Bingham Riverhouse

Our Inspector's view

Stylish restaurant-with-rooms Bingham Riverhouse is a short walk from Richmond town centre and occupies a lovely spot overlooking the River Thames. Set within a handsome pair of elegant townhouses, tables on the waterside-facing balcony are highly prized when it comes to summery alfresco dining. Easy-on-the-eye neutral hues and a calm ambience set the tone in the elegantly relaxed dining room which has the sort of chic, faultless look often found on the pages of an interiors magazine. Young and engaged waiting staff are attentive and friendly but not at all overbearing. A young and ambitious team in the kitchen displays strong technical skill and interesting flavour combinations. High quality ingredients are given the respect they deserve, and they are allowed to take centre stage with minimal interference from other elements on the plate. Before the first course, excellent home-made bread is served with light and airy whipped seaweed butter. To start, a precisely cooked and well rested quail is served with burnt apple purée, bacon, swede and sherry vinegar to round things off. Another way to begin a meal could be smoked duck breast with duck liver parfait and blood orange. For mains, an attractively presented piece of precisely timed butter-roasted sea bass is paired with cauliflower, caviar and a well-balanced, wine-enriched sauce. For meat eaters, the main course might present pork fillet with asparagus and puffed pork or lamb teamed with salsify, celery and mint. For dessert, ‘rhubarb and custard’ is much more than its tersely written menu description, the light and creamy rhubarb and vanilla parfait enhanced by fiery stem ginger and crumble for added textural balance and flavour. A vegan option to close the meal is William pear with an intriguing accompaniment of coriander ice cream and honey.

Awards, accolades and Welcome Schemes

3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence

AA Notable Wine List