Barnes Restaurant Guide

Hard to discover by accident: this “community-owned eating pub, lost deep in the backstreets of Barnes” – in the charming ‘Little Chelsea’ Victorian conservation area – has some of the “best pub food in the area” and “great wines for a pub”. There’s a cosy back yard for al fresco meals in the summer.

“More than a café” – although it functions as a “great local coffee spot” – this Barnes institution is “a delightful sanctuary for tea lovers, with a superb variety of teas from around the globe”. “Treat yourself to their classic afternoon tea, complete with delicate sandwiches, scones and a selection of teas. It’s a quintessentially British experience” without the expense of a West End hotel (but you will still have to book).

If you’re a fan of ’70s ‘Dad Rock’ then chances are your vinyl collection includes disks recorded at this legendary Barnes studios – nowadays converted into an indie cinema, restaurant and funky (for Barnes) members club. Foodwise, it’s a “useful” all-day operation, benefiting from its prime position on the main drag of Barnes, and a wide pavement terrace that catches the summer sun. Perhaps that makes it complacent: the brasserie fare is too often mightily ordinary.

“Deservedly popular Thai local with welcoming staff and very tasty (if not exactly distinguished) cooking”, which opened a few years ago opposite the Olympic Cinema in Barnes. No reports on its Finchley sibling, but TripAdvisor says it’s one of London’s best!

A “brilliant location on the Thames” near Barnes Bridge can’t mask the reality that this venue from the high-profile TV chef “doesn’t live up to his reputation”. Some reporters do hail it as a “go-to” for “imaginative” fish cooking, but for far too many diners it’s “living on the Stein name” with “overpriced” food that “lacks edge” and whose “relatively high score for ambience only truly applies if you get one of the tables by the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river (fabulous on a nice day)”. In summer 2024, it was announced that the family are seeking a central London site for the brand – to cut the mustard in the West End it will need to be a step up from this one.

“A favourite for midweek sushi” – this 12-year-old pan-Asian group from Israeli-born Ohad Kastro started in Primrose Hill and has expanded to six outlets in a series of well-heeled locations, with Barnes and Chelsea particularly commented-on. Perhaps not a choice for foodie purists, they provide a convivial setting for “an interesting and varied menu of Asian-inspired” dishes prepared to an admirably consistent standard. (One gripe – the “astonishing number of takeaway food packages collected by delivery drivers” was an irritant in a couple of reports this year).

“Serious, and seriously delicious food, served in a simple space that helps to focus attention on what matters” has made Andreas Riva’s Barnes veteran a “staple of Italian food lovers”, oft-cited by top food writers like Nigella Lawson as their favourite destination. It’s boosted by “exceptionally long-serving, loyal staff” who provide regulars in particular with service they acclaim as “delightful, efficient, warm and friendly”. A typical account of a meal might run as follows: “Specials of puntarelle, gnocchi and suckling pig, and the calves’ liver and red onions from the menu, together with a dessert of tiramisu, were all faultless. Wines by the glass – a Pinot Bianco and a Tuscan Sangiovese – matched beautifully and were modestly priced”. As often is the case here though, there is a contrarian viewpoint and it gained ground this year: “We hadn’t been impressed with Riva when we had eaten there many years ago, but thought we’d try it again, after reading several very positive reviews. Our recent visit, however, confirmed our earlier verdict. The menu choice was uninspiring, service indifferent and the venue was run-down and in need of attention. Prices were high and the elderly man who seemed to be in charge ignored diners and sat at a table doing paperwork. We definitely won’t be returning!”

“Love this new spot on the river off Barnes High Street” with riparian views from its upstairs dining room windows and “really good food”. It’s a passion project from local boy Joe Grossman, founder of Patty & Bun, that is “several cuts above regular pub standard” – “the waiting staff are friendly, and able to recognise exactly which glass of wine has been requested without having to point at the menu!”. On second thoughts, it “calls itself a pub, but is really a restaurant”.

Overlooking Barnes Pond, this “great and gimmick-free” Grade II listed pub has a prime location in this chichi enclave. It’s not a foodie hotspot, but “service is really helpful and cheerful” and “there’s always good pub food” to be found. Top Tip – in summer, “sit on the terrace in front of the pub” or in the very large, tented area out back.

This smart little “neighbourhood Indian” with “better-than-average cooking” opened three years ago on the main drag in Barnes, from a trio of friends who grew up together in the Punjab – one of whom runs the nearby Barnes Pantry. (‘Ela & Dhani’ mean cardamom and coriander in Sanskrit).

“The back garden is gorgeous in the summer and very family friendly” at this “lovely local” on the outskirts of Barnes as you head into Sheen. Restaurant investor, Christian Arden relaunched it in 2021 during the tough Covid times and the place has never perhaps attracted as much PR as it deserves for its steaks (cooked over open fire in the garden BBQ), pizza and other fare; and his “fabulous team always really look after the locals”.

On a White Hart Lane corner site in Barnes (long occupied by Annie’s, RIP), a Lebanese restaurant from industry veteran Pierre Hobeika (ex-Fakhreldine general manager), with a classic menu of Middle Eastern dishes plus wraps for lighter meals. The wine list ranges across the eastern Med and into the Caucasus, with all wines available by the glass.