Petersham
Nurseries, Petersham Rd, Richmond, Surrey TW10 7AB
04/07/2015
She said: We were
going to be in Richmond so sought out a good place to have my actual birthday
with him. Petersham showed up on a google map and when I clicked it looked
interesting. It’s not one that’s ever been on my radar but turns out it’s a
(secret) gem. I really can’t express just what a paradise this was in almost
every way. You wander down a little country lane past a film-set church and
enter an actual nursery with lovely garden-related things for sale. At the
centre of the nursery you enter a garden paradise in which a stunning dining
room sits. The gods were smiling on us as the weather was just perfect and we
spent a couple of hours convinced we were in a beautiful Tuscan villa courtyard
enjoying the locally produced, freshest of ingredients. Though the menu is
small, you will find something amazing for each course at Petersham. My ravioli
and his peach salad (which I ‘helped’ him with were delicious; my fish main was
heavenly; but my chocolate dessert was one of the best I can remember ever
having – just amazig. Our candied rose petal prosecco was expcetional and I
just didn’t want the experience to end. It’s not the cheapest of places at just
over £60 a head for 3-courses including coffee and a cocktail but believe me,
if you’re going to splash out anywhere – it must be here. And don’t worry – if
the sun is not shining, there is a lovely glass covered dining space which is
just as magical, though nothing will feel more like a diner’s paradise than if
you can go on a sunny day. 11 out of 10 for this one. Heaven.
He said: Petersham
Nurseries is one of those places that's so good, so much better than the
average gastro scam, that you end up in a foodie moral quandary: to keep the
secret to yourself or to proselytise? In this case you really don't need to
worry about it; judging by how far in advance we had to book the cat bolted
that bag a long time ago. The beau monde of Richmond has clutched this
fine spot to its fair bosom, and quite rightly: Petersham is wonderful in every
way. Getting there was for us, on our little put-put moped, quite an epic, but
so worth it. You get a real thrill of discovery turning off the main road,
parking up next to a beautiful little church, and walking down a gravel track
parallel to the Thames just visible in the distance. And on a fine summer's
day, sitting at one of the outdoors tables, with dappling sunlight poking
through the trelice of vines there are very few places in London that can rival
Petersham for the sheer sense of place. After such an auspicious start I was
actually worried that it might all come crashing down. But the food was
fantastic: British but cooked with an Italian spirit: with simplicity and
showcasing few, great ingredients, many grown on the spot, without drowning
them needlessly in heavy sauces, or showy technique. I can't wait to go
back, even in bad weather when, instead, you sit in the greenhouse. There's no
doubt that when this year ends Petersham will be very high up my list of
favourites for 2015 - quite likely at the very top. Go!
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