Eat & Drink
Originally published on Friday, 29th February 2008
The Bingham
While the weather may not exactly be balmy, I could swear that, when the sun does shine, there's the faintest whiff of spring in the air. Maybe it's not quite time to lay a blanket down in Richmond park but there are other options, like the fabulously refurbed restaurant at the discreet riverside B&B the Bingham in Richmond.
This chic bolthole has quietly been cutting a swathe through TW10 for the last couple of years, and like all good inns it has a restaurant to be proud of, particularly now with the arrival of new (former Hotel Endsleigh) head chef Shay Cooper and a freshly gilded decor.
Cooper's menu makes the most of local suppliers, like greengrocer Andreas Georghiou, and puts a twist on the usual modern British fayre, from his smoked eel terrine with celeriac choucroute and pink fir potato salad to squab pigeon with Jerusalem artichoke puree, beetroot ravioli and coffee sauce.
But the real draw is the covered terrace where you can watch the Thames babble by and start mentally throwing together your summer wardrobe, safe in the knowledge that if it gets a bit nippy there's a crackling log fire to retreat to inside.
Hours: Breakfast Mon-Fri 7-10am • Sat & Sun 8-10am Lunch Mon-Sat 12-2.30 • Sun 12.30-4pm • Dinner Mon-Sat 7-10pm
Place: 61-63 Petersham Road, TW10 6UT
Cost: £40
Web: binghamrestaurant.co.uk
Book: 020 8940 0902