Richmond Pubs | Riverside Taverns & Heated Beer Gardens
We’ve got twelve more reasons for you to spend a day in Richmond…
…and they’re all pub-shaped.
Some of them offer the rugby, others offer riverside views. All of them offer booze. And food for that matter.
Together they go by the name of: The Finest Richmond Pubs. Although, individually, you can call them:
The Marlborough has one of the biggest beer gardens in London. That’s probably this Richmond pub’s finest feature, with plenty of tables and chairs, and heaters for the winter. You’ll find it right next to Richmond Park, which means it’s a good one for a pint after going deer-spotting on one of our favourite London walks. You can treat yourself to a cold beer or a glass of wine and rest up on one of their big leather Chesterfield sofas. Hopefully you’re also hungry because they’ve got an all-day menu of quintessentially British grub – fish and chips; sausages and mash; and mushroom and vegan cheese pie (quintessentially Modern British grub) definitely worth exploring. Of course, if you’re anything like us, the dessert menu will also be top priority, so we’re pleased to inform you that it includes sticky toffee pudding; rhubarb and ginger crumble; and raspberry Eton mess. They also do superb Sunday roasts, including both a vegan anddddd an all-inclusive pork, chicken, and beef option. And you did go for that walk…
Address: 46 Friars Stile Road, Richmond, TW10 6NQ | Sunday roast? Yes | Outdoor space? Yes | Book here
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Justin De Souza
The Sun Inn arguably possesses the best match-day atmosphere outside of Twickenham stadium itself, and they really do love the sport; it’s all on the TVs, and signed rugby jerseys and memorabilia cover virtually every inch of the walls. If you couldn’t give a toss about the rugby, don’t be put off, it’s got a lot more going for it then just that: roasts, solid pub grub (the homemade steak pie stands out) and multiple outdoor seating options; either plumped in the front terrace or down the more private brick-lined corridor surrounded by hanging flower baskets. You could say that the place is at the peak of its powers when the sun’s out…
Address: 17 Parkshot, Richmond TW9 2RG | Sunday roast? Yes | Outdoor space? Yes | Book here
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The White Cross is an iconic pub on Richmond’s riverside. It’s right on the edge of the water, which we mean quite literally – at high tide, the river has been known to flood the terrace. But when the tide’s out and the sun’s out, the front courtyard is a lovely spot with a decent number of tables and chairs – otherwise, if it’s busy (which it often is) you can order and then perch on the riverbank just beyond. If you’re a history fan, you might like to know that The White Cross actually dates back to 1780, when it was called The Waterman’s Arms. If you’re not a history fan, well, then, maybe you like rugby, in which case you’ll also like the fact that they screen most of the big games. On Sundays they do a roast, with a vegetarian option. And, if all that’s not titillating enough (excuse our French), come winter it’s one of the best London pubs with open fires. Oof, we can hear the crackles now.
Address: Riverside, Richmond TW9 1TH | Sunday roast? Yes | Outdoor space? Yes | Book here
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Rob Jones
The Roebuck is where to go if you’re after a Richmond pub with a view. It’s right on the top of Richmond Hill, and whilst it doesn’t have its own garden per se, they’re happy for you to venture across the road and perch on one of the many public benches overlooking the tree-lined Thames below.
Address: 121-123 Kew Road, Richmond, TW9 2PN | Sunday roast? Yes | Outdoor space? There’s no beer garden, but the public benches are fair game | Book here
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The Mitre offers pretty much the full pub package: there’s an enclosed beer garden out the back for sunny days (and twinkling bulbs and heaters for those winter nights); screens for sport; a roomy, old-fashioned inside space with stained-glass windows, chesterfield leather couches and cask ales aplenty; Neapolitan pizzas (which make up for the lack of roast); live music; and even a cool pub dog, Rudi. And he can’t fail to impress…
Address: 121-123 Kew Road, Richmond, TW9 2PN | Sunday roast? No | Outdoor space? Yes | Call 020 8940 1336 for bookings
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The Orange Tree’s credentials as one of Richmond’s best pubs include a well thought-out modern British menu (things like smoked ham hock and Nantwich cheddar rarebit, and Welsh Salt Marsh lamb loin with crushed peas and pink fir potatoes), an elite-level roast, an al fresco terrace and HD screens for the sport. It also doubles as a boutique hotel – handy in case you enjoy all of the above a little too fully.
