Kew Gardens Restaurant Tips by sue_stone Top 5 Page for this destination

Tapas y Vino: Tapas y Vino - Mediterranean Tapas

A while back we had a great meal at Tapas y Vino in Twickenham, so when a new branch opened in Kew we thought we should check it out, arranging to meet friends there for dinner.

Tapas y Vino serve up Mediterranean Tapas, offering a mixture of traditional and specialty dishes. The décor has a Mediterranean theme, and this new Kew restaurant is less cramped than its Twickenham sibling. Service was mixed - the manager was friendly, whilst the other staff less so.

Favorite Dish: We started with some Olive bread, Pitta bread, Aubergine Pate and Spanish cured Iberian Jabugo ham. The pate was more like a dip, but went down just fine smeared on some pitta.

We moved on to the hot tapas then, starting with the Chicken & Tarragon Croquettes, the Monkfish knobs 'cheeks' with capers and butter sauce, and the Oxtail in red wine with creamy potato. The Oxtail was my favourite of the three - very flavoursome. Next we had the Roast crisp suckling pig, the Scallops with risotto and squid ink sauce, and the Tajine of aromatic chicken, cumin & preserved lemon. The standout here was the Scallops and the creamy squid ink risotto.

Dessert was on the agenda, and we all had the same thing - the Hot chocolate and almond bastilla. This is a flaky pastry parcel filled with oozy chocolate mixed with almonds. And yes, it is as good as it sounds!

Address: 306 Sandycombe Road, Kew TW9 3NG

Comparison: about average

Directions: Nearest station: Kew Gardens

Other Contact: info@tapasyvinokew.co.uk

Phone: 020 8940 3504

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 3

Theme: Eclectic/International

Kew Grill Restaurant: British cuisine in Kew

Love them or hate them, you can't escape the celebrity chef in the UK. They are everywhere, their restaurants popping up all over the country. You've got to wonder how do they manage cook at each one every day ; )

I don't know much about celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson, but I do know he has a very annoying voice! Anyway, we were invited out to dinner one night with friends to one of his restaurants called Kew Grill, located in Kew, West London. Pleasingly there was no sign of the great man to mar a lovely evening.

Located just off Kew Green, the restaurant serves up British cuisine, with aged beef a specialty. The restaurant is quite small and was fully booked the night we were there. Service was disappointing and they seemed to forget about us a couple of times.

Favorite Dish: The food was a mixed bag....some of it excellent, some not so good. To start, Alex had the Baked Field Mushrooms on Olive Toast, Kristian had the Home Made Potted Shrimps and Gerri had the 'Ménage a Trois" Filo Pastry Parcels. Generally they enjoyed these dishes, and we all shared a refreshing bottle of Sancerre.

For main course, Alex & I both had the 10oz Rib Eye Steak, with chunky chips, which was well cooked and flavoursome. Gerri had the Beef Stroganoff, while Kristian had the Sucking Pig which came with a delicious slab of crackling. A decent bottle of red Bordeaux complemented our meals.

Desserts were beckoning. Kristian, Gerri and I all had the Crème Brulee and Alex had the Brandy chocolate mousse. The desserts were disappointing. Maybe that was why a couple of the other tables that night had bought their own in the form of brightly decorated birthday cakes!

Address: 10b Kew Green, Kew TW9 3BH

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Nearest tube: Kew Gardens tube is about a 10 minute walk

Phone: 020 8948 4433

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 3

Theme: Eclectic/International

Inn at Kew Gardens: Gastro Pub in Kew

The Inn at Kew Gardens is an award winning Gastro Pub located below the Kew Gardens Hotel, in Kew, West London. I had started reading good things about the food there, so we arranged to meet some friends there for dinner one night.

You enter off the street into a welcoming bar area. The inside dining area is to the rear, and there is also a heated terrace for those willing to brave the weather. Above the dining area is a little mezzanine area consisting of comfy leather chairs that are perfect for a relaxing drink and natter with your mates.

