Richmond, but still not great!”).

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.