Address: 45 Kew Rd, Richmond TW9 2NQ | Sunday roast? Yes | Outdoor space? Yes | Book here
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The White Swan calls itself ‘Richmond’s best kept secret’, so apologies if we’re spoiling things… but seeing as though we’ve already started: it’s an adaptable, traditionally-styled pub with log fires for winter and a flagstone courtyard for summer. There’s a Sunday roast that can be sampled all-year-round; particularly the pork belly backed by allll the good stuff (roasties, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower cheese, gravy and a Yorkshire pud) and then preferably followed (ignore your stomach’s pleas) by sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and honeycomb ice cream. It’s 100 metres from the river, in case you fancied desperately need a walk after…
Address: 26 Old Palace Ln, Richmond TW9 1PG | Sunday roast? Yes | Outdoor space? Yes | Book here
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Honestly the Tap Tavern feels more like an East or South London boozer that’s snuck itself back West… and moved back in with the parents to save for a deposit. Why? Well, there’s the exposed brick walls and wooden parquet flooring. Tall wooden posing tables are circled by red leather stalls, and it’s filled with leafy pot plants. They’re also focused on micro-brewed beers and small batch gins. They have twenty beer taps on the go at one time, and 28 different gins, mostly served as gin & tonics in big fishbowl glasses. Food wise they’ve gone for more of a global menu – grilled truffle and cheese toasties with red onion marmalade sit alongside hummus and dukkah with warm flat bread. Their Sunday roast has a strong case to being the best of all the pubs in Richmond – beef, pork, chicken, and a vegan butternut squash option, with everything from cauliflower cheese to pigs in blankets on the side.
Address: Princes Street, Richmond, TW9 1ED | Sunday roast? Yes | Outdoor space? There’s a handful of tables out the front, but those (shock) fill up before you know it | Book here
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You guessed it, they serve big beers. In big tankards. Authentic German brewskies, imported over from the motherland itself. They serve German wines too, and German food – bratwurst, currywurst, and large bowls of Bavarian goulash stew. Although the best part is definitely the location: it’s right on the riverfront. Once a run-down old ice cream parlour, it was given a new lick of life, expanding into a sprawling beer garden where you can sit, and drink, and watch the world jog by. A quick one to note though: their licensing means you have to eat to drink, meaning you should come hungry, even if it’s just apple strudel hungry… topped off with a little ice cream.
Address: Richmond Towpath, Richmond upon Thames, TW10 6UX | Sunday roast? No | Outdoor space? Indeed | They are mostly walk-ins and don’t take reservations for groups under six, but if you’re in a big group you can find booking info here.
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As far as old pubs in Richmond go, The Cricketers has had one of the longer innings. Apparently it’s been around since 1770. The name comes from its post and pre game connection to all the cricket that’s been played on Richmond Green over the years, and you’ll see some of the pub’s sporting history on the walls; there’s tons of cricket-themed paraphernalia from bats to portraits of old players. Drinks-wise, you’ll get your classic list of beers and classic list of grub (burgers, sausage rolls, scotch eggs, Sunday roasts served with duck fat roasties and Yorkshire pud). Nothing too out-of-the-ordinary, but that familiarity adds to the ‘everyone’s a local’ sort of atmosphere. There’s also umbrella-covered benches out the front (for, you know, pints in the sun), plus screens showing sport (indeed, this is a good spot for watching The Ashes). You could say The Cricketers is something of an all-rounder…
Address: The Green, Richmond TW9 1LX | Sunday roast? Yes | Outdoor space? Yes | Book here
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There’s a real possibility that you, very innocently, will arrive at The Britannia just before lunchtime under the guise of ‘one’ pint and then leave, very deliriously, many more pints later, as the last orders are being taken just shy of 11pm. Don’t beat yourself up over it though, you’re not the only to have succumbed to this historic pub’s irresistible charm. With a brilliant modern menu of British gastro grub (hint: Orkney scallops with crushed hazelnuts, day boat beer-battered cod and chips, and a 35-day aged Lake District farmers ribeye steak), an idyllic, leafy outdoor garden and super-friendly, attentive staff, why not just spend 10-hours drinking and eating the day away here?
Address: 5 Brewers Ln, Richmond TW9 1HH | Sunday roast? Yes | Outdoor space? Yes | Book here
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The Lass O’ Richmond Hill was not named as such because it’s a pub that keeps bringing you back… it was actually named after the love ballad ‘The Lass of Richmond Hill’ written by Leonard McNally, which was also often confused as a traditional folk song. Anyway, now that you’re aware of that (names are important), you should also know that it’s got a fireplace and leather armchairs inside, and a shaded stone-floor courtyard out the back. The perfect pit stop before taking on one of Richmond’s Park’s walking trails in the afternoon. If you can manage to get up off your armchair, that is…
Address: Surrey, 8 Queen’s Rd, Richmond TW10 6JJ | Sunday roast? Yes | Outdoor space? Yes | Book here
So there you go, pubs in Richmond really do cover all the bases, containing at least two (with some even completing the full set) of a beer garden, a fireplace, food that’s just as worthy as the drink, screens for sport and river views. Although this means you could easily spend an entire day in one of them (and there’s nothing wrong with that), if you did fancy stretching your legs a little and seeing what else is out there, well, we’ve made an itinerary to help you map out the perfect day in Richmond…
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Not in the mood for pub grub? Book into one of Richmond’s best restaurants