We sat in the inside area to eat, as the autumn evening was a little chilly for alfresco dining, heaters or not! Service was friendly, though a bit vague, and we had quite a hard time getting the bill....apparently they didn't want us to leave :-/

Favorite Dish: The menu was quite small, though we all managed to find something we liked the sound of. For main course, I had the Pan-Fried Bream with Roasted Vegetables, Alex had the Braised Belly of Pork with Mustard Mash, Laura had the Chicken & Leek Pie (from the daily specials) and Adrian had the Hamburger (from the bar menu). I was disappointed in my meal, and the others weren't too amazing either unfortunately.

We decided to brave dessert - Laura & I had the Lemon & Lime Soufflé, and Alex had the Chocolate Brioche pudding (which looked like a chocolate brownie). The Chocolate dish was really tasty, the "soufflé" was terrible....and was nothing like any soufflé I have had before.

Although we had a lovely evening with our friends, it was such a shame that the food was mainly a disappointment. It certainly didn't live up to the hype.

Address: 292 Sandycombe Road, Kew TW9 3NG

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Nearest Tube: Kew Gardens station is only a couple of minutes walk

Other Contact: enquiries@theinnatkewgardens.com

Phone: 020 8940 2220

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 3

Theme: Pub/Brewery

Orangery: Orangery - Cafe/Restaurant in Kew Gardens

The Orangery is a café and self-service restaurant located in Kew Gardens, hence only accessible to those who have paid to access the Gardens. It is housed in an attractive Grade 1 listed building, with a sunny terrace at the front for those rare, drizzle free days.

I recently visited Kew Gardens with a friend and we stopped by the Orangery for some morning tea. The self-service area is very clean and well fitted out. The food they were preparing for lunch looked and smelt good, and I was pleased by the large selection of fresh-looking cakes.

Favorite Dish: My friend had a coffee and a slice of Lemon Drizzle Cake, while I had a pot of tea and a slice of Chocolate & Coconut Cake. As it is self-serve, we could choose which slice we wanted which was particularly useful in this case as the size of the slices varied greatly! Believe it or not, I didn't choose the biggest slice.

Inside is a large, bright dining area, but as the autumn sun was shining we headed for the terrace and enjoyed our morning tea, along with a gossip and some squirrel spotting.

Address: The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew TW9 3AB

Comparison: about average

Directions: Nearest station: Kew Gardens

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: Eclectic/International

Website: http://www.kew.org/visitor/fackew.html

Kew Fish Bar: Kew Fish Bar - take away food

One early evening we visited some friends in Kew to check out their new baby. Afterwards we wanted to pick up something tasty to have for dinner and I had a hankering for fish & chips.

I knew I had seen a likely take away shop just next to Kew Gardens station, so we headed there to check it out. We discovered a cheerful looking place called the Kew Fish Bar. I really wanted some grilled fish, but alas, it wasn't on the menu, so we had to settle for standard fish & plenty of chips.

Favorite Dish: We took them home to eat and were not impressed with the quality. The batter was too thick and oily for my liking, and the chips weren't cooked quite enough.

All in all a bit disappointing, so we will go elsewhere next time. Service was friendly though.

Address: 114 North Road, London TW9 4HJ

Comparison: least expensive

Directions: Nearest tube/train: Kew Gardens station is next door

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 2

Theme: Seafood

The Botanist on the Green: The Botanist on the Green

One sunny winters day lunch with the girls was on the agenda, and the venue was The Botanist on the Green in Kew.

The Botanist opened in mid-2006 and it is located across the road from Kew Green, about 10 minutes walk from Kew Gardens Station, and only a short walk to the entrance into Kew Garden. The venue used to be home to a branch of the Browns restaurant chain.

There is a small bar area to one side and then the separate dining area. It is a bright, modern space, which still managed to feel cosy on the chilly day we visited. Service was friendly and professional, though a little vague at times....at one stage the waiter cleared away our drinks when they were obviously not finished!

