The Petersham Hotel Restaurant Review

The Petersham Restaurant offers panoramic River Thames views from every table, superb service and seasonal menus.

If you're looking for a restaurant with wow factor, classic old age charm and a touch of exclusitivty, this it it. Every table in the 70-cover restaurant can take in floor-to-ceiling views of the famous bend in the River Thames and surrounding Petersham Meadows.

  

The Petersham Restaurant in Richmond recently reopened following a complete refurbishment. Russell  and I were invited to the venue for a complimentary lunch over Valentine's weekend so we could experience the new atmosphere for ourselves. 

The new design of the restaurant, which sits within the 4-star Petersham Hotel, is inspired by the colours of the early morning, misty river vista. With crisp white table cloths, vintage mirrors and plenty of natural light streaming in, the light and bright space was filled with both families and couples enjoying the refined yet uncomplicated food. 

 

The seasonal menus, designed by head chef Ade Adeshina, feature local produce in a modern yet unfussy British style. 

Seafood dominates the A La Carte menu and the steamed lasagne of cornish crab starter caught my attention. Served with Lilliput capers and a tarragon butter sauce this elegant dish allowed the subtly sweet crab to shine by elevating its flavour with salt and cream. 

Russell ordered the sautéed scallops served with banana plantain, black pudding and parsnip purée. Earthy parsnip, rich black pudding and scallops are a classic combination, however the addition of plantain (possibly inspired by the head chef's Nigerian background) enhanced the sweetness of the seafood. 

 

 

For my main course I chose the duo of Brechin beef which featured fillet and Jacob’s ladder, potato Anna and bordelaise sauce whilst Russell chose the roast chicken supreme with roast carrot, eryngii mushroom and choy sum. 

Eating next to such a magificent view was such a relaxing and energising experience. We honestly felt like we were 100 miles away from London (and all of our worries) and totally relaxed in the restaurant - it almost felt like we had been away for a weekend of indulgent food. The service was faultless and during our time at The Petersham we didn't once have to look around to grab a waiters attention, which is a rare statement to make. 

 

 

We finished our wonderful meal with the impressive poached pear with port wine mousse and lemon sponge and 'dark chocolate three way', a combination of soft mousse, rich brownie and indulgent truffle served on a chocolate crumb. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch at The Petersham and would recommend the venue if you're looking for a classic yet relaxed venue for special occasions. It's certainly not short of a marvellous view and gave us a refreshing change from high rise window seat views of London's cit