Marlow Restaurant Guide

“Just a delight all round” – seldom is a bad word said about Tom Kerridge’s ‘other’ pub in this Thames valley town: an “extremely crowded and very buzzy” haunt that is also “lovely and chilled”. “You don’t need to book a table and you can order the plates tapas-style”: “the food is so good”.

While it’s generally agreed to be a “good addition to the Marlow scene”, with a “nice ambience” and in particular “a beautifully glamorous room” – this Thames Valley link in the national chain Richard Caring has spun out from the 1980s West End celeb haunt attracts familiar criticisms. Too often it’s “a bit of a disappointment” – “a little pricey for albeit fancy comfort food” – and just too obviously samey: “couldn’t each restaurant have a unique signature dish appropriate to the location?”

“Tom Kerridge’s (wonderful) versions of pub grub” mean there are still many reporters who “can’t wait to go back” to his immensely popular and consequently “overcrowded” Thames-valley gastropub, which owes its mighty reputation to Michelin’s award of a rare two stars, back in 2012. It was a questionable decision from the start, but could be glossed over at the time by the Hand & Flowers’ undeniably crowd-pleasing performance. However, ratings here have been in decline for years now, and it’s reaching a point where this down-to-earth hostelry is starting to seem “seriously overhyped”. It doesn’t help that TV Tom’s opened The Coach “literally down the road” which is “more fun” and has better scoff. And with this celebrity chef’s multiple other openings in London and Manchester, “Is TK just too stretched to keep control?”. (There’s also the question of when Michelin will finally stop slumbering and take away one or both stars here).