Favorite Dish: The menu offers a pretty good selection of starters and main meals, though dessert options were more limited, though we all managed to find something we liked the sound off.

To eat, I had the Slow cooked lamb shank with creamy parsnip mash, roasted fennel and red wine jus - it was ok, but nothing to write home about. Sarah had the Home made beef burger served with mixed salad and french fries and Ellie had the Beetroot, wild mushroom, green pea, spinach and butternut squash risotto. They both said the meals were ok and they cleaned their plates.

For dessert I had the very tasty Chocolate & cashew nut brownie with vanilla icecream, Ellie had the White chocolate cheesecake and Sarah had the Trio of ice cream. We were happy with all of our choices and they didn't last for long ; )

Address: 3-5 Kew Green, London TW9 3AA

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Nearest tube/train: Kew Gardens station is about a 10 minute walk

The 391 and 65 buses stop about 50 metres from the Botanist

Other Contact: enquiries@thebotanistonthegreen.

Phone: 020 8948 4838

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 3

Theme: Eclectic/International

Website: http://www.capitalpubcompany2.com/botanist.htm

The Glasshouse: The Glasshouse - special occasion restaurant

We needed a special restaurant to dine in one night to farewell our friends who were moving back to Australia. We decided to try The Glasshouse in Kew, as it was somewhere that we had all been wanting to try for some time.

This small, classy restaurant is located in Kew Village, just across the road from Kew Gardens station. It is sister restaurant to Chez Bruce and La Trompette - two restaurants that we know and love, so we certainly hoped we were in for a treat, and I am pleased to say we weren't disappointed.

The restaurant has a warm, relaxed atmosphere. Service was friendly but professional and we found the sommelier particularly helpful and loved the wine that he recommended.

Food was excellent, though very rich. The three course menu was £35 per person and we were well and truly stuffed full by the end of it!

Favorite Dish: We started the evening with a bottle of champagne, which happily stretched so we could drink it with our starters as well. We had a bottle of Italian red wine with our mains which was superb - I shall be trying to track it down so we can buy a bottle or two for home.

To start, Stuart & I both had the Crisp Seabass and deep fried prawn with white polenta, buttered cockles and basil - the combination of flavours were great. Alex had the Warm salad of squab pigeon with deep fried truffle egg, which was so good that he wouldn't let me try any! Angela had the Coq au vin raviolo with portabello mushroom and red wine bouillon, which looked, and apparently tasted, fabulous.

Main courses were also excellent. Angela & Stuart had the Chateaubriand with hand cut chips, grill garnish and béarnaise sauce. The meat just melted in your mouth and Angela thought that the chips were some of the best she has ever eaten. Alex had the Roast pheasant with foie gras and chicken lover croute with savoy cabbage, lentils and cured ham - wow, it was good. And I had the Roast breast of duck with carrot & swede mash, pommes sarladaise and sauce poivrade - again, there was a great combination of flavours.

We couldn't fit in dessert, but ordered anyway. Angela had the Pear, apple and cinnamon beignets with golden raisin anglaise, which was a cross between a profiterole and a donut - she liked it, but didn't think the serve was generous enough (though I'm not sure she could have fit anymore in!). Alex had the Apricot glazed bread & butter pudding which was a huge serve and somehow he managed to finish it all. Stuart and I both ordered the Warm chocolate & pecan brownie with choc chip ice cream and this smooth, dark chocolate sauce - it was really delicious, but so rich and big that I had to leave some.

It was a really fab night and I have no doubt we will return again to The Glasshouse one day for a special occasion meal.

Address: 14 Station Parade, London, TW9 3PZ

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Nearest Tube/Train: Kew Gardens station is less than a minutes walk

Phone: 020 8940 6777

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 5

Theme: Eclectic/International

Website: http://www.glasshouserestaurant.co.uk/

The Kew Greenhouse Café: Friendly place for light meal or snack

Located in quaint little Kew Village is the Kew Greenhouse Café. The café is open 7 days serving up light meals and old-fashioned creamed teas, along with a range of decadent looking cakes.

