London Richmond Restaurant Guide

“An incredible setting overlooking The Thames at Richmond” anchors the appeal of this “relaxing and enjoyable” dining room, with terrace: part of a small boutique hotel set in gardens right by the river. The “competent and consistent” realisation of high-quality dishes wins nothing but praise for cuisine created by chef Steven Edwards (winner of Masterchef: The Professionals a decade ago), which makes it one of this swanky borough’s top culinary venues.

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 “friendly family bistro serving classic” Breton galettes, seafood and cider has been a fixture near Richmond Bridge for 35 years, and is for many local reporters “a go-to restaurant for lunch or dinner” – whether at one of the “far tables which overlook the Thames” or in the “private room upstairs, ideal for parties”. In early 2023 founder Lindsay Wotton put the business up for sale so she could retire.

2021 Review: “Always a surprise” – you get what you’re given (there’s no menu choice) at chef Riccardo Grigolo’s set-price Venetian feast in Richmond: an unqualified delight, with multiple courses of “amazing, delicious food” and “excellent service”, creating “an atmosphere rarely found elsewhere”.

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.

2021 Review: “When all you want is an old-school burger”, these US-based arrivals of recent years really “hit the spot” – you can “build your own”, with “tons of accessories”; plus “seriously addictive fries”, “thick milkshakes”, and “more soda flavours than is reasonable”. “The eat-in experience is as depressing as McDonald’s”, though, in fact perhaps more so – “some branches have a strangely gloomy ambience” – but fans feel that “if you don’t mind 1980s-rock, a trip can still be surprisingly fun”.

“Trading on a once-great name but disappointing in every category (except perhaps breakfasts)” – this brasserie brand themed around the Theatreland classic feels “very ‘chain restaurant’ now”. Some reporters do suggest their “comfort food staples” and “buzzy interiors” make them useful destinations, but too many suggest they are “haphazard” and “not a place to return to”.

With its “traditional tablecloths and a sense of comfort”, this “really strong and inventive neighbourhood Italian” close to Richmond Bridge in St Margaret’s appeals to a broad local constituency – “you can tell because it can be hard to get a table!”. The food is “always a treat” – and “the menu changes regularly, which makes eating here frequently even more of a pleasure”.

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.

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”.

“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.

“An excellent location overlooking the River Thames makes the Richmond branch very special if you are able to bag one of its outside tables on a balmy summer evening”; and it’s a highpoint of this chain run by a firm of well-known Iberian food importers. On the plus-side, its branches are generally “buzzy”, with “tasty” and “authentically flavoured” tapas. On the minus-side, for all the “high quality ingredients”, dishes can end up “indifferent” and “pricey for the size of the portions”; and “service can be a little too uneven”.

“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”.

“They must have spent a fortune on the decor” of this “absolutely stunning” Richmond newcomer, with a “terrace overlooking the Thames”: Richard Caring’s first spin-off from Mayfair’s legendary Scott’s. But while everyone is sold on the “wonderful dining room with its riverside view”, views on the cuisine diverge. Fans say its luxurious seafood menu “has transferred very well” delivering “top-quality” Fruits de Mer, Lobster Bisque and other fishy delights. But its ratings in our annual diners’ poll are not nearly as strong as in W1. Firstly, there are numerous reservations about it being “totally overpriced”. Secondly, it can seem like a poor substitute (“I was excited to visit the newly opened Scott’s in Richmond, a great addition to the area, so I thought. But this version is nothing like the original, it is like an Ivy Café under another name”).

“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.