Cobham, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan was – as of mid 2025 – rumoured to be on the verge of buying a £1 billion stake in Richard Caring’s restaurant empire, of which this famous brasserie chain is the crown jewel. Presumably, he’s more interested in ‘rolling out’ the brand in The Gulf and beyond rather than dropping by for a Salmon Fishcake and ‘Ivy Chocolate Bombe’, but if he’d asked the opinion of our annual diners’ poll, we’re not sure that he’d sign on the dotted line. “How can a restaurant with this heritage produce such uninspired, tick-box food?” is a question merited by its poor ratings, ditto what explains the “very slow and disinterested service”? The answer may be that “you don’t come here for the food, obviously” but for the “gorgeous” interior design and “picturesque” locations that continue to underpin their appeal. Let’s hope for the Sheikh’s sake that the middle classes of the Arab World are as undiscerning as those from the UK!

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.

This “good local” beside Wimbledon Common, co-owned by TV chef Paul Merrett (also of the Victoria in East Sheen), does “a great Sunday lunch – and you can take the dog”. Competent staff ensure you get “excellent service even with a big group”; “the only disadvantage is its popularity, which can make for a noisy experience”.

“For a jolly night out with the girls”, these “warm and luxurious” west London haunts are just the job. An “extensive list of cocktails” is key to their allure – “the food is not the main attraction although it’s perfectly acceptable”. Lorraine Angliss (who also owns Annie’s and Little Bird) opened the Richmond original in 2009; its Chiswick sibling followed in 2022.

Proximity to Richmond Park – a large terrace for sunny days – and a comfortable, attractive interior help justify the ongoing inclusion of this eighteenth-century Fuller’s pub, near Sheen Gate. In other respects, its ratings remain resolutely ordinary.

“I don’t know why it hasn’t been picked up for a Michelin star”, say fans of Remi Williams & Aaron Webster’s Tooting hotspot, who feel it “should be shouted out more by restaurant guides” (to be fair, the Tyre Men do nowadays list it). Named for its use of smoking and salting, the interesting food is provided as an assortment of menus, with options ranging upwards from the two-course mid-week menu providing two courses for £30 per person up to the ‘Culture’ tasting menu for £70 per person. “For the price point, the quality and service is outstanding. If this place was in Central London, you wouldn’t be able to get a table”.

“Cosy”, large tavern just off Acton Green on the fringe of Chiswick, with some fine late-Victorian features, and whose menu has a somewhat “sophisticated” Mediterranean spin. There’s a small rear garden in summer that opens off its characterful rear dining room (though you can also eat in the bar).

“The perfect local is full of locals, and this defines The Andover perfectly: a buzzing bar and friendly staff greet you” at this “lively old boozer” in a quiet corner of Hammersmith’s ‘Brackenbury Village’. “Under new ownership for a couple of years now, the food has gone up another level” – somewhat more inventive and “a giant step up from pub grub” (but equally also a little “expensive for a pub”). Top Tip – “Sunday lunch is a must”.

2024 Review: “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).

“The food is great” at this early-Victorian King’s Road pub – “the perfect spot for a family get-together on a Sunday” – although “staff can be a bit patronising; this is Chelsea after all…”, and “it can get very busy”. The relaunch four years ago by JKS Restaurants and Kitchen Table chef James Knappett raised expectations so high that it remains a curious case of much ado about nothing: not bad at all, but given the pedigree we might have expected a little more.

This “buzzy pub/restaurant opposite Hampton Court Palace” is one of the more regally set Brunning & Price outposts, turning out well-priced and noshable gastroboozer grub; “the pub is downstairs, the restaurant above it via a spiral staircase with views of the palace and Thames”. Reporters have nothing but praise for the venue (“love the vibe, love the food, love going there for Sunday lunch”) and “it’s dog-friendly too”.

“An original greasy spoon on steroids” – this yearling in East Sheen is “the perfect venue for breakfast when you have the builders in your kitchen”, or whenever you just fancy a “fab English breakfast” featuring “out-of-this-world bacon”. Founder James Packman was inspired to create his signature ‘bacon & egg butty’ while working for French chef Bruno Loubet, and spent 10 years selling them from an old ambulance at street markets before opening his first bricks-and-mortar caff in his home suburb.

“The newest incarnation of a Chiswick stalwart” – formerly The Crown, before that Carvosso’s, and originally built as a Victorian police station – finally “seems to have really hit its stride” as part of the high-flying JKS group, having previously found success elusive on this large and attractive site right on the high street. Fans say its interior design “shouts well-heeled-pub”, but “the food and service lift it to a higher, warmer level”, and these days it’s “usually packed”. Ratings overall are middling however, and there are a fair number of nearby residents who observe: “it’s a very popular new local… I’ve no idea why!”