It is a leafy looking place, with a friendly feel and a nice conservatory area at the back which is non-smoking. Find yourself a table and check out the menu. Once you have decided, go and order at the counter. Your food/drinks will then be delivered to your table, and when you have finished you just pay your bill at the counter on your way out.

Having eyed out the café many times, I finally ventured there one wet and windy afternoon to meet a friend for coffee and a gossip. We found a nice table in the conservatory section and perused the cake options.

Favorite Dish: In the end we both had a coffee, I had some chocolate cake and Laura had the Bakewell tart. My cake was ok, though Laura was a little disappointed in hers - it was nowhere near as good as her mum makes. The coffee was ok, but the milk had been overheated affecting the flavour and causing me to burn my tongue!

The Kew Greenhouse Café has a good feeling about it though and I will definitely return again one day for another piece of cake and more of that excellent gossip ; )

Address: 1 Station Parade, Kew TW9 3PS

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: Nearest Tube/Train: Kew Gardens station is 1 minute walk

Phone: 020 8940 0183

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: Coffeehouse

Ma Cuisine: French Bistro in Kew

Ma Cuisine is a small French Bistro located in the beautiful Kew Village, in West London.

Having read a great review of this place, and at a loose end one Sunday lunch time we decided to pop by and see if the rave review was founded - happily it was!

Ma Cuisine is an unassuming looking place. A small welcoming restaurant, it was fairly quiet when we got there, but by the time we left it was full with happy locals enjoying a relaxed lunch. The staff were French, friendly and efficient.

Favorite Dish: They had a 2/3 course lunch menu - which at 12/15 pounds was great value, as the serves were large and the quality excellent.

I had the most delicious French version of a Sunday roast beef, with roast veggies - it was one of the tastiest things I have eaten in a long time. Alex had duck breast served with red cabbage and veg, which was also delicious. Washed down with a small carafe of their very drinkable house wine.

As it was a 2 course deal we had no choice but to force down dessert (gee damn!). They were delicious too.

Address: The Old Post Office, 9 Station Approach, Kew, TW9

Comparison: about average

Directions: Nearest Tube: Kew Gardens.

Located less than 1 minute walk from the tube station

Phone: 020 8332 1923

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: French

Website: http://www.macuisinekew.co.uk/

The Original Maids of Honour: Traditional Afternoon Tea in Kew

If you are looking for an authentic British afternoon tea after a visit to Kew Gardens, pop across the road to The Original Maids of Honour. This quaint tea room is the perfect place to relax and soak up the traditional atmosphere.

The Original Maids of Honour has been operating in the area for nearly 300 years. It is home to the delicious Maid of Honour cake - which is kind of like a light custard tart, but the recipe is a family secret that has been passed down through the generations.

Favorite Dish: The café is open for morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea. At lunch time you can choose from a selection of home made pies and sausage rolls, quiches, sandwiches or the Roast of the Day.

Stop by in the afternoon for the Maids of Honour set tea, which includes tea (or coffee), 2 scones with jam and clotted cream and a Maid of Honour cake. Delicious!!

There are also a selection of freshly made cakes and pastries that you can eat in or take away.

Opening Hours
Monday 9.30 am - 1.00 pm
Tuesday - Saturday 9.30 am - 6.00 pm

Morning Coffee 9.30 am - 12 noon
Luncheon Sittings 12.30 pm & 1.30 pm
Afternoon Tea 2.30 pm - 5.30 pm

Address: 288 Kew Road, Kew TW9 3DU

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Nearest Tube: Kew Gardens - 5 minutes walk

The cafe is just across the road from Kew Gardens

Phone: 020 8940 2752

Price: less than US$10

Rating: 4

Theme: Coffeehouse

Website: http://www.theoriginalmaidsofhonour.co